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Walking Meeting Protocol

productivity · easy · Same time as a sitting meeting

What is Walking Meeting Protocol?

Take your 1-on-1 meetings while walking instead of sitting in a conference room. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Aristotle all favored walking meetings. Movement increases creative thinking by 60% (Stanford study), breaks down hierarchical barriers, and keeps meetings naturally short.

Is there evidence for it?

EVIDENCEstrong

How do you do Walking Meeting Protocol?

  1. 1.For any 1-on-1 meeting that doesn't require a screen: suggest walking instead of sitting. 'Want to do this one walking? I think better on my feet'
  2. 2.Plan a 15-20 minute route that loops back to your starting point. Parks, quiet streets, or campus paths work well. Avoid noisy or crowded areas
  3. 3.Walk side by side, not face to face. This reduces confrontation dynamics and makes difficult conversations easier — you're both looking forward, not at each other
  4. 4.Take voice notes on your phone for action items instead of written notes. Or send a quick summary text/email when you get back to your desk
  5. 5.Not suitable for: group meetings (3+ people), presentations, anything requiring documents or screens. Perfect for: brainstorming, 1-on-1s, coaching, difficult conversations, check-ins, creative problem-solving

How long does it take?

Same time as a sitting meeting.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

> how Shift handles procrastination

Source: Oppezzo & Schwartz (2014, Stanford — walking boosts creativity 60%), Nilofer Merchant (TED Talk), Steve Jobs biography
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This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.