Meetings do not need to look like meetings


by Corey Kohn

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Meetings do not need to happen inside around a table. And meetings do not need to take a long time.

Instead of shutting yourself in a stuffy room with coworkers or clients, take the conversation outside. Go for a walk- the best meetings happen when there is a change of scenery, fresh air and bodies are moving. Sometimes it actually helps communication not to be face-to-face, but walking side by side, going somewhere. Especially difficult conversations can be easier to have when in motion.

Studies show that being in motion lengthens our attention spans, but even if people are interested in the meeting and even if they actually care, attention spans still hover around 7-10 minutes for most meetings. So we've found that it helps maintain morale and a general sense of good humor to keep meetings short, to-the-point and to move them outside whenever possible.