Organizations are becoming more aware of the link between team well-being and success as they observe how high-performing teams that are also happy and healthy showcase increased productivity, resilience, and innovative spirit. However, many still struggle to cultivate such teams sustainably. Walking Talking, an innovative self-service platform emerges as a solution. It offers companies the tools to integrate daily communication, collaboration, and physical activity into their workflows, promoting happier and more cohesive teams.
“Our mission with Walking Talking is to transform the way teams interact and collaborate. We believe that by combining movement with meaningful conversation, we can create a more dynamic, healthy, and productive work environment. It’s not just about taking steps; it’s about taking steps together towards better teamwork and well-being,” Anna-Lina Kvarnsmyr, Founder and CEO, says.
The Walking Talking app combines cutting-edge technology with evidence-based practices to support daily team engagement. It provides tools for planning and conducting walking meetings, scheduling via a map interface, and enabling remote audio chats. Users can create agendas, track steps, and access micro-learning modules tailored to team development. The app also supports collaboration through curated team workshop guides, private networks as well as step challenges, encouraging physical activity and team cohesion.
Walking Talking is built on the three foundational pillars of communication, collaboration, and movement, allowing it to create a culture of engagement and well-being. As a Sweden-based company, it has always been committed to helping organizations cultivate happier and healthier teams. Swedish cultural values shaped the app’s ethos, particularly emphasizing work-life balance and active lifestyles. In Sweden, “walk and talk” is a long-standing tradition where movement and meaningful conversation are intertwined. More global organizations are adopting Swedish-inspired practices, and Walking Talking intends to bring this cultural wisdom to international workplaces.
There are multiple challenges within organizations that impact team performance and employee satisfaction. Middle managers face immense pressure to align with senior leadership’s goals while managing their teams’ day-to-day operations. This dual responsibility leaves them stretched thin, resulting in stress, burnout, and decreased efficiency both for themselves and in their teams. Gallup highlights this reality revealing that this ‘manager squeeze’ strengthens the manager’s intent to leave but also affects the overall employee engagement.
The rise of remote and hybrid work environments complicates matters further. It has led to increased sedentary behaviors, introducing new problems to health. Employees working from dispersed locations also report feelings of isolation and detachment from their teams. Meanwhile, leaders must foster inclusive environments where every voice is heard and valued. This disconnection prevents collaboration and diminishes a shared sense of purpose.
Many organizations have attempted to address team well-being and productivity through traditional methods but failed to deliver lasting results. Some have sent managers to training courses, believing they may provide theoretical insights. However, these are rarely applied effectively in day-to-day work environments. Social team-building events like retreats or recreational activities have temporarily boosted morale, but they do little to resolve structural and interpersonal issues.
“Traditional approaches to team building often fall short. While training courses and team retreats can provide temporary boosts, they rarely translate into lasting change in the day-to-day work environment. At Walking Talking, we believe in integrating collaboration, communication, and movement into the fabric of daily work life, addressing both structural and interpersonal challenges sustainably,” Anna-Lina says.
Others have hired external consultants to address team dynamics. The problem is that after consultants provide expert advice, their impact dissipates once they leave because the knowledge they impart isn’t embedded within the organization. Some companies turned to mindfulness or self-help apps to address stress and disengagement but left the root problems unresolved.
Walking Talking recognizes the limitations of these conventional methods. It offers a comprehensive, science-based solution to the challenges organizations face. It developed a platform grounded in the science of team development and nurtures behavioral change that can be fully integrated into daily workflows.
The app’s framework was also inspired by established theories of group development, such as Susan Wheelan’s Integrated Model of Group Development. This model emphasizes the importance of trust, collaboration, and structured communication in building high-performing teams.
The founders established Walking Talking to address the growing problems of isolation, sedentary lifestyles, and disengagement in the workplace. The app, launched in December 2020, initially aimed to connect individuals through walking and talking. It evolved into a tool for organizational transformation over time, aiding companies to build stronger, more engaged teams.
For CEO Anna-Lina the motivation behind Walking Talking is personal. She witnessed the impact of workplace stress on her own family and experienced the challenges of corporate life firsthand, prompting her to create a solution that could make a real difference. “All of us at Walking Talking are driven by our desire to make work not only healthier but also more efficient. Poor collaboration and a lack of movement are wasteful. Walking brings physical energy and mental clarity. It helps people think smarter and work better,” Kvarnsmyr states.
It’s worth noting that everyone in the organization benefits from the Walking Talking app. Leaders gain a support system that helps them manage their teams more effectively while reducing stress. Meanwhile, team members obtain clarity and structure in their roles. Gone are the days when they feel frustrated due to unclear responsibilities or a disconnect from their team’s goals. Consequently, HR professionals can use Walking Talking as an ongoing resource for fostering a positive work culture from the ground up, reducing their reliance on external consultants or one-off training sessions.
Walking Talking’s impact speaks for itself. The app boasts over 30,000 installations, already changing the way teams work. It has also attracted 17,000 registered members and trained 22 certified leadership trainers. These numbers attest to its ability to create lasting change.
Walking Talking, through its revolutionary app, aims to change how organizations approach team development and employee well-being. It remains committed to integrating communication, collaboration, and movement into daily work practices to provide a holistic and sustainable solution to the challenges of modern workplaces.
