Your Corporate Wellness Manifesto
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Transcript of Your Corporate Wellness Manifesto
May we disrupt your day for 5 minutes?
We think it will be 5 minutes well-spent.
After 8 years in the “wellness trenches” we’ve learneda lot about what makes a wellness program work,and what doesn’t. Allow us to share…
So, here it is…your very own…Corporate Wellness Manifesto
Why a Wellness Manifesto? What does your organization need with a
Wellness Manifesto? (And no, “wellness” isn’t an evil word.)
A Manifesto makes intention concrete, and it makes it
personal. It turns words into actions and
achievement. It defines the choices you present to
your employees that offer them the opportunity to
be personally responsible for making those lifestyle /
behavioral changes that will have a long-lasting and
positive effect on their own and your organization’s
future. That’s a mouthful (but absolutely critical)!
Stay with us… This is the only long part…
A Manifesto makes intention concrete, and it makes it
personal. It turns words into actions and
achievement. It defines the choices you present to
your employees that offer them the opportunity to
be personally responsible for making those lifestyle /
behavioral changes that will have a long-lasting and
positive effect on their own and your organization’s
future. That’s a mouthful (but absolutely critical)!
So, to turn words into action, here are a few things to beaware of—very aware…
Wellness must be built in, not added on. It’s not a perk
or benefit, but to be effective, it is (or should be) a part
of your comprehensive business plan.
❶
Many wellness “vendors” as well as many organizations
themselves are clueless about behavior change and what
it takes to motivate an individual to make fundamental
changes in lifestyle choices.
❷
You can’t mandate a change of heart and youcan’t drag people kicking and screaming intowellness.
Companies (your organization
included) are in business to make a
profit. Where does paying for wellness
fit in? We know one size does not fit
all. Throwing quinoa, carrots and
broccoli, gym memberships and cute
T-shirts at employees will not engage
those most at-risk employees in
wellness. (In the long-run, it won’t
engage your other employees either.)
❸ Companies (your organization
included) are in business to make a
profit. Where does paying for wellness
fit in? We know one size does not fit
all. Throwing quinoa, carrots and
broccoli, gym memberships and cute
T-shirts at employees will not engage
those most at-risk employees in
wellness. (In the long-run, it won’t
engage your other employees either.)
There are definitely “should’s and should not’s” to consider…
❹ Total pounds lost, biggest
loser, total miles walked,
annual health fairs—are all
means to an end, not the
end in itself. These are
activities, not programs. By
themselves they will not
change long-term behavior.
Total pounds lost, biggest
loser, total miles walked,
annual health fairs—are all
means to an end, not the
end in itself. These are
activities, not programs. By
themselves they will not
change long-term behavior.
There is true, sustainable workplace wellness—and then there is“wellness in name only.” Do you know which is which?
❺It’s not about incentives (or those
proverbial carrots and sticks). It’s not
about winning the prize for most
weight lost. It’s not about filling out
the HRA for reduced insurance
premiums—or not submitting to
biometric and intrusive screenings
and facing higher premiums. It
doesn’t work that way. This is the
wrong way to engage employees.
It’s not about incentives (or those
proverbial carrots and sticks). It’s not
about winning the prize for most
weight lost. It’s not about filling out
the HRA for reduced insurance
premiums—or not submitting to
biometric and intrusive screenings
and facing higher premiums. It
doesn’t work that way. This is the
wrong way to engage employees.
Sure, you want the outcome, but it’s the process that leads to a long-term,sustainable culture of wellness. You can’t skip the Process step.
❻ Today, even relatively healthy
companies can face unknown and
unfamiliar headwinds—employee
engagement doesn’t have to be one
of them. To effectively engage your
employees in a wellness offering,
they must see it as something done
for them, not to them.
Today, even relatively healthy
companies can face unknown and
unfamiliar headwinds—employee
engagement doesn’t have to be one
of them. To effectively engage your
employees in a wellness offering,
they must see it as something done
for them, not to them.
Engagement is “job one” and this means providing opportunity andencouragement while avoiding those “sticks” that make people feel worse thanthey already do.
❼No company is bigger than its culture. None. And, if the
C-Suite isn’t engaged in a culture of wellness, employees
won’t be engaged either. Leadership must be visible and
at the start, must come from the top-down.
When your employees begin to embrace the programand make it “theirs” they have truly bought-in. That isthe key to sustainability and, Ta-da! Success!
❽ Looking for ROI? Don’t get caught in the “ROI
Trap.” You can't begin by thinking statistically. You
have to build your statistics by compiling
individual successes.
Trust us, with the right initiative, there will becompelling success stories. Together, thosestories will have a positive impact on yourbottom line.
Believe it—most of your employees want to be healthy.
Does your organization’s wellness messaging (verbal and
non-verbal) actively encourage their participation—or
does it inadvertently discourage it?
❾
You also, absolutely, must have, voluntary participation—this intrinsic motivation is essential to true behaviorchange and sustainable involvement.
❿ Improved communication, morale, engagement and
productivity, as well as reduced healthcare costs, absenteeism,
presenteeism and turnover—Sound good? This is what a truly
effective wellness initiative can help you accomplish.
During the past 8 years, we’ve seen a lot of money spent ontraditional diet and exercise programs designed with lots of bellsand whistles. Most are expensive, a burden to administer, andthey lack the nuts and bolts necessary to change behavior. Byusing the right language and messaging, and a clearly definedstrategy, we can point you in the right direction.
By reframing the conversation, incorporating
principles of behavioral economics and social
neuroscience to achieve behavior change,
and through careful messaging of all program
content and presentations, we can help you
overcome “wellness resistance” and
“wellness fatigue.”
The Takeaway…By reframing the conversation, incorporating
principles of behavioral economics and social
neuroscience to achieve behavior change,
and through careful messaging of all program
content and presentations, we can help you
overcome “wellness resistance” and
“wellness fatigue.”
If you already have a wellness program in place, and if that program is not meeting yourexpectations, think of us as the wellness program for sick wellness programs. Our behavioralengagement strategy is equally effective as a stand-alone initiative or as a jumpstart forunderperforming, existing programs.
Contact us:
LoneStartNow
512-894-3440
www.lonestartnow.com
LoneStartNow
512-894-3440
www.lonestartnow.com