Did You Get Your 10,000???

Did you get your 10,000 yet? I got over 13,000 yesterday...For those of you with FItbits or Google watches or step counters on your phone you know exactly what I’m talking about.  10,000 steps a day is the goal to achieve some sort of fitness without going to a gym. The surprising truth is that the 10,000 number originally appeared in the 1960s when a Japanese company started selling pedometers called manpo-kei, which literally translates to "10,000-step meter." Later, studies confirmed that people who take 10,000 steps have lower blood pressure, more stable glucose levels and better moods. The number quickly caught on.

As leaders, we often spend too much time sitting...sitting behind our desk, around conference tables, in our car, at meetings...my wife reminded me of a recent article she read which declared that “sitting is the new smoking.” (CLICK HERE for article)

10,000 steps….approximately 5 miles a day...I know what you’re thinking...Good Lord...who has TIME to walk that much??? Well...I’m glad you asked!

In his recent Blog, Leadership Freak, Dan Rockwell urges leaders to “Walkabout.” He encourages leaders to connect to their organization by taking fifteen minutes a day to walkabout with a specific intention. Here are his suggestions:

1. Empowering walkabouts. “If you were the boss, what would you do (name a situation)?”
2. Affirmation walkabouts. “You’re really great at … . Keep it up.”
3. Accountability walkabouts. “What’s happening with (name a project)?”
4. Give feedback walkabouts. “I notice … . The impact of that behavior is … .”
5. Effectiveness walkabouts. “What might we stop doing?”
6. Challenge walkabouts. “I’m counting on you to … .”
7. Values walkabouts. Choose an organizational value and ask about it. “How are we recognizing initiative?” (If initiative is one of your values.)
8. Learning from failure walkabouts:

• “What are we/you learning from failure?”
• “Where did we/you fall short last week? What did we/you learn?”
• “What are you learning about yourself? Your team?” (With falling short in mind.)
• “What are you learning about … ?” (Insert a topic)

      9.   Innovation walkabouts. “What would you like to try that we aren’t already doing?”

Full disclosure here...you will NOT get your 10,000 steps in 15 minute “walkabouts”....but you will begin down a path that is healthier for you and your organization…

Be good to yourself...