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THE MOTLEY FOOL: DEFINITELY NOT YOUR COOKIE CUTTER WELLNESS PROGRAMSamantha Whiteside, MPH (Chief Wellness Officer)

Practical Solutions for Health Enhancement Programming SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 Volume 27 Issue 5

PlusNO MATTER HOW GOOD

YOUR SERVICES AND PROMOTIONS, YOU NEED REFERRALS

HOW AND WHY TO FOSTER LIFELONG

LEARNING AT WORK

TOP 10 WAYS TO BOOST INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

2 WELL-BEING PRACTITIONER

BY DEAN WITHERSPOONCEO and Founder, HES

2No Matter How Good Your Services and Promotions, You Need Referrals

4How and Why to Foster Lifelong Learning at Work

6Recruiting Top Well-Being Practitioners

8The Motley Fool: Definitely Not Your Cookie Cutter Wellness Program

11Inspired Messages

12Social Media in Well-Being Programs — What’s Not to Like?

14Top 10 Ways to Boost Intrinsic Motivation

15Fall Walking Works Wonders

INSIDE...

NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR SERVICES AND PROMOTIONS, YOU NEED REFERRALS

It’s a good bet employees know the actions that constitute a healthy lifestyle. Yet, if they’re like most groups, 10%-20% smoke, 60% are overweight, 45% or more are inac-tive, and 20% or more have high blood pressure.

So why aren’t more of them taking advantage of your services? They’re afraid of failing, don’t have time, feel the programs aren’t convenient, don’t trust you or the organization, or any number of other valid reasons. And even if you address (and you should)

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 3

“Asking for referrals is personal and is ideally done voice to voice (or better yet, face to face).”

all of these concerns, there’s of-ten another that gets in the way. You’ll reach a point where using your services can’t get any more efficient, easy, or confidential. You need referrals.

Who are your most satisfied participants?

At HES we record every comment about how our campaigns and services help others. You should too — for positive input, as a nice pick-me-up, and an opportunity to seek referrals.

We’ve found, in almost all in-stances, that people who say good things about what you do are eager to give you names of others who could benefit as well. Although you could find these people yourself, until they hear “So-and-so said you might be in-terested in ABC service — do you have a minute to talk?” you may not get anything more than a po-lite “No thanks.”

Here are suggestions for so-liciting and following through with referrals:

• Train everyone to be alert to compliments (and com-plaints) and get in the habit of recording them.

• Call first. Inform referrals that their colleague suggested your services might be of interest. If appropriate, work in specific positive comments from their friend. Send an email follow-up if you leave a voice message, but don’t start with email; it doesn’t work nearly as well.

• Use a central database — preferably in, or tied to, the participant’s record.

Ask if you can send or stop by with some information.

• Encourage staff to draw out details of positive comments with questions like “What, specifically, did you like most about...”

• Ask immediately if they know a coworker who might be interested in the same or an-other service. Then request their permission to contact the individual using them as a reference.

• Share comments at staff meetings. Continuously re-inforce the importance of participant feedback.

• Be sincere. Although you want a process, you don’t want it to be mechanical or quota-driven.

• Respect their time. Don’t press for a commitment, but stay in touch. When they become interested, you’ll know — and then they’ll have all the time you need.

Resist the temptation to over-automate your referral process. Asking for referrals is personal and is ideally done voice to voice (or better yet, face to face). The anonymity of completing an on-line form may produce some can-didates, but it can handicap your ability to build a relationship, thereby limiting quality referrals.

Thank your references. A card, LinkedIn® note, free massage coupon, program T-shirt, or other simple gesture of appre-ciation — whether the referral becomes a regular participant or not — is the way to keep quality referrals coming.

STUART SMALLEY’S RECIPE FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE SUCCESS

Past failures often sap the confidence of people attempting behavior change. Until they regain a belief in themselves, the likelihood of success is small. Before you begin offering specific advice, it’s a good idea to encourage participants to create a success inventory by answering these questions:

• What do I feel good about in my life right now? (Love, job, relationship with children, hobbies, community service, work)

• What have I done in the past 6 months that I’m proud of? (work project, home project, volunteer effort)

• Who cares about me?

• What have I done for someone else in the last month that made me feel good?

• What do other people admire in me?

Give participants a day or so to complete the assignment. Then ask them to share their answers with you. What they’ve discovered are successes in many areas of their life and assurance to take on the new challenge of improving health habits.

Who is Stuart Smalley? Google him for fun.


