Creating a “culture of health” for employees in the workplace has become a hot topic in the national debate on health care reform. The Senate’s version of the health care reform bill, which will create tax incentives for employers to offer wellness programs and have them evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sounds like a good idea, but is missing a critical ingredient for true success — business leaders who model ideal healthy behaviors for their employees.
Yes, tax incentives are a powerful motivator for senior management to develop wellness programs, but the rate of employee participation and the magnitude of positive results are directly related to senior management’s level of engagement and personal stake in the programs. If you stop to think about it, this relationship makes perfect sense.
Most of us want to one day become the boss, so we consciously make efforts to be more like our current bosses — we read books we know they are reading, join the same professional associations, take fashion cues from them, adopt their writing and presentation styles, all in an effort to improve ourselves and gain recognition. So of course, we’re going to be more enthusiastic about participating in a work site wellness program if we know our bosses are engaged in the program and recognize us for our participation.
As a senior vice president over professional and managed care development with National Vision Inc., I can attest firsthand to the influence my participation and that of our CEO and COO has on the level of excitement and participation in the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk and Fitness Program here in Atlanta. The program has been around for 27 years and this year will mark National Vision’s 17th year of participation. I founded our corporate team in 1993 with only 10 runners and walkers, but through the support of our entire senior management team, participation has swelled to over 100 runners and walkers for the upcoming race today in downtown Atlanta, which was expected to draw 13,500 participants as of last count Wednesday.
A major contributing factor to our team’s growth has been the recognition I provide by framing the team photos from each year and hanging them on my office wall. Without a doubt, there is an endless stream of visitors every year to view the photos and congratulate the team on a job well done. Our participation in this unique program has made healthy living an important aspect of our company’s culture and has jump-started many employees’ personal quests to live healthier, happier lives.
It is also interesting to note that almost every company that has won the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Cup award for the most number of participants in the program has had their CEO and/or other senior managers actively engaged in the program and actually participate in the run/walk. Coincidence? I think not.
What this all boils down to is the fact that senior business executives need to set the pace from the top and embody the change they want to see in their employees. Don’t wait for Congress to enact mandates for developing work site wellness programs — make a personal investment in your health, as well as the health of your employees, and walk the talk that you preach.
Research shows that companies’ productivity is directly related to the health of their employees, so get out from behind your desk and start setting an example for others to follow. You’ll find that your participation in fitness programs will also help you develop better relationships with your employees. A little personal attention goes a long way and can be just as powerful a motivator for increasing productivity as improved health can be.
Bob Stein is a senior vice president for National Vision, an optical company with a laboratory in Lawrenceville.
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