Fitness and wellbeing plans fail unless the boss follows them too

Senior managers and chief executives need to practise what they preach.

Corporate wellness expert Nikki Fogden-Moore

A 2005 health fund survey found Australian employees with poor health behaviour take up to nine times more sick leave than health-conscious individuals.

We all know the stats and facts as to why wellness in the workplace is crucial, but why are so many programs just not working?

Fancy gym memberships, twice-yearly charity runs and yoga sessions for staff who are too afraid to leave their desk at lunch are not going to be maximised unless leadership inside the organisation truly supports and demonstrates the importance of health and wellbeing. Success comes from channelling personal health and wellbeing accountability from the top down.

Senior managers and chief executives need to practise what they preach.

Companies that understand an integrated approach, including Johnson & Johnson, Lowe’s, H-E-B and Healthwise in the US, have built their employee wellness programs according to a variety of factors, with a focus on strong leadership accountability. As a result they have reaped big rewards: lower costs, greater productivity and higher morale.

A recent study by SACS Consulting revealed employees earning $70,000 to $150,000 annually are the least engaged in their work and levels of inspiration. This middle-management squeeze is a critical link between cultural wellbeing and activation.

Most employees report to a middle manager.

By shaping the top-down culture in the workplace to include empowering middle managers, wellness programs are more effectively implemented and lead by example.

The out-take: successful companies ask managers to adopt a personal health goal as one of their unit’s business goals.

A large national retail organisation I work with keeps coming back to why its program is creating real change. We have a strong accountability plan empowering and ensuring managers practise their health and wellbeing consistently, then share their momentum and the tools with their teams, thus leading from within and leading by example.

The result is highly engaged and shared peer interaction, more productivity and teamwork, use of consistent language and motivation to share and overcome challenges together.

Unlock potential in your teams by creating a winning combination of business and personal vitality from the top down.

● Lead from within: The new breed of excellent leaders are fit, look healthy, think clearly and take pride in all areas of their life. Do more of what you love, rediscover exercise you enjoy and healthy food you look forward to. Make smart fitness and fresh food a part of your day. Book it in your agenda as part of your business.

● Lead by example: Demonstrate effective use of time management and plan your winning week. Set health and wellbeing as a weekly subject with your management teams. Be transparent about putting wellness time into your agenda. This encourages others to do the same. Create a culture where it’s part of the DNA in a simple and straightforward manner.

● Lead others: Communicate relevant milestones and reward health and personal accountability alongside commercial goals. Ensure team leaders use the same words and actions around the importance of personal wellbeing. Reward positive behaviour based on pre-agreed measures, and create a culture of peer support and connection.

Companies with dynamic leaders that demonstrate the value of being mentally, financially and physically agile have a clear advantage. They are healthy, wealthy and wise.

Nikki Fogden-Moore is a corporate wellness expert.