BY BETH SHEPARDHealth Promotion

Consultant, HES

HOW AND WHY TO FOSTER LIFELONG LEARNING AT WORK

Nora, a recently promoted team lead, has an insatiable drive to learn. Since joining the company, she has accessed many in-house learning opportunities, along with tuition reimbursement for online classes. She’s excited about her role as well as those opportunities for career development… and it shows.

After 2 years, Luke is getting bored with his day-to-day duties. He’s unaware of any employer-based support for learn-ing. Unless his manager quits, there’s no way to advance within his depart-ment. He’s browsing online for jobs with more challenge and growth potential.

A 2016 Pew Research Center sur-vey reveals 73% of US adults con-sider themselves lifelong learners.1 Organizations that support learning position themselves as employers of choice by empowering employees to grow and succeed. Becoming a lifelong learner fuels well-being, confidence, enhanced performance, and life enjoy-ment… and that’s good for business.

THE PLASTIC BRAINNeuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to input, reorganizing itself and creating new connections. A stimulating environment is vital for maintaining and boosting cognitive function.2 For many, it’s also a main factor in job satisfaction.

Cultivating better thinkers should be a high-priority goal for any organization. Whether workers are building airplanes, developing software, or ringing up sales,

enhancing cognitive function — plus critical and creative thinking — is a competitive advantage. When employees at every level can analyze a new situation or problem, generate a smart solution, and imple-ment it, business can’t help but move in the right direction.

Novelty spurs curiosity and engagement; exposure to new ideas, experiences, and ways of doing things also fuels creativ-ity and enjoyment. Capitalize on these benefits by encour-aging employees and families to step outside their routines and learn something new… whether it’s watercolor paint-ing, coaching youth soccer, or a new programming language.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.

Learn as if you were to live forever.”

— Mahatma Gandhi


LEARNING MATTERSAccording to Gallup research, work-ers reporting a high level of career well-being are twice as likely to thrive in other areas of their lives... community, social, physical, finan-cial.3 Whether we like our bosses and coworkers, enjoy what we’re doing, and use our strengths at work affects everything — from job performance to health. Stress that stems from fes-tering on-the-job boredom or frus-tration, for example, can cause sleep problems, mood issues, poor nutri-tion, and less physical activity.

Supporting personal and profes-sional enrichment helps keep employees energized about work, life, and possibilities for growth… which enhances quality of life.

GET FIRED UP — 18 IDEASLeaders in well-being, HR, train-ing, and other functions can join forces to promote lifelong learn-ing. While it doesn’t have to be job related to be worthwhile, that’s likely where you’ll focus resources. Try these suggestions:

1. Coach team leaders to ask employees about areas of interest for professional and personal growth.

2. Offer a range of in-service train-ing opportunities, in-person and online.

3. Encourage managers to let staff dive into a work-related area they’re excited about, then teach the team.

4. Send leaders and staff to indus-try conferences.

5. Establish a tuition reimburse-ment policy; if possible, cover non-work-related classes and certifications.

6. Provide student loan payback assistance.

7. Implement payroll deduction for 529 Education Savings Plan contributions.

8. Encourage onsite book clubs.

9. Charter a Toastmasters® club to develop public speaking and leadership skills.

10. Advertise local events like book tours and lectures; offer free or discount tickets as budget allows.

11. Invite parks and recreation rep-resentatives to host a lunchtime booth to promote classes.

12. Solicit employee testimonials linking learning experiences with well-being.

13. Inform workers about online language-learning resources and local conversation opportunities, especially if staff or customers are located around the world.

14. Recognize learning achieve-ments with certificates, blog features, applause, and other public praise.

15. Support flexible scheduling for employees enrolled in classes.

16. Educate your workforce about the benefits and how-tos of mentorships.

17. Make a periodic pitch for free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) like those found on Coursera®, edX®, and FutureLearn.

18. Host a lunchtime hobby fair to showcase and demon-strate employees’ art/crafts, music, photography, and other favorite pastimes.

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong

process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach

people how to learn.”— Peter Drucker

LEARNING ABOUT WELL-BEINGSome wellness managers have downplayed the importance of par-ticipants learning about the science of health and behavior change in recent years. The justification ranges from It’s too complex for people to understand or care about, to the only thing that matters is “doing,” not understanding.

While there’s plenty of evidence to indicate just spewing facts about risks of an unhealthy lifestyle doesn’t inspire meaningful change, there is also support for making in-depth information and tools available to those ready to change. When people are committed, they thirst for knowl-edge and support.

