Oh no! Not another political blog! Have no fear: it’s not. What would you think about being invited to an office meeting and being asked to stand? Your knee-jerk reaction might be, “Really?” But several technology companies are using this technique for meetings. Standing meetings are short and to the point. Rambling and dozing are not permitted. According to the Wall Street Journal, this isn’t new: standing meetings were used by some military leaders in World War I. Now, we’re seeing a resurgence of this technique.
Standing is also associated with greater productivity. According to Lifehack.org, the digital age encourages us to sit. This decreases our productivity. We can increase our productivity by standing while we work. Office furniture manufacturers, such as Steelcase, offer standup desks.
The human body is designed to move. Health improvements are associated with standing. Patrick Skerrett, writing for the Harvard Business Review, says that standing is better for your back than sitting. It strengthens leg muscles and improves balance. It’s also a calorie burner.
Personally, I love to stand. I’m more comfortable standing than sitting while working. I’ll often bring my work to the top of the filing cabinets and use it as a desk. Of course, my computer requires me to sit. Standing helps me break up my work day.
Perhaps, the next time someone says, “Take a seat,” you might respond by saying, “No thank you. I’ll take a stand.”
