Walking Talking is a platform which seeks to change, not only relieve structural pressures within workplaces. They do so by helping people implement practices which have a positive effect regarding multiple aspects of both their professional and private lives and wider society.
“Behavioural change is very much about habits — by making collaboration, communication and movement a daily way of working we are solving multiple issues simultaneously.” says Anna-Lina Kvarsmyr, Co-founder and CEO of Walking Talking.
The platform which includes programmes, tools and support, is designed to help leaders and teams work from within to form habits that create psychological safety, a sense of coherence and a culture of trust. While focusing on operation and business goals. Through Walking Talking’s demo feature you can get personalised insight into how to combat the issues described while promoting an open and collaborative team culture.
“Today’s workplace initiatives need to be fully business integrated to create real sustainable impact. That is what Walking Talking is designed to do”. Anna-Lina Kvarnsmyr, explains.
Modern workplaces have undergone significant changes in the past couple of years. Driven out of necessity from the covid-19 pandemic, we saw working from home models come to the fore and for many this shifted to a hybrid model which is widely practiced today. These practices are often beneficial to the work-life balance of individuals, but there persist issues regarding the modern workplace which have not been addressed by these changes. Left untreated, such issues cause problems within departments and teams of all sizes regardless of field of business.
Mental and physical health: burnout in modern teams
Facilitated by the need to sit for long periods of time, isolated in the case of remote workers, issues relating to a risk of one’s physical and mental health and relationship building occur. Sedentarism is characterised by prolonged inactivity and when this takes place regularly in a person’s day-to-day life the lifestyle itself can be described as such.
Physically, sedentarism is associated with preventable health issues such as heart disease and elevated blood pressure levels. Over time, musculoskeletal issues such as back pain and stiffness can become noticeable and are prevalent as a result of poor posture and home office setups which are not ergonomic.
“As a mid-manager or team-lead you are already under pressure”, Anna-Lina Kvarnsmyr continues. “When issues occur, like health problems and inefficiencies in the team, it is neither fair nor sufficient to expect the leader to solve this alone. Instead, we need to help teams build sustainable work habits and realise the potential in their ability to collaborate and communicate effectively”
Sedentarism in the workplace is correlated with higher rates of depression and anxiety as physical inactivity negatively affects mood-regulating chemicals in the brain. It may also impair cognitive function and the ability to concentrate, while in the long-term increasing the risk of memory loss.
Socially, sedentary office lifestyles limit interaction with colleagues and encourage reliance on passive communication modes like emails and messaging, which can enhance feelings of isolation. Isolation itself can be a significant contributor to burnout, as it undermines emotional well-being and productivity. When employees feel disconnected from colleagues, they may lack support and a sense of belonging, which are crucial for motivation and job satisfaction. This disconnection can lead to loneliness and stress, increasing the risk of burnout characterised by exhaustion and reduced performance.
Anna-Lina Kvarnsmyr concludes: “When people connect and talk to each other while walking together, things happen to both our social and cognitive abilities. It is very powerful. That is why walking is at our core”
By prioritising practices which promote open communication in tandem with increasing movement, organisations can mitigate these costly issues.
The most significant effect on an organisation will come from working broadly with the Walking Talking platform across one or several teams. Not only do the team and the leader get step by step support to implement sustainable collaborative team and leadership practices, the organisation also benefits from the social learning you can create by cross functional networking.
Community at the heart of what we do
EIT Urban Mobility’s Startups Growth Lab is a platform which takes the idea of shared learning and networking but in this case, enabling dialogue between startups. Here you can join for free to speak with fellow founders, including Anna-Lina, in or outside your field, be notified of funding opportunities and take part in webinars and info-sessions.