That’s where you and your vendor partners can provide value by curat-ing and vetting resources to offer your population.

Teaching employees how to learn and supporting their interests is a vital investment. The Economist describes lifelong learning as an economic imperative.4 Organizations that foster lifelong learning stand to reap big benefits in performance, productivity, employee well-being… and market share.

1. Pew Research Center, March 2016, Lifelong Learning and Technology, assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2016/03/PI_2016.03.22_Educational-Ecosystems_FINAL.pdf

2. Shaffer,J.(2016),NeuroplasticityandClinicalPractice:BuildingBrainPowerforHealth,Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1118, doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01118

3. RathT,HarterJ,Wellbeing:TheFiveEssentialElements,GallupPress,2010,pp.16-17

4. The Economist,LifelongLearningIsBecominganEconomicImperative,online,retrievedAugust 3, 2017, economist.com/news/special-report/21714169-technological-change-demands-stronger-and-more-continuous-connections-between-education


RECRUITING TOP WELL-BEING PRACTITIONERS

Hire the right people and your job automatically gets better; employ the wrong people and it gets worse. This fundamental truth seems so obvious that you’d expect anyone with hiring and leading responsibilities would do everything they could to get it right. Surprisingly, it’s often not the case.

At HES it took us many years to develop a system to find the best per-formers. The good news: We feel like we have it figured out. The bad: it’s a lot of work. But if you believe, as we do, that nothing is more important to your success than hiring the right tal-ent, you have no choice.

Here’s a recipe (substitute your favor-ite ingredients) for getting your next dream employee:

Create a compelling job description. Attracting the right people involves more than just describing the skills you want. Some of the most talented folks aren’t looking for jobs. If you have any chance at piquing their interest they need to come away with the idea that your company can make all their career ambitions come true — at least in relation to where they are today. You’ll need the help of your very best current employees with similar talents. What attracted them in the first place? What do they love about working there? What makes them excited about their job every day? Don’t over-sell, but don’t hold back either. You’ll attract a lot of folks who aren’t the right fit, but it’s rela-tively easy to weed them out.

Cast a W I D E net. Use the stan-dard online and local job post-ing tools to get the word out, but don’t stop there. Enlist your employees and customers (if appropriate) to spread the mes-sage through social media outlets as well as family, friends, and every community group you can think of. Lead with the top trait you’re looking for: Have a passion for helping others improve health? ABC’s Wellness Program does, too… and we’re hiring! Check this out [job description] for [title]. Leave no stone unturned. A friend of a friend of a friend could know the perfect person for you.

Do NOT request a resume (at least to start). What someone has done so far is important, but learning about it in a document that’s been polished by others is just as likely to mislead as to inform. Instead, ask them to review the job description, study your website and other materials you provide, and search online for anything they can find about you in preparation for writing a “Why You Need Me!” letter. If you’ve written a good job description,


you should get responses you can evaluate for moving on to the next step. And while the candidate may get help with their letter, in our experience it’s a truer reflection of them and their fit for the job than a standard cover letter and resume. Depending on the position, you’re not necessarily looking for the next Tolstoy, but you do want to know the applicant can communicate effec-tively in writing. If you’re not moved at this point, offer a polite rejection and move top candidates to the next step.

Conduct phone interviews (and continue to resist the urge to ask for their resume). Do NOT do the first interview in person. What they look like is irrelevant, and unless you’re more objective than most, you can’t help but be persuaded by appear-ance. We typically send interview questions in advance, so the person has time to prepare, but we don’t limit our questions to those; the conversation takes us where it wants to go. The primary goal is to get the person to talk about the thoughts behind their letter and answers to best boss/worst boss, most difficult coworker, worst job experience, ideal work setting, etc. In a nutshell, we’re trying to get a sense of their attitude. Are they generally positive or nega-tive? Do they appear to want to solve problems or blame? Are there mul-tiple instances of difficulty at work or is it rare? They talk — you listen and ask more questions. The more you listen, the more you learn. We have 3 people talk with the candidate inde-pendently to form their own opinions and write them down before getting together to discuss. Eliminate candi-dates as needed and move your best applicants to the next step.

