1. No matter what our goals for the wellness program, without employee engagement, the program will not be successful.  Employee engagement is the holy grail of health and productivity programs.  Employers that have achieved success from wellness programs recognize the role of interconnecting the aspects of health, work and personal lives.

2. 1. Empower social groups 2. Make it interesting 3. Track, report and update employees 4. Keep things simple 1. Hold on-site activities

3. Human beings are social animals. No one wants to be singled out for behavior modification. Good health spreads through social networks Things like obesity, alcohol consumption, and smoking travel through social networks. When you exercise, the people around you are more likely to exercise. Social support and accountability keep people involved. People we like and respect encourage behavior change in us. We want to be like them. Social programs extend beyond work to family and friends. Successful programs take a “we’re all in this together” approach.

4.  Try engaging staff in health gaming and healthy competition  Gaming taps into the competitive fires we all have and as we play a game, we become more engaged, feel a greater sense of accomplishment and are more willing to go the extra mile.  Involve social networking between employees and districts  This encourages friendly competition between districts  Allows for quick view of results of their competition  Keeps interest high

5.  People always want to know how they measure up against those around them.  This knowledge provides a benchmark for success.  When hosting wellness activities, share results with employees.  Weekly updates of what’s going on, who’s doing well, and what others can do to jump in on the action help stoke the fire and provide a recap of all the activities that are going on.

6.  At times we all fall victim to getting lost in the details.  We’re inundated by messaging and it can become overwhelming.  Keep messaging clear and consistent.  Make the call to action the same through different mediums.  Appeal on an emotional level with your messaging.  Always step back and read your message before sending.

7.  By holding on-site activities employees are more motivated to get involved because their friends get involved. Nothing brings everything together like hands-on involvement. Setting people up on teams provides social support and accountability. The spirit of friendly competition encourages employees. Public recognition can be an incentive. Altruistic opportunities encourages employees to participate. Employees are more inclined to participate in group activities and help others. Over time these behaviors create lasting connections to continue the healthy behaviors over the long term.