When I first moved from subject teaching into leadership I was astonished by the number of meetings. While it’s an honour to attend or host important meetings, they can easily consume your day and meeting fatigue can set in.
For me this realisation led to a period of self-reflection about the quantity and quality of the meetings that I organised. Were they necessary, productive and respectful of people’s time?
I also reflected on how I conducted the meetings.
Walking meetings for school staff
I personally find the traditional meeting set-up to be very challenging. As an active person who feels most comfortable on the move, I often get restless when I sit still for long - I find moving beneficial when I am engaged in a task for a long period of time.
In search of ideas to rectify these issues, I stumbled across the concept of walking meetings. The idea is a simple one: instead of sitting in a room or behind a screen, you walk and talk, walking either to a pre-agreed destination or for a fixed period of time.
Despite widespread use of this tactic in other industries, I was initially sceptical that it could really work.
However, the more I read about it, I discovered a compelling body of research showing that walking meetings support the links between movement and concentration, creativity and improved mental wellbeing. I was determined to give it a go.
Stepping up
I saw in my calendar that I had an upcoming one-to-one session with a colleague to discuss a project in its infancy and to get some feedback on where current ideas need more development.
There was no requirement for technology, the discussion was not confidential and it could take place anywhere. It was the perfect test.
Thankfully, my enthusiasm was shared by my colleague, who, after a brief explanation, eagerly volunteered to join the experiment. Although there are various mechanisms you can use to take notes as you go, we favoured a discussion-based approach with actions summarised retrospectively.
Putting our best foot forward, we set off on a simple route in the area around the school, taking about 20 minutes in total. After finding a mutually comfortable pace, we walked and talked.
For me, the experience was overwhelmingly positive and it countered the feeling that productive work can only be done in a conventional setting. The walking meeting provided an opportunity to get out into the fresh air, completely free from technology and the distractions of being inside a busy school.
We achieved the goals of the session, agreeing clear next steps, and returned with a small dose of endorphins and an improved step count to boot.
Moving forward
Of course, walking meetings, like all emerging ideas, have their limitations.
The optimum setting has relatively few participants, so taking my entire department on a brisk walk around the block isn’t feasible. Plus, for sensitive matters or for meetings where note taking is required, you need to be in a quiet room, of course.
Everyone involved also needs to be willing. A compulsory walking meeting would almost certainly not have the same effect.
In my experience so far, a one-to-one situation works best, where the goals of the meeting require discussion and conversation, rather than any note-taking, and there is nothing sensitive to discuss.
So, although it is not logistically or realistically possible to switch all of my meetings to walking, these meetings are certainly part of my thinking moving forwards. After all, every journey begins with a single step.
Niall Statham is head of physical education and senior leader at Hartland International School in Dubai
