Fostering Employee Engagement - Does Your Organization Measure Up?

Defining a psychologically healthy & engaged workforce is about as challenging as defining a psychologically healthy & engaged person. There are many different aspects of workplace and/or employee health, and many ways to achieve it. So, what makes a workplace, and it's employee's, psychologically healthy and engaged?

One of the most important issues fostering and maintaining psychological health is a sense of empowerment or control. People who feel that they have control over significant parts of their lives tend to feel less stress and are happier.  They tend to be more resilient and affected less by negative events than those who feel that they have little control, or fall victim to circumstance. An organization can foster a sense of control or empowerment in its employee's in many ways.

The first is a sense of purpose. Look at a company's missions statement. Does it include a reference to the importance and value of employee's? As one company puts it in its mission statement, they strive to provide an atmosphere of "trust and respect" for employees. An employee who feels valued has a greater sense of control and empowerment than one who doesn't.

Does the mission statement represent pro-social goals that the employee can be passionate about? A statement that makes it clear to employees (and to the public) that the organizational goals contribute to the greater social good, and are not just about profits, helps employees feel that their role is important and serves a vital function. Not only within the organization, but within the entire community, which taps into intrinsic values and empowers employees to want to succeed.

Second, organizations that encourage employee participation in decision making are obviously fostering a very real sense of control. I recently heard the CSO of Pepsico say that he never made a single decision alone, and that all decisions were made with all members of his leadership staff. This kind of transparency and fairness, empowers individuals to speak freely and express themselves, which ultimately aids in more opportunity for better solutions. The process called Kaizen, which originated in Japan, seeks to use groups of representative employee's to analyze and maximize productivity and customer satisfaction, is today being utilized by several multi-national corporations.

How many of us would like to evaluate our supervisors? While some companies collect 180º data when they have a problem to solve, other companies routinely ask for such input from all employees, a true 360º, at annual or semi-annual performance reviews.

One more example of employee participation comes in the form of "FOCAL" (Forum for Opportunity, Communication and Learning) groups, which are designed to facilitate discussion of personal growth and management issues such as conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, relationship building and productivity.  Using corporate coaches to facilitate these small discussion groups goes a long way in stretching the Learning and Development budget as well. Utilize in-house SME's to promote mentorship and training opportunities help to share the wealth of knowledge within an organization, so everyone is working from the same playbook.

Of course, people want to feel in control of their lives outside of work, too. Therefore, organizations that  have policies, procedures and resources that facilitate health, wellness, family and work/life balance help restore order and control instead of creating situations in which priorities are always in conflict.  Some examples include on-site coaching staff or coaching consultants, on-site fitness facilities, re-reimbursement for gym memberships, counseling, unlimited sick leave or health insurance subsidies for wellness program participation.

Companies that invest in the growth and development of their employees foster a sense of purpose, continuity and control in these worker's lives and as a result, see healthy bottom line, and continued success. Those that do not, will fall by the wayside.

Job Conditions that Lead to Job Stress

We all know that stress on the job exists....but can we all identify what it looks like and the different forms it may be manifesting in? Below are a few of the ways that on the job conditions can lead to stress.

1. Design of the Task. Heavy workload, infrequent breaks, long work hours and shift work; hectic and routine tasks that have little inherent meaning, do not utilize workers' skills, and provide little sense of control.
• Example: David works to the point of exhaustion.  Theresa is tied to the computer, allowing little room for flexibility, self-initiative, or rest.
2. Management Style.  Lack of participation by workers in decision-making, poor communication in the organization, lack of family friendly policies.
• Example:  Theresa needs to get the boss's approval for everything and the company is insensitive to her family needs.
3. Interpersonal Relationships.  Poor social environment and lack of support or help from co-workers and supervisors.
• Example:  Theresa's physical isolation reduces her opportunities to interact with other workers and receive help from others.
4. Work Roles.  Conflicting or uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility, too many "hats to wear."
• Example: Theresa is often caught in a difficult situation trying to satisfy both the customer's needs and the company's expectations.
5. Career Concerns.  Job insecurity and lack of opportunity for growth, advancement, or promotion; rapid changes for which workers are unprepared.
• Example:  Since the reorganization at David's plant, everyone is worried about their future with the company and what will happen next.
6. Environmental Conditions.  Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems.
• Example:  David is exposed to constant noise at work.

In order to combat and, ideally prevent, stress at work, employers must take a comprehensive approach. this includes addressing job functions, environmental conditions, workplace procedures and the overall corporate culture. 

To find out more about how to tackle these issues and how to incorporate real and lasting change, contact Be Complete America at 651-592-4018.

Tune into my next blog for more specifics on how to achieve real and sustainable change in the workplace to promote a healthy, productive environment.

Corporate Cost Reductions = Employee Engagement

It's a phrase used quite a bit in corporate America today, but how many people know what it truly is, and even fewer know what to do about it -- Employee Engagement (EE).

According to Wikipedia, Employee Engagement is defined as ....  An "engaged employee" is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization's interests.


Studies prove that lack of engagement shows up in employees who are less energized, less ambitious and less effective, which costs American business billions of dollars each year in lost productivity. 


Ok, so what do we do about it? Well if you are a person of talent influence, human resources or in management there are several things that can be done in order to improve EE within your company. It all begins with your company culture. First is to learn what you don't know. Second, Communicate! Third is to commit and follow through. Lastly, share the successes. Let's break this down a little bit. 

1. Learn what you don't know. Who better to diagnose problems on the floor than the employee's who live an work in the culture every day? Ask employee's to evaluate the current company culture. Encourage comments about what could be improved and ask them to outline their vision for a healthy company culture. The wealth of information that comes from such surveys will aid in developing a plan to shift the company's culture.
• Keep in mind, it is difficult to establish a "cookie cutter" system of benchmarks because typically no two organizations are trying to accomplish the same goals, nor are they starting from the same place. To ensure their effectiveness, benchmarks should be developed according to your defined goals and based on your own company. Best practices suggests to work with a consultant.
2. Communicate. Creating a culture of caring really boils down to communication. Management may have the best intentions, but if they're not communicating, any process they implement -- including a shift in culture -- can be perceived as just another "program," or even a personal attack. Start by acknowledging past mistakes or management mis-steps, then recruit employees to get involved, take ownership and help managers create a better, more productive work environment. It may take some time in order to win worker loyalty, but well worth the wait.
3. Commit to Follow Through. One person committed to creating a healthy company culture is better than 100 with good intentions. Consistent follow through is essential to gaining employees' trust and looking beyond the day to day task that can overshadow the human element so important to develop a culture of caring, understanding and empathy. Be consistent in caring for people first, then worry about the tasks. 
• After you've collected the data, create a plan and get employees involved in the ground floor planning stages. Form an employee-run task force to brainstorm and come up with solutions for major items of issue. By giving employees ownership of these programs, it ensures they are invested in their own success.
4. Share the Success. A "culture" that truly values human capital is one that rewards work achievement, shares savings when efficiencies are achieved and provides significant opportunity for employee advancement. In this kind of culture, employees are empowered and motivated to modify unhealthy behaviors, they are more alert when it comes to safety and they are motivated to cut costs and increase profits through innovations because they see a direct reward for doing so. Allowing employees to share in the benefits of their hard work is key to developing a culture of caring.

An investment in culture is an investment in the humans who directly influence health, safety, and ultimately the success of a company. Putting dollars and effort into healing a company's culture and engaging employees may be the most important investment owners can make for the future growth and financial success of their businesses.

To Wellness Program or Not?... That is the question!

Companies of all types and sizes across America believe in the potential of work site wellness. They have discovered that the strength behind a successful work environment is supporting the health and welfare of their employees. And rather than view the cost of wellness as a “sacrifice,” they see it as an investment in their primary asset – people.


Why is it that we must succumb to illness, anxieties and profit loss in order that we learn the importance of taking care of the workforce that keeps our companies moving ahead? Gone are the days of working employees to the bone, only to spit them out through that revolving door of newer, bigger, faster, stronger. The cost of taking care of stressed out employees, far out weighs the cost of proactive measures to keep them well.


It's been largely reported that the ROI for every dollar spent on wellness for employees ranges from $3-16 per every dollar spent. That's an incredible ROI. And this is a guaranteed ROI if you do it right. Putting in place a blanket initiative of "get $20 back when you go to the gym 12 per month" doesn't work. Nor does just having a yearly health fair or having great walking paths outside your corporate headquarters. Don't get me wrong, those are great incentives -- for the right participant. But what about those who are too stressed out to even access those programs? Those who have a double workload due to the rest of the staff being laid off --  or with 3 kids in college, a looming divorce and 2 mortgages -- or the ones who are so overweight they require special furniture, access routes into the building and breaks to check their blood sugar every hour? What about those employees?

Chances are, those employees are slipping through the chasms in your insurance-placed wellness programs. Although, somewhat well-meaning, I am suspect as to the real motive behind those programs. But that's a day for another blog.


What about those employees? What's the answer? Well, quite simply put, its about appropriateness of program, employee engagement and accountability. When you really take a look at what YOUR employees need or want, and tailor a wellness initiative based on your company core values and culture, you begin to attack the problem of rising health care costs, and taking care of you employees in an intelligent, intentional way. Giving employees what they want/need, backing up those programs through executive staff buy-in and holding them accountable through successive behavior enhancement and follow-through, is the only way to really implement a plan that is sustainable and one that will work.


Things to consider:

1. Hire a consultant to observe, assess, investigate and question the workforce and management as to what the issues are.
2. Form a Health Committee/Wellness Committee, to carry out the long term implementation of new plans and programs.
3. When programs and plans are developed, implement and back it up with support of the head office, corporate support globally. 
1. Include walking paths
2. Healthier vending machines
3. Corporate 1-on-1 coaching to keep employees accountable to behavior change
4. Flex-time
5. On-site day care for children and elder parents
6. Health club incentives, walking/running clubs
4. Assess, Assess, Assess!! What's working and what's not working.
1. Plans should be assessed beginning, middle and end (if there is an end) and every few months to make sure that the plans are appropriate and worth the $'s spent.
5. Hire an expert.
1. Leadership development
2. Employee Engagement Specialists
3. Wellness Program Designers
4. Group workshops, seminars and coaching
5. Facility Planners and Programmers

These are just a few suggestions that can help on the way to a healthier workforce. One that will propel you into a bright, profitable future. Take care of the ones who take care of your business. For more information on consulting and program design for your workforce, see www.becompleteamerica.com.

Change your Mind, Change your Body

What happens in your mind is inextricably linked to what happens in your body. We know, for example, that meditation can change your brain activity and improve the immune system. The idea of your body following your mind is really the foundation of health. So learning before you leap into a completely new nutrition or wellness plan is essential for your success. You will need to identify what health and wellness mean to you, set measurable goals and chart your course in order to achieve your vision.


Stages of Change

There are 5 distinct stages that people experience while going through changes in their life. Each of us may breeze through these stages rather quickly, still others find themselves stuck and unable to move forward or make the changes they desire. Coaching is beneficial for anyone in any stage of change, but is especially so for those who find themselves "stuck" in any particular one. Below are the 5 natural stages of change:
1. Pre-contemplation or “I won’t”/”I can’t
2. Contemplation or “I may” 
3. Preparation or “I will” 
4. Action or “I am” 
5. Maintenance or “I still am”

What Stage are you currently in?

Answer Yes or No to the following statements. If you answer Yes, your stage follows in parentheses. 

1. I achieved my original vision more than 6 months ago. (I still am)

2. I’ve taken action toward my vision within the last 6 months, but am still not there yet. (I am)

3. I am intending to take action soon, like next month. (I will)

4. I am intending on taking action sometime, but it may be 6 months away. (I may)

5. I am not intending to take action anytime soon because I am not interested (I won’t) or because I am overwhelmed & don’t have time. (I can’t)

Stay tuned to "Stress Factors" as I examine each of the preceding stages in more detail, how stress affects each of us in those stages and how we can go about getting around those obstacles that stand in the way of our success! 

Health of Corporate America

It's all about the economy.....how many people are tired of being a victim to that ideal? I know I am. Let's turn this thing around and see what happens when we take responsibility for ourselves, our actions and our emotional well-being.

How you say? Well I have a few answers that may help. These are simple techniques you can, and should, do daily. If we can become happy within ourselves, does it really matter where we are physically?

1. Meditate - yes, I said meditate.  Most of the Fortune 500 top executives meditate during working hours in order that they may increase their cognition and decision making abilities. Once centered, it is easier to look at situations and difficulties at work and decide an appropriate response to take. It only takes a few minutes and will change the way you work and relate to other's in your life.

2. Exercise - and yes, again I said exercise. One of the best ways to relieve stress is to expend it in the gym or doing any physical activity you love. It can be lifting weights, walking the dog, biking with the kids or even working in the garden. It's all about getting yourself to move a little bit everyday, and you will notice a difference immediately! I kid you not.

3. You guessed - Eat healthy!  Amazing aren't I?  I know you've heard it all before, but it's true... You are what you eat. The old food pyramid is a bunch of bunk. Anyone who eats that much grain (at the bottom and suggested to be the majority of you intake) should be out standing in a pasture. Fill your place with 4-6oz of protein (fist-sized), 2 cups of veggies (preferably dark green) 1/2 cup of rice (or potato, any carb really) and don't forget breakfast! Anyone who wants to control their weight knows that you must eat in order to lose!

4. Be gentle with yourself..... I know this sounds different but hear me out. We all are our own biggest critic and it's that voice inside that is first to point out our flaws. Listen to that little voice just for a second, recognize it, then shove it aside for more positive thoughts. Your inner critic doesn't have to have the loudest voice, choose differently. 

5. Hire a coach. Imagine that ;).... Truly if you are having difficulties at home or at work and feel you don't need therapy, hire a life or career coach to help you sort things through. The objective of the coach is to help you get from where you are today, to where you want to go. We do this through a series of sessions, getting to the core of your behavior, moving around obstacles and setting goals for you to work toward. Not goals I set for you, but goals you set for yourself. That are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-oriented.

6.Breathe... Just breathe. Yes the simple act of taking a few minutes just to close your eyes and just breath will lower your stress level immediately. Always breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, slowly and comfortably. It's amazing what a little slow down and some oxygen can do!

Hope you take some of the suggestions as worthy and try them out. If you would like more information on anything I've written, please feel free to contact me! If you would like to sign up for coaching sessions, or to see if you would lie coaching please contact me to schedule a complementary session (can be done in person or on the phone.).

Held Hostage for Health

So, let me ask you....how is it that health insurance companies are getting away with holding companies, and their employee's, hostage by forcing them to implement insurance provided wellness programs for lower premiums, but charging a fee for said programs? Huh.

As I understand it, the insurance company sets up a cookie-cutter wellness programs, perform health risk assessments on the company employee's....use that data in determining premiums and then charge the company a fee for implementing and maintaining the program (which they do via on-line services only). The data collected from the employee health risk assessment is used to determine whether the employee will fall under low or high risk categories. The more high risk employee's on has on staff, the more extensive and expensive the program .....which leads to placing higher premiums based on the number of those high risk employee's. Huh.

Wait a minute! Is that ethical? Is it legal?  Even if it is "legal" or unregulated, is it the right thing to do? Basically the insurance company is setting their own client up for failure, just so they can make a few more dollars.

Reality show us that no high risk employee, who doesn't want to change, won't do so just because you impose a "program" on him/her. Or because they'll save $20 per month. Most I've spoken to will pay a gym $20 NOT to attend 12 times per month......and isn't that asking a lot for a "high-risk" employee? High risk usually means they are candidates or have some kind of chronic disease, smoke or are overweight. Now I ask you, are any of those individuals going to make it to a health club to workout 12 times per month?

I see several flaws in current health insurance run corporate wellness programs. First, the health risk assessment (HRA) information that they gather from employees and using it as a basis for rate determination, smacks of unethical business practices. HIPPA thinks so too, which is why they are leveraging to make changes so that the employer maintains possession of that information and is not used in determining premiums.

Secondly, expecting online software programs to do the job of what should be an empathetic, supportive and educated coach when dealing with employees making life changes. Through extensive research I have found that the majority of those who do participate in wellness programs, have a longer-term success rate when they've had the ability to work one-on-one with a coach.

Third, the insurance companies are taking a band-aid approach to health and well-being. They impose an exercise, diet and smoking cessation program in order to solve inherent core value behavior. What do I mean by core-value behavior? Core-values are those belief systems that we all carry around with us that help us navigate through life. Some are positive (anabolic) in nature, and some are negative (catabolic) in nature. Those catabolic ones are the ones who tell us negative things about ourselves, encourage destructive behavior and most typically are conditioned behavior responses. These are the core-values that keep us from losing weight, quitting smoking, going to the gym and leading a healthier lifestyle. These are the real issues a wellness program has to address in order to affect real change in an individual.  Only then, when we can clear the path for someone to take anabolic action for themselves can we expect them to take advantage of the gym, healthier eating or to quit smoking.

Lastly I'd just like to add that I think the health insurance companies were on the the right track, but I don't think they are the right provider for such programs. Every company will have it's own issues, whether it's stress management, weight management, communication issues or conflict resolution. The right candidate for providing programs will customize those programs to fit each and every company individually with thought, intention, effectiveness, appropriateness and intelligence. Yes, for most employers is a matter of the bottom line, but it's also about the health and well-being of your biggest asset.....your employees.

Wellness is a way of BEING, not a program you get off a computer.