What if one of the most used tools in our facilitation kit wasn’t a sticky note, a whiteboard, or a carefully designed slide deck but a pair of comfortable shoes? Between us, we’ve been running workshops for a long time and if there’s one technique that consistently surprises us with how well it works, it’s the walk and talk. It’s a simple thing, just getting people outside, walking and talking! In this episode, we unpack what it is and why it works so well.
A walk and talk is simply a structured conversation that happens while participants are moving, usually outside. We’ve used it mostly as an activity done in pairs but small groups can work too. There’s actually a bit of research suggesting that physical movement, particularly walking, enhances cognitive function, creativity, and openness to new ideas. A study by Oppezzo and Schwartz (2014) at Stanford found that walking—even on a treadmill facing a blank wall—significantly boosted creative thinking compared to sitting. For extension practitioners, this is really helpful because if we want workshop participants to think more openly and generate ideas, getting them on their feet can help, whether we’re working with farmers or other extension people.
But the benefits go beyond learning. Walking side by side, rather than sitting face to face across a table, changes the social dynamics of a conversation. There’s no “head of the table.” The layout of a workshop room can reinforce expert hierarchies and dynamics. People who might feel intimidated speaking up in a formal setting often find it easier to talk when they’re moving. We’ve noticed this dynamic where quieter people, like growers who rarely speak in group settings, will often speak up during a paddock walk. Something about the shared movement and the outdoor environment seems to help prompt willingness to share.
Like any facilitation technique, a walk and talk works best when it’s designed well. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way. Be clear about what we’re doing the walk and talk for. What do we want participants to be discussing or deciding by the end of the walk? We like using a walk and talk as a way of reflecting on what’s been covered so far and what might be useful. Talking this through with someone else helps us cement our learning.
If we’re doing this as an exercise in pairs, then think about how we’re pairing people. Sometimes mixing experience levels is valuable, so having a less experienced farmer paired with a farmer who’s got lots of experience is helpful. Other times we want people who are similar to pair up. Both work! It’s just worthwhile reflecting on this beforehand.
The most useful hint is to get everyone to pull out their mobile phone before they start and set a timer. If we’ve got 15 minutes for a walk and talk, we’ll ask people to set a time for 7 minutes before they start walking. When the timer goes off, that’s the cue to head back to the group. We might even say one person gets to talk on the way out and the other on the way back.
We think having a walk and talk is a lot more enjoyable than just sitting in a room chatting to the person next to us. So next time we’re designing a workshop or field day, let’s ask ourselves if there’s some time where getting people on their feet and moving would help and put in a walk and talk!
So you’ve heard our thoughts, and now we’d like to hear yours! Have you used walk and talk techniques in your extension work? What’s worked well, what’s surprised you, or what’s fallen flat? Drop your experiences in the comments below. We learn a lot from your experience, so thanks for contributing to the conversation!
Resources
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of experimental psychology: learning, memory, and cognition, 40(4), 1142.
A great summary and guide to conducting this exercise. Certainly most of us would agree that movement is important however walking together is next level. One thing I encourage people to do is to keep walking. It’s based mostly on a presentation I attended at one of the International Conferences on Thinking (ICOT) called ‘dynamic resonance’. Briefly, the speaker suggested that as we walk with someone we tend to fall into step, we become synchronous in many ways and, among other things, produce oxytocin (the so-called ‘cuddle hormone’). This encourages us to trust and collaborate – perhaps even share our… Read more »
Hi Lab! Thanks for this – and I think I may have found the trail you were remembering! The term ‘dynamic resonance’ has been used by Australian neuroscientist Fiona Kerr, who has written about the way people synchronise when they share space and move together, including walking together. Kerr traces some of the idea back to earlier work by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee on synchronisation and resonance. Being the small world it is, she was a guest on this Enabling change and innovation webinar I ran about 10 years ago!
Thanks John Yes your memory serves you well. I remember attending that webinar about 10 years ago! I’m also now thinking it may have been a neuroscientist called Bruno Della Chiesa who mentioned it at the 2015 ICOT.