Create a remote skills test. Depending on the job, this can be hard to do well, but it’s a great way to narrow your choices to the top, motivated people. We’re trying to accomplish 2 things with this step — determine if they have the requisite knowledge and skills and give them a sense of the type of work they’ll be doing so they can make an informed

decision as well. The test can be a project, a written test, another phone conversation they can prepare for, or a combination. Because our can-didates are almost always already employed, we let them complete this step when they can but ask them to keep track of their time so we get a sense of pace. Never use their work unless you tell them up front and agree on compensation for the effort. After evaluating these test results you’re likely to have a very narrow field of candidates. That’s good — you’ve eliminated anyone who’s not the right fit. At this point you should believe remaining candidates would make a great staff addition… but you’re not done yet.

Create an in-house test. We ask candidates to block out 3 hours for an in-house interview; 2 for a skills test and 1 for a group interview. This test is just to confirm the applicant can do similar work to what they did remotely — in effect, proving they are who they say they are in terms of knowledge and ability. We don’t let them know in advance the test details, but do give them the tools and guidance they need to complete it well within the 2 hours.

Hold an in-person group interview with staff who would work most closely with the candidate. The first 30 minutes is just a getting-to-know-you chat, where staff can ask anything they want. We’re looking for rapport, chemistry. The last 30 min-utes we look at the resume and have an open discussion.

At this point, you know if you want to extend an offer. If you do, there’s 1 more vital step: checking references. Skip this step at your own peril. While previous employers may only confirm dates of employment, press the candidate to get 3 or more work references, for 2 primary objectives:

• Verify accuracy of the resume

• Confirm what you think you know about the candidate’s personality, work style, attitude.

It’s important you let the reference talk at length about the person’s relationships with others, account-ability, and other vital traits you’ve identified for this position. You’re eliminating surprises.

WHAT ABOUT RETENTION? Hiring is just half the battle. Keeping top professionals long term requires another set of skills and conditions that we’ll explore in the November/December Well-Being Practitioner.

DO CREDENTIALS MATTER?Yes. Depending on the position, the right degree, certifications, licenses, etc., can reinforce the strengths you’ve already uncovered. And a person’s drive to achieve profes-sional credentialing can be an indication of their commitment to the field.

If the work doesn’t require these credentials, look at them as a bonus, not a deciding factor. In the end, most jobs that deal with people day to day don’t rely on a string of letters behind someone’s name. But most well-being professional roles do rely on smarts, passion, abil-ity to work well with oth-ers, and commitment to improving health and quality of life in those they serve — that’s what you want.


BY KATHY CASHRN, CHPD, Health/Wellness

Writer and Consultant

THE MOTLEY FOOL: DEFINITELY NOT YOUR COOKIE CUTTER WELLNESS PROGRAM

It’s no surprise a company called The Motley Fool values lighthearted-ness and fun, including in their wellness program. Samantha (Sam) Whiteside, MPH (Chief Wellness Officer) points to an all-encompassing, holistic design as the key to the program’s overwhelming popularity — 9 out of 10 employees… or Fools… participate.


(continued on next page)

“I keep a close pulse on what is going on. If a team is under a lot of pressure, I send each Fool on the team an email to let them know they are appreciated and offer a free massage.”

Their success is reflected in numer-ous awards and recognitions:

• 2017 Most Athletic Company in DC

• 2016 Game Changer in Employee Health Award

• 2015 Healthy Alexandria Workplace Award

• 2015 Washington Healthiest Company Award

• Greater Washington’s Healthiest Employers 2015

• Cited in articles: Companies Take a Broader View of Employee Wellness Programs, 4 Companies With Awesome Wellness Programs, Amazingly Unique Corporate Wellness Programs, and 39 Kick-ass Wellness Programs to Copy.

Founded in 1993, this financial services firm committed to treat-ing every employee as an adult. No Policy vacation gives each person total discretion over when they take time off; similarly, sick days are not tracked. Generous maternal/paternal leave allows a parent to take up to 4 months off any time in the child’s first year.

FOOLISH 15The Motley Fool had no formal well-ness program in its early years. Due to the sedentary nature of their work, Tom Gardner (CEO) began to see a company weight gain trend and took action. Sam laughs, “It was called the ‘Foolish 15,’ because that was how many pounds on aver-age were gained after being hired. Tom removed all soda and candy vending machines. One of our tech Fools, Ben Sterling, was planning to leave and become a fitness trainer.

Tom convinced him to stay and dedi-cate part of his work day to personal training and leading group fitness classes. Eventually it turned into a full-time job, which I later took over and expanded into a multi-dimensional wellness program.”

BUCKETS OF WELLNESSThe wellness program includes 4 separate but interconnecting categories:

• Exercise

• Nutrition

• Health promotion and disease prevention

• Brain health.

