A couple weeks ago I posted a link to our "compendium" of articles from the incentive, engagement, recognition and reward world. My initial thought was to create one each week. But that was too much work - and I'm all about reducing the "too much" part of work.
So, I've just added on to the last compedium. Over time it will grow and grow... kinda like that stuff in the back of your refrigerator.
This go-round we have about a dozen new posts - listed before the ones I put in last time. This way - if you're new to the compendium - you can review the history. If you've seen it before you can just view the newest batch.
Last week (March 21st to be exact) I participated in a tweet chat on how incentives can impact wellness programs/initiatives instituted by companies. Sponsored, managed, held, whatever by #co_health (@femelmed and @chimoose) the tweet chat lasted an hour and was fast and furious.
@chimoose does a great job of summarizing the chat here on his site "Chimoose Talks Nonsense." I urge you to go on over and check it out. If you've ever wanted to know what we think of wellness incentives - that's the place to go.
What You Won't See on the Chat Stream
What wasn't covered in the chat - and probably the most important thing a wellness incentive/recognition initiative should have is... wait for it... INTEGRITY.
What I mean by that is any wellness initiative - whether supported by incentives and recognition or not - needs to spring from the company's (meaning the people in charge) desire to have healthy employees. The initiative should be about helping and caring for the employees. If the program/initiative is simply a way to reduce costs (which they do...) don't do it.
Employees are very sensitive BS meters. They know when something smells wrong. Running an incentive for wellness just to reduce costs communicates to your employees that you'd run and incentive get people to be unhealthy if that drove your bottom line. Your wellness initiative MUST come from caring about your employees more than it does from caring about your costs.
Don't try to cover up a financial program with a wellness initiative. You'll lose trust and you'll have a difficult if not impossible time winning that trust back. And that trust will be lost in all areas of your business - not just wellness.
Do the right thing for the right reasons. Do wellness because you care.
Here's a quick tip to know if you're doing it wrong - if your CFO is the one pushing the program - you're doing it wrong.
At the end of the day wellness programs are about taking care of people - not taking care of profits.
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