Are Standing Meetings More Productive?
In a study at Washington University, St. Louis, MO., researchers found increases in the performance of people working in groups.
Beginning with the knowledge that standing and working is healthy, the researchers, Andrew P. Knight and Markus Baer, created their study to learn how standing affects the performance of groups. They published their study in Social Psychological and Personality Science: “Get Up, Stand Up, The Effects of a Non-Sedentary Workspace on Information Elaboration and Group Performance.”
Broader Implications of Standing Meetings
Further study on group interaction while standing will no doubt come later, perhaps from Andrew P. Knight and Markus Baer. They have developed methods of measurement and an environment for this type of research. What is especially meaningful about this study is how standing affects the performance of all worker performance, not just workers in groups. Could standing to work make all workers more productive?
Standing at work is exercise. According to Jennifer Cohen, wellness coach to executives, Forbes.com, exercise makes you smarter and more effective.
Standing at Work has Grown in Popularity
Standing while working burns calories at a rate that adds up to running marathons. Because of the increase in the number of workers at desks with computers, some people consider sitting at a desk a health hazard. Endurance athletes who sit at work damage their health as though they were smoking.