Sam feels getting people to use available stress management resources presents the greatest challenge for brain health. “I bring in EAP counselors at least twice a year to answer questions and explain how to access their services. Each Fool gets 6 free counseling sessions a year to address a specific issue. We provide free onsite yoga classes as well as highly subsidized… and wildly popular… massage sessions twice a week. I keep a close pulse on what is going on. If a team is under a lot of pressure, I send each Fool on the team an email to let them know they are appreciated and offer a free massage. We also make life easier through onsite dry cleaning; monthly haircuts, manicures, and pedicures; shipping and mail delivery. We encourage everyone to take time for themselves. During our monthly companywide Huddle, we randomly draw a name. They receive $1000 and must take 2 of the next 4 weeks off. Every few months I bring animals to the office. Nothing like puppies, kittens, ducklings, or chicks to turn

adults into kids again. Their stress just melts away as they play with these little fluffballs.”

The Motley Fool has transformed from a sedentary company into one that celebrates movement and activity by:

• Covering the cost of nearby sports fields for team events

• Arranging discounts at local gyms

• Reimbursing endurance events

• Offering free onsite kettlebell, indoor cycling, boot camps, show-ers/locker rooms, and a full gym.

“Something’s going on every day. We’ve provided inexpensive in-house resources to teams. Our Foolish Solutions team (membership call center) put in long hours on the phones. So I bought resistance bands for everyone, installed a pull-up bar, and relocated an exercise bike plus a treadmill desk to their location. It drastically improved their movement and happiness.”

Sam also tries to make healthy eat-ing as easy as possible. “I offer nutrition consults. Healthy items in our cafeteria are either free or subsi-dized as much as 90%. Less healthy items are also subsidized but not as much. We also offer a 50% reduc-tion on in-office meal deliveries.


I reviewed all local menus and high-lighted the healthiest options for group meetings. We provide a 50% subsidy for Weight Watchers® and pay 100% for health-related phone apps. In the early days, pizzas were ever-present in our offices. I didn’t want to take that away completely. Once a month we have Pizza Day from local restaurants, but I added a salad bar and am pleased to say it’s always empty — while we still have pizza left over.”

The Motley Fool covers virtual doc-tor visits, too, accessed by phone or Skype instead of spending time in a clinic. The doctor makes an assess-ment and phones in prescriptions to the pharmacy if needed. Parents find this particularly useful with a sick child.

WELLNESS CHALLENGESSam creates 1-month wellness chal-lenges pulled from a different bucket each time. “I find 1-month chal-lenges keep people from becoming bored and dropping out. We have Fools all over the world so these challenges can be done anywhere. We recently completed a compa-nywide challenge to collectively do 100,000 push-ups in a month…. even our CFO joined in. As an incen-tive, if the company reached its push-up goal, we gave 2 Fools known to not take enough time for themselves a day outing based on their personal interests. We had a challenge to conduct meetings while moving. We’re getting ready to start

a philanthropy challenge where Fools track hours of volunteer work and charitable donations. The evi-dence of the long-lasting impact of these challenges is all around me. The behaviors have become part of our culture.”

Each year Fools receive a certain amount to spend on anything well-ness related. Sam emphasizes, “Wellness doesn’t look the same for any 2 people, so this initiative encourages them to try new things. Accountability goes a long way, so I like to make sure they have a little skin in the game. They pay up front and are reimbursed 50% for bikes, hiking shoes, snowboards, nutrition and meditation classes, swimming lessons… you name it.”

REWARDS VS. INCENTIVESSam is not a fan of paying people to exercise and make changes. “We prefer to recognize achieve-ments with timely praise. We use a customizable online program called YouEarnedIt. Each Fool gets 1000 Gold every month; managers receive 2000. The purpose is to recognize a coworker for something they’ve done. This translates to $10 and $20 a person, respectively, so no one is breaking the bank by participating. Fools can save the Gold for a variety of prizes on the YouEarnedIt website, including gift cards and a book for free in-office massages, or toward a vacation fund. I dedicate 500 Gold to each monthly wellness challenge and other achievements such as coming to an exercise class for the first time, being a team wellness advocate, attending their first morning sports, and overall individual wellness great-ness. Since launching this program, they increasingly say we’re recogniz-ing the right people.”

WELLNESS OUTSIDE THE BUCKETWellness cannot exist without a sup-portive environment. According to Sam, The Motley Fool thrives on change. “No one has an office…

not even our CEO. Everything is on wheels. That means tables, desks, chairs, standing desks… everything! At any given time you might move to a different project, a different team, or even a different floor. Not everyone embraces change easily, so we try to be sensitive to those who require more time to adjust by giving them a heads-up and even offering help in making a move. After the move is over, I’ll offer these Fools a massage or a free lunch… just to let them know we do consider their needs.”

