DAY 3

Your Day 3 Assignment

Walking meetings are one of the most POWERFUL ways to get in more steps, WITHOUT spending any extra time.

Which is great. Especially for busy people who want to GET STUFF DONE, like you and me.

What’s funny is, Silicon Valley business leaders have known this for a while. Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are famous for their walking meetings. Or take Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn. He says:

"In addition to the obvious fitness benefits, [walking meetings] essentially eliminate distractions, so I find it to be a much more productive way to spend time."
Jeff Weiner
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However…

Switching to walking meetings can be tough if you don’t work in Silicon Valley or a trendy startup. It’s just not the norm. And when there’s change, there’s always resistance...

But with today’s assignment, I want to help you overcome some of the resistance you'll face when you switch to walk-and-talks.

Step 1: Walk while you’re on the phone

This is the minimum goal for today. I want you to get up and walk whenever you make a phone call.

You won’t experience all the benefits of walking with someone in person, but you’ll get in quite a few extra steps (depending on how much time you spend on the phone).

You don’t have to leave your office. You can pace, you can walk down the hall. Whatever. Just get up and WALK. And If you MUST be in front of your computer during your calls, at least get up and pace.

Step 2: Turn your next in-person meeting into a walking meeting

I suggest you start with 1:1 meetings…

Because let’s face it: It’s hard to get 8 people to all agree to come on a walk with you. So start with one-on-one meetings or smaller groups for your first walking meeting. 2 to 3 people usually works best.

(Side note… If you have a lot of group meetings with 3 or more people, how about this: Try a standing meeting. You won’t get in many extra steps, but at least you’re not sitting all day.)

Now the BIG question is:

How do you get people to walk with you?

So, let’s talk about how to suggest a walking meeting. And this is important: You should bring up the idea BEFORE the meeting time.

But what do you say to your co-worker or business partner? I suggest you treat the idea like an an experiment. Here’s a script you can use:

Hey, let's try something new for our meeting: Let's go for a short walk. You see, I'm doing this 7 day walking challenge. Today's assignment is to try a walking meeting. Lots of people swear by it. Steve Jobs used to do it all the time. So who knows, maybe we'll discover this is more productive than sitting around a table. Are you up for it?

The worst that can happen is that they’ll say no.

Or maybe they’ll bring up some reasons why they think a walking meeting won’t work. But I’ve got you covered. Here’s how to...

Step 3: Prepare for your first walking meeting

Yes, some people will have objections. Some will look at you silly. And you might even have some questions about walking meetings yourself.

For that reason, I’ve put together 3 useful tips and answered the most obvious questions for you:

Tip #1: Take the lead

You’re in charge of this little experiment. So, think about an appropriate route. For example, avoid too many stairs or steep paths. And don’t take people out into the dirt or rain.

And keep it short. Don’t take anyone on an hour-long hike for your first walking meeting. Keep your walking time to around 20 minutes.

If you want, include an interesting place to stop, like a viewpoint, a historic building, or a monument.

Tip #2: Use the “carrot and stick” approach

Sometimes people just need a little extra incentive. So here’s an idea if your meeting partner hesitates:

Offer to buy them a cup of coffee as an incentive to walk with you. This is great, because you can walk to the coffee shop and back. Try to NOT order that Caramel Mocha Frappuccino, though. Or walk to a smoothie place instead!

Now, you don’t want to turn your walking meetings into a snack run. But it’s a good way to get outside and get started.

And if this doesn’t work, beat ‘em with a stick (just kidding, obviously…).

Tip #3: “What if I have to take notes?”

Taking notes can be important for some meetings. And your partner might bring this up, too. But there’s a solution. In fact, I have 4 suggestions for you...

Use your phone to record the meeting. Then, offer to put the notes on paper or in a computer document at the end of the meeting.
If you or your meeting partner are not comfortable with recording the conversation, bring a small notepad. Better yet, bring two small notepads, so you can both write down things to remember.
Of course, you can also just use your phone. With an app like Evernote, taking notes on the go is actually very easy. Or, just open a new email message and type your notes there. Then, at the end of the meeting, you can send it off to your colleague. Boom!
Suggest to finish the meeting back at the office. That way you can wrap up the meeting sitting down in front of a computer.

And that’s it...

You’re ready to walk-and-talk!

With those tips you’re ready for your first walking meeting. Remember, treat it like an experiment. So just go out there, try it, and enjoy the fresh air.

Step 4: Commit to Walk-n-Talk… for the Rest of the Week!

Walking meetings are not something you can experience in one day. That’s why I want you to commit to it - at least for the rest of week:

For all one-to-one meetings at work… suggest to go on a walk.
If you’re meeting a friend for coffee… how about a walk instead?
Calling your mom? Walk-and-talk while you’re on the phone!

You get the idea.

Now...

In the comments below, I want to know: What do you like about walking meetings? What are the biggest challenges? And if you have some tips of your own, let’s hear them, too!

Share your experience and leave a comment now: