A new year brings with it new thinking and new opportunities.
As a worksite wellness program coordinator, you do want to remain ahead of the curve, correct? As I survey today's worksite wellness landscape, I would encourage you to consider any one or more these items to focus on in the year ahead: Act Now - Act now on what your end review has revealed.
What are your learnings from last year? How can you build on your program's strengths? What gaps from your overall organizational needs assessment still exist and need attention? What new issues identified by your continuous improvement process need your attention? What new initiatives are management and employees asking for? Budget Appropriately - Make sure your program budget is sufficient to meet your program's purpose and desired goals.
If not, readjust your goals to fit the available budget.
Don't ever over promise and under deliver! Determine How Your Wellness Initiatives Are Working Out For You - There is no excuse for not monitoring, measuring or evaluating what you are doing and delivering for employees.
It is not just about outcomes.
Process and impact type evaluations can reveal important information to you as your program matures.
Don't overlook the opportunity to gather it! Maximize the Benefits Already Offered - Many employers offer valuable employee benefits.
Make sure you are promoting and maximizing these benefits.
Demand More from Your Broker and Vendors - Hold them accountable to their promises and deliverables.
Push them to deliver more.
Chances are high that they will respond rather than risk losing your account in the next bid cycle.
At the very least, your broker should be providing you with comprehensive compliance, administrative, communications, and analytical guidance and support.
If you are not satisfied, it's time to hire a new broker.
Follow State and Local Laws and Regulations - With the recent actions by the EEOC, much attention has been focused on federal laws and regulations.
But don't forget you also need to be compliant with any state and local laws, ordinances and regulations.
Don't Succumb To SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome) - Technology and wearables are currently all the rage.
Just remember though that they are but one tool in your toolbox.
For success, it is critical that all your strategies, initiatives and the tools they use are aligned with your organization's culture and your employee's life challenges.
Just Waiting and Wondering - In today's fast paced, always evolving workplace environment, just waiting and wondering is not a viable option.
Blindly following today's trends and popular thinking is a recipe for disaster.
Think critically! Implement what will work for you, not just because everyone else is doing it.
Remember that one plan fits just one! Know Your Numbers - As a worksite wellness program coordinator, you no doubt promote employees knowing their biometric numbers.
Do you know your program's numbers? What does the monitoring, measuring and evaluation of your program reveal? Keep Senior Leadership Satisfied - CEOs and CFOs are getting more directly involved in employee health strategy decisions.
Are you clear on what their expectations are? Can you speak the CEO's and CFO's language? Can you answer the question: How are our wellness and employee health benefit programs making a difference to employee health and our bottom line? This could be the year you get asked this question.
A new year brings with it opportunities for a new focus.
Hopefully you can use one or more of these nine opportunities to help set your worksite wellness program focus for the year ahead.