Another core value at The Motley Fool is collaboration. Todd Etter, official Chief Collaboration Officer, makes sure teams can collaborate internally and with each other. He sets up board games at least 3 times a week in the cafeteria. Fools from all over the company come together, get to know each other, learn to col-laborate, and build relationships as they play these games.

Sam says a question heard around the office a lot is “How are you going to top that?” “If someone wants to be involved in creating some-thing new, even if it’s not related to their job, they can go to their team leader and volunteer. Rarely will they say ‘no.’ Being bored here is difficult. People thrive in this dynamic environment.”

NOT ANOTHER COOKIE CUTTER PROGRAMSam is justifiably proud of The Motley Fool’s wellness program. “We take great pains to customize health and wellness initiatives. This is partly because we have a self-funded health care program. We don’t have to accept something forced on us by an insurance company. We never ostracize someone due to their abilities or preferences. Every single component of our program is achiev-able, doable, and realistic.”

For more information, contact Sam: [email protected].


Extend your well-being program focus beyond fitness and nutrition to help participants thrive in other equally vital areas of their lives.

Research underscores the importance of strong social ties for mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Likewise, Self-Determination Theory holds that feeling connected to others is a basic human need. Carefully designed workplace well-being campaigns cultivate positive relationships by helping participants get to know each other… not just online, but in real life. Team challenges unite people in striving toward a common goal — promoting shared experiences, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging.

Tracking daily steps and produce servings is a great way to adopt new health habits; why not promote behaviors known to foster mental and emotional well-being, too? Simple activities — like setting aside time for reflection, keeping a journal, and meaningful social connections, for example — are powerful, positive ways to cope with stress, lift spirits, and increase life satisfaction.

Take a holistic approach to your next wellness campaign, including ways to boost social, mental, and emotional well-being. You’ll measure success in terms of happiness and quality of life instead of biomarkers.

BY BETH SHEPARDHealth Promotion

Consultant, HES

Inspired Messages are actual participant comments from an HES wellness campaign.

I remain ever grateful for Health for the Holidays! Not only did it provide a much-needed incentive to practice better eating and living habits, but it also gave us a chance to partner with people

around the office that we may not know. The ease of joining a group (only one of whom I knew) made this an extra special endeavor.

The Gift Box challenges each day —like calling a relative, sharing memories, writing journal entries — all foster positive living, which

helped me make it through a rough time of year (emotionally).


SOCIAL MEDIA IN WELL-BEING PROGRAMS — WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

BY BOB MERBERG

This is the first in a series of articles on workplace well-being social media best practices.

If you use a social media platform in your work, you may underesti-mate — and underuse — its power. This is true for public websites like Facebook®, Instagram®, or Twitter; in-house collaboration platforms like Yammer® (a Microsoft® product) or Chatter® (a Salesforce service); or the social features of well-being products — including HES cam-paigns and several wellness portals.

Practitioners often think of social media platforms as being like bulletin boards, posting program announce-ments and never giving them another thought. But we’d be lucky if a post — used like this — drew the fleeting attention of a few people who hap-pen upon it.

Most social platforms have at least 3 ways users can interact with a post.

• “Like” a post — that is, endorse it by clicking on the word “like” or “favorite” or on a heart, star, or thumbs-up icon

• Comment or reply in response to a post

• Reshare a post, distributing it to their own connections on the platform.

Regardless of your social platform, try to get as many people as possible to engage in these activities.

OPTIMIZE YOUR SOCIAL POSTSI managed the employee well-being program for a large organization whose in-house social platform functioned a lot like Facebook or LinkedIn®. Here’s an example


of how I optimized a post, fol-lowed by a deeper dive into an elementary tactic.

We had recently installed our first treadmill workstation and wanted employees to know about it. I could have just posted New Treadmill Workstation with a few details, which may have popped up in the news-feeds of my online connections. But a dry informational post would soon be forgotten by the few employees who saw it. Instead, I used 5 simple social tactics:

1. Posted a few sentences with a header, “Get steps at your desk!” which personalized an action-oriented message and tied it to the step campaign we were launching.

2. Included a photo of an employee — my coworker, Judith — using the treadmill workstation. Social media experts have determined that using an image increases engagement on a post by 650%.1

3. Tagged Judith — mentioning her with a link to her profile. This assured the post made it into the feeds of Judith’s connections; it sparked conversation online and off.

