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Walking Meetings

At The Creative Farm, we are always looking for ways to integrate our work with our values.  Walking meetings (they are not new-Aristotle walked with his students as he taught) are a simple and effective way to integrate exercise and work. Instead of sitting in a conference room or you office, you take a stroll with your client, colleague, or associate.  There are a number of benefits that come from this.

By way of background, the Surgeon General recommends taking 10,000 steps a day for general health and wellness.  That translates to about a 30 minute walk.  I know some of my best thinking comes when I am on a run, walking in the neighborhood, or hiking.  This can translate seamlessly to work as well. There are benefits on a number of levels. As creatives, there are even more benefits.  Here are a few ideas gleaned from various sources:

Beyond the Dollar

In his book The Creative Class, Richard Florida provides a synopsis for what creatives value.  Creatives generally understand they are driven by elements other than financial, although money is certainly important.  Here is what Florida describes as the top ten list of values for creatives:

1. Challenge and responsibility-being able to contribute and have impact; knowing that one’s work makes a difference.

2. Flexibility-a flexible schedule and a flexible work environment; the ability to shape one’s work to some degree.

3. A stable work environment and a relatively secure job-notlifetime security with mind-numbing sameness, but not a daily diet of chaos and uncertainty either.

4. Compensation-especially base pay and core benefits: money you can count on.

5. Professional development-the chance to learn and grow, to expand one’s horizon for the future.

© the creative farm 2016