To Be a Better Executive You Need to Move

There seems to be a great deal of talk these days about how to be better. Writers, articles and media in general want you to be an improved entrepreneur, a more productive employee, a more loving parent or a more profitable CEO and executive.

A recent article in Forbes says that you need to wake up at the crack of dawn to earn more money for your company. An article in Entrepreneur magazine says you should take an improv class to be a better business leader. Scientific American thinks you need to set the bar high and use the "anchoring effect" to negotiate more effectively.

I have a much easier, simpler and more cost effective way be a better person, boss, dad, friend or entrepreneur. Go for a walk. Yup, that's it. Just put one foot in front of the other and repeat. You don't need any special equipment, join a club, learn a new skill or even try to find some magical hour in your already jam packed schedule to add another item to your to do list. In fact, you are probably ready to walk more but you are so trained to not do it that it takes some time to switch up your habits.

But why you ask, is walking the answer? Well, for one it will make you smarter. The psychological and mental health community has repeatedly shown that aerobic exercise (which walking is of course) leads to improved executive function. Executive function includes such important tasks as planning and organizing multiple things, making quick decisions, switching tasks, staying focused and paying attention...all of the things you were supposed to learn in school but we know you didn't (mostly because you didn't get enough exercise at recess apparently!). If you really want to enjoy a thorough read on the topic you will have to purchase the article though.

Walking will also improve your mood. Harvard Medical School states that prolonged walking (longer than 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week) can be nearly as effective as medication in treating depression. In their 2011 book, "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being," Smits and Otto make the case that exercise can reduce the symptoms of anxiety and that prolonged exercise programs can lead to a decline in risky behaviors such as smoking.

But probably most importantly is the notion that walking can improve your sexual stamina and satisfaction. Yes, that's right, walking can make your sex life better. The study is not as exciting as the results but the Huffington Post had a nice write up on it here.

So how do you do it? Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Park farther away from the door at the grocery or department store. Use the restroom one floor up or down from you and take the stairs. Walk around whenever you take a phone call. Take that next meeting as a "walking" meeting. Commit to taking a five minute walk during every hour you are at work. Get off the subway or bus one stop early. March in place while you are brushing your teeth. And my favorite idea? Instead of sending an email walk down the damned hallway and talk to someone instead.

So, stop reading, get up and go for a walk. Your brain, your mood, your belly and your sex life will thank me.

Why should we take the time to be better networkers?

So Why Should You Network? 

The other week I was lucky enough to be sent to Wheeling, West Virginia to join the National Recreation and Park Associations' Revenue Development and Management School. It was generally accepted by the group that at least a portion of the week long seminar was intended for networking and getting to know other successful professionals in the Parks and Recreation industry.

This of course made me think about whether or not the people that paid for us to be there (tax payers) would appreciate that we were there (at least in part) to hang out and get to know one another, often times over food and libations.

In my previous blog post I discussed that fact that networking is a skill. That means that it can be learned and taught to others. It means that you should take a risk on an individual who has little to no networking skill when hiring. I also believe in the notion that networking is a necessary skill in today's business world.

The longer I sat through these education sessions the more that I became convinced that all of this is true.

As a manager (and I don't think it matters whether we talk about public, private or non-profit sector) having the basic networking knowledge and skill sets is incredibly important. A few different situations that came to mind as I learned about generating revenue and reducing costs in the parks and recreation world include:

• Getting recommendations when you are looking for new employees to hire.
• Researching an area or subject with which you are unfamiliar with for a project.
• Getting information about a potential employer before you go on an interview.
• Collecting information about a potential client.
• Obtaining reviews and recommendations when hiring a contractor or consultant.
• Finding colleagues who have already partnered with another agency, service provider or vendor.
• Review results and feedback on a contractor or program provider before you hire them.

Aside from all of these reasons though I heard again and again from my peers how important it was to be able to adapt to the seemingly constant stream of changes in local government.

In other words you need to be able to think on your feet and move quickly when threats or opportunities arise. You need to be able to connect the dots between people, ideas and social situations. You need to be able to make the world a better place. And yes networking does that.

And that is the most important reason to network. By making the right and best hire, by putting the best contractor to work for you, by introducing the next great manufacturer to the next great marketer you might make the world a little better. You will gain credibility by making appropriate introductions. Colleagues will entrust you with information if they know you will use it to aide them. People will naturally gravitate towards you if they know you have a strong network that can support them as well.

If nothing else remember this, networking at its heart is not about you, your rise to the top or the number of LinkedIn connections you obtain. It's all about putting the right people together at the right time. So take a step back, review the how's and now start working on your why's of networking.