Workplace Wellness Takes SAIL

It's Showtime at sea for attendees of the 1st Annual #HRCruise heading to Haiti and Jamaica. After a great opening session by Greg Hawks, the first session of the week began with Brad and Suzanna Cooper with US Corporate Wellness. They have walked attendees through a well thought out, detailed and thoughtful presentation about what corporate wellness should look like. In my experience wellness programs have been very narrowed. For example, when I first started my career, there was a $100 prize for the employee who lost the greatest percentage of weight. I was only 23 at the time without a great deal of other influences buying for my time. It was a cinch. I won! I went out and bout a brand new suit to wear to work with my winnings. I was excited, proud and focused. I had willpower.

However, the wellness program was only focused on one thing, weight loss. A strategically planned program will consider so much more like smoking, stress, spirit, mental, physical, exercise, sleep, and so much more. Sleep today is a huge thing for me. The light bulb when off when I heard Brad say that without a good nights sleep, I have over a 40% chance of eating junk food in the afternoon. He was right, I know what I need to eat or drink. I am a Weight Watcher (recently rejoined) for gods sake. I know I don't get good sleep and knowing this helps me understand at least one reason why I am constantly sabotaging my success towards my weight loss goal.

There are so many other great takeaways from this great speaking duo and as I write this blog post, brad asked everyone starting with me to speak out about their one takeaway. So I typed them up for your to review here.

Takeaways from the attendee's:

Increase communication of wellness initiative as an ongoing process
Tailor your message to your audience such as generation ally different employees
Creating lasting and meaning full change in wellness - not a one time shot like my personal example above
Try-in, Buy-in ~ Let employees try something to help
Focus on the individual - one size does not fit all
Tracking what I want to be a year from now and track progress towards that goal
Scarlett Letter - you don't have to be perfect on your wellness journal
Corporate Social Responsibility tie into wellness
Even if your good about exercise in the morning but sit a lot at work doesn't give you a free pass
Never use any phone sitting down - get up and move
Being intentional
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs - Top is now Social Media
You are all so sexy, I want to be you!
It's just not fitness and food...it's about so much more like Financial Wellness
Create ways to have impact without intrusion
Mini SWOT analysis of individual company specific wellness programs
Wellness Wheel
Traveling trophy in the office when teams win challenges
Utilization Review of programs
Wellness coaching & EAPs

It's showtime! What are you going to do to improve your overall wellness program?

Thanks for the corporate sponsor of this event which can actually be a great incentive option for wellness programs: Corporate Traditions - a company that allows you to let your employees pick their favorite gifts.

#HRCruise2018

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Another Day in the HR Field

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