Strategic Company Health and Wellness Program planning
Take the time to plan Employee Wellness Plans before they are implemented.
Strategic planning enables better use of all your resources. Include all the steps below when you plan a Wellness activity.
• Do your homework – Find the science and research that support your interventions. Look for similar Employee Wellness Plans that already exist.
• Determine the specific health need(s) – Use these needs to target interventions to problems that are an issue for your population.
• Organize a team – A team is a resource multiplier. Network and build as many partnerships as you can.
• Make a plan, but don’t start completely from scratch. Create a written plan for your Employee Wellness Program. Look for every opportunity to take advantage of resources that already exist. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
• Select a focus – Choose one or two main target areas for Employee Wellness Programs. Address all five stages of change in the target areas rather than trying to hit every possible Wellness topic.
• Determine your resources – What assets do you have? What assets will you need? How can you fill the gaps?
• Get Senior Management support – Think like Senior Management. Communicate the value of Wellness from Senior Management’s perspective.
• Start the activity- Be flexible. Be prepared for unexpected challenges.
• Market the activity – Keep your Company Health and Wellness Program visible for Senior Management, line and medical personnel, Company Health and Wellness Program participants, and potential partners and volunteers.
• Collect and analyze outcomes – Outcomes indicate Company Health and Wellness Program impact. Start with just a few outcomes – you don’t have to collect everything. Remember that it’s never too late to start measuring Company Health and Wellness Program impact.
• Assess, improve and re-evaluate – Use participant feedback and Company Health and Wellness Program outcomes to determine Company Health and Wellness Program impact. Identify areas in need of improvement. Use outcomes to determine if expended resources were worth the results.