4. Noted that typing speed and accuracy tend to be normal after 3 15-minute sessions using the treadmill workstation. By answer-ing an inevitable question, I delivered meaningful content — essential to social media strategy.

5. Asked my connections on the platform to click “like.”

This last tactic may be the most important. A marketing industry analysis showed that including the word “like” in a post more than dou-bles the odds of it being liked.2

But I didn’t just say, “Like this post,” which may have been perceived as manipulative. Instead, I concluded the post with an almost irresistible call to action: “Click ‘like’ if you think you’d enjoy more physical activity during the workday.”

“Learn whatever you can about the rules regulating

use of your platform. When in doubt, contact a

site administrator.”

On our platform, most posts aver-aged 4-5 likes. My treadmill worksta-tion post received 528, with each spreading the word and keeping the message fresh in employees’ newsfeeds on the platform. It also evoked a screen full of enthusiastic comments. I replied to (and/or liked) every one, to personalize the dialog, draw deeper engagement, and keep the topic prominent in users’ feeds in days following the initial post. In the final analysis, the post was viewed by more than 10 times the average.

Rudimentary as likes may be, a fuller understanding of how and why to elicit them can inspire you to customize a variety of increasingly sophisticated optimization tactics.

WHY WE LIKE LIKESWe’ve all heard stories of social media users staking their self-esteem to the number of likes their posts accrue. Well-being practi-tioners have a more noble motive. Engagement with a program’s social media posts is engagement in the program, and social sharing is a uniquely effective means to spread your message.

If you examine your feed on almost any major platform, you’ll notice a few different triggers that lead to specific posts being displayed. Depending on the system, you’re likely to view content that:

• Your connections have personally posted

• You or a connection has been tagged or mentioned in

• Your connections have liked, reshared, or commented on.

Imagine, for example, wellness coor-dinator Susan has 15 connections — including her coworker, James — on a social media platform. James is a more active user and has 800 connections. When Susan posts an announcement, it may find its way into the newsfeed of only her 15 connections. But after James likes it, the post may be displayed to his 800 connections, who will read some-thing like “James liked Susan’s post ‘New Walking Group,’” above Susan’s post about the group she’s starting.

If Susan’s connections average 500 connections each, and 10 of them click like, Susan’s post could be distributed to 5000 people plus those they share it with. Susan could spread the word even faster if she expanded her own pool of personal connections on the platform.

Earning likes to facilitate social shar-ing is the most basic example of optimizing these platforms. More can be done with special interest groups, comments, multimedia sharing, con-tests, live streaming, thoughtful tim-ing, hashtags, and polls. Further, the value derived from social platforms can evolve beyond program promo-tion to functions like participant sup-port, education, and culture building.

The essential first step to garner-ing results: Recognize that a social posting isn’t like a flyer tacked on a crowded bulletin board. It’s more like a current, spreading across a multi-dimensional network.

1. Kim, L. (2015) Eye-Popping Statistics You Need to Know About Visual Content Marketing, inc.com

2. Zarrella, D. (2017) New Facebook Data Proves Social CTAs Lead to More Comments, Likes & Shares [INFOGRAPHIC], blog.hubspot.com


Our upcoming white paper: Intrinsic Motivation: The Foundation of Outstanding Well-Being Programs delves into the science supporting this model for your well-being program. Here’s an excerpt with steps to shift your programming in an intrinsic direction starting today.

TOP 10 WAYS TO BOOST INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

1. Find out what obstacles employees face (they don’t feel they have enough time or they perceive activities as too costly) and address them in your pro-gramming and materials.

2. Use positive messages that build confidence. “Registering is your first step to success!” is an encouraging call to action for a walking campaign. “You can do it; we can help” will fire up potential health coaching participants.

3. Consider incremental programs that allow participants to build on skills and confidence acquired by previous successes.

A physical activity program with different sessions for walkers, joggers, and more serious runners is an example.

4. Focus on immediate rewards. For physical activity, promote feeling energized and upbeat rather than preventing heart dis-ease or losing weight. To encour-age healthy eating, emphasize the great taste of healthy food rather than disease prevention.

5. Make it easy to participate in groups. Voluntary team-based campaigns are a way to do this. Another idea: At the end of group events such as lunch ’n learns, have the facilitator

encourage attendees to form support groups or accountability partnerships to keep each other on track.

