Stand-up on the Job
Working at a standing desk will increase your productivity, improve your relationships with peers, and make you feel better at the end of the day. I know this from experience. Not only from two years standing at a drafting table in high school architecture classes, but also from three years standing at a height-adjustable desk while working for a technology firm.
And it turns out I'm not the only one. E. Thomas Gimbel, CEO of the LaSalle Network, decided to ditch his chair and start working at a standing desk after a lot of frustration (and pain) from sitting all day.
"About two years ago I was suffering from back pain that seemed to get worse when I sat for a long time. I am 6-foot-6, and no matter what office chair I tried, the only relief came when I got up. One day I read an article in a business magazine reporting that Donald Rumsfeld works at a desk where he can stand up. I said, 'Hell, if it's good enough for the Secretary of Defense, it's good enough for me.'"
And he's right, former Defense Secretary, and Chicago native, Donald Rumsfeld knows the benefits of standing at a desk too. "I stand here. I use the phone," he told ABCNEWS. "I like to. Have for decades. It works."
According to Wikipedia: "a standing desk is both an antique desk and a modern desk form conceived for writing and/or reading while standing up or while sitting on a high stool. The term stand-up or stand up desk is also used. Standing desks were popular in the homes and offices of the rich, during the 18th century and much of the 19th."
There's no more scrunching into an uncomfortable chair. And standing behind a desk eliminates the awkwardness that exists when someone walks up to your desk. It creates initial eye contact at the same level and makes peers feel comfortable to stop by and talk.
Conducting meetings while standing also has its benefits. Often referred to as a "stand-up," it's a daily team meeting held to provide a status update to the team members. The meetings are usually time boxed to 5-15 minutes and are held standing up to remind people to keep the meeting short and to the point.
For a classic standing desk, Standupdesks.com looks like a good place to start. For a more modern standing desk, Steelcase makes a nice one.
References: McWethy, John. "Primetime Exclusive: Donald Rumsfeld talks about his life." ABC News, March 25, 2004
Gimbel, E. Thomas. "A stand-up guy." Fortune Small Business, September 05, 2007
