I’ve done more walking during lockdown than ever before. This I hope will continue along with walking meetings.

For many years I’ve encouraged colleagues to not just ‘walk the talk’ but to ‘walk and talk’. This has had a mixed response with some business associates unwilling to leave the comfort of their office, the boardroom or company building, as though work gets done ‘in work’ meaning the building and outside is another realm.

I feel the lockdown experience might have changed this attitude a little though many have taken to their home offices and Zoom screens as a substitute, even Zooming colleagues who live literally just around the corner and who without breaking lockdown rules they could have met for a walking briefing, contract negotiation or whatever out in the park, street, wood or dale.

Why not take your next meeting outside? What do you say? I’ll meet you by the big oak tree..

stag’s antlers
covered in soft velvet
an unfurling fern

Paul Conneally
June 2021