6. Don’t promote any program incentives as the main reason to participate. Reinforce the potential joy of joining, not the extrinsic reward.

7. Provide skill-building activities, like cooking classes or how to get started with fitness habits.

8. Partner with providers that are knowledgeable about intrinsic motivation and build it into their products and communication tools. Ask how they enhance self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness into their services.

9. Share participation and out-comes data tied to testimonials that convey emotion and grati-tude. Some who may be sitting on the fence about participating will increase self-efficacy by see-ing the success of others.

10. Incorporate ways to weigh pros and cons into self-directed programs or coaching. These simple templates — you can make them yourself — create an exercise that can help overcome negative bias.

Don’t feel you have to implement all of these or address every aspect of every intrinsic motivation theory. Choose a few ideas that make the most sense for you and your popula-tion. In general, as you make pro-gram plans, keep in mind that good outcomes are rooted in participants’:

• Belief that the pros of making a change outweigh the cons

• Confidence in their ability to change

• Sense of autonomy and accountability

• Social support.


There are many ways to get in shape — from joining a health club to taking aerobic classes to running, biking, or playing a sport. So why choose walking? Probably a better question would be why not?

Nearly anyone — regardless of physical condition, age, or ability — can walk without much risk for injury. And fall is perfect for getting outside. Not only is the crisp air invigorating, but the changing colors, sounds of migrating birds, and delicious harvested produce heighten your senses as you take to the outdoors. And walking in nature is particularly effective in reducing stress and clearing your mind.

GETTING STARTED

So you’re ready to brave the great outdoors. Before you set out to conquer any records, keep these tips in mind:

Invest in a good pair of shoes. Walking outside means you’ll encounter different types of terrain, so make sure your feet are comfortable and protected with proper footwear.

Stay advised. Check the weather reports and know when the sun will set so you can dress appropriately and be equipped. If you walk at night, wear light-colored clothing with reflectors and carry a flashlight. During the day, always use sunscreen. If it’s warm, dress in cool fabrics that let your skin breathe; if it’s cold, remember long sleeves, gloves, scarf, and hat.

Partner up. Solo walks are good to help you reconnect with yourself and take some personal time. But walking with a friend or family member can be just as rewarding and will help you stay committed.

Keep alert. It’s easy to get caught up in the scenery, but don’t forget to stay aware of your surroundings. Always know your route, and take note of what’s going on around you… especially if you’re walking alone.

At the end of October, the country will transform to celebrate Halloween. You can use the month to transform, too, by making outdoor walks a habit. Build up to 30-60 minutes or 6000-10,000 steps a day, 5 days/week. You won’t have to perform tricks, yet you’ll get treats — in the form of better physical, mental, and spiritual health — when you step out to explore nature’s gifts… and your own.

I’M READY TO GO:

My walking shoes have a low midsole, beveled heel, arch support, flat traction outsole, flexible forefront, and proper fit.

I’m dressed appropriately for weather.

I’ve set up a time for my walking buddy and I to head out.

I’ve all the accessories I need for a safe trek (flashlight, cell phone, keys, water bottle, etc.).

Well-Being PractitionerPO Box 1035 • Midland MI 48641-1035Phone: 800.326.2317 • 989.839.0852Fax: 989.839.0025hesonline.com

Well-Being Practitioner (ISSN 1060-5517) is published every 2 months for $49 per year in the US, $69 (US funds) per year in Canada, $79 (US funds) per year in other countries by HES, 800 Cambridge Street, Midland MI 48642. Periodicals postage paid at Midland MI.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Well-Being Practitioner, PO Box 1035, Midland MI 48641-1035.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Mention of products or services is not an endorsement. Medical, legal, or other comments are offered for guidance only; professional counsel should be sought for specific conditions.

© 2017 Health Enhancement Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication (except TAKEAWAY) may be reproduced without the publisher’s permission.

Managing Editor, Dean WitherspoonCEO and Founder, HES • Midland MI

Editor, Debra SandersSanders Editorial • Tucson AZ • 520.795.4834

Subscription Services, Caroline RepolletHES • Midland MI

Hundreds of organizations with facilities all over the world participate in Walktober… going into our 14th year. And thousands of participants have told us that it did more than motivate them to get out and walk. This engaging, gorgeous well-being campaign made them appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. It got them out the door and into a better frame of mind.

Meet your 2017 Walktober implementation coordinators Hannah and Kaitlyn, and Garth, our 2017 mascot.

Call them — 800.326.2317 — or visit hesonline.com/walktober to learn more.

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