A team that is healthy—physically as well as mentally—is going to perform better, bring more creativity to the table, take fewer sick days, and gel together as a unit much better than they would otherwise. Team leaders across the country know this, and have for years—yet many teams still lack a viable focus on workplace wellness.
Why is this?
Here’s my basic answer: Workplace wellness is not nearly as simple as it seems at first blush. You might think that you could simply tell your team members about all the benefits that physical fitness can bring, and that they would then jump at the opportunity to eat better and work out daily. This is not always or even often the case.
Actually developing a workplace health initiative requires a much deeper understanding of what motivates your team, and of how fitness can actually be integrated into your day to day rhythms and routines. With that said, I want to offer five quick things for leaders to remember about workplace wellness—all of which I think will provide you with a good foundation for developing your own initiative or program.
- Your team is going to have to be motivated. They may understand, intellectually, the benefits of workplace wellness, but that won’t always connect to their actions. It can be helpful to bring in an outside expert to give a presentation about the real-world benefits of fitness. Providing pedometers or apps that can be used to quantify fitness results is another good idea, as is using competition to get your team members more engaged in the process.
- Wellness isn’t just about diet and exercise. A focus on physical health is fine, but not if you’re neglecting the more internalized aspects of health. Remember that one of the key obstacles to your employees’ wellbeing is stress—and one of the best things you can do to promote their wellbeing is to provide ways to deal with stress.
- Creating a healthier workplace culture is key. It’s not just about replacing the soda machine with bottled water. Working to create an environment where morale is high and turnover is minimal ultimately improves your team members’ wellbeing significantly.
- You can’t dictate wellness from the top down. Get your team members involved in shaping the process, and allow individual managers to fill you in on what you can and should expect from subsets of your employee base.
- As with anything you do for your business, it’s important to review and revise your wellness plan often. Make sure you incorporate feedback from your employees, too—not just raw data.
A well workforce is a worthy investment—and with these touchstones in mind, it’s something you can work toward, build on, and ultimately achieve.
Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a motivational leadership speaker who provides solutions globally that help people and organizations lead, engage, and grow their business.
He is also the author of the book Living A Championship Life, “A Game Plan for Success,” and the co–author of the book Jamie’s Journey: Travels with My Dad written with his sixteen-year-old daughter Jamie.
Dr. Rick is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include Heineken, AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Franklin Templeton Investments.
Contact Dr. Rick at www.rickgoodman.com or call 888-267-6098 about speaking at your next event!
