I’ve decided to dip my toes a little into the corporate wellness arena. Developing a corporate wellness plan can be a tricky thing though. It really boils down to the triple E …Establishing Employee Engagement… and the management style (and values) is what fosters that right environment. I touched on the importance of “workplace engagement” in my book Real Things.

The Harvard Business Review did a study on this very subject about 5 years ago. “Wellness programs have often been viewed as a nice extra, not a strategic imperative. Newer evidence tells a different story. With tax incentives and grants available under recent federal health care legislation, U.S. companies can use wellness programs to chip away at their enormous health care costs, which are only rising with an aging workforce.”

A wellness program is not just for large enterprise corporations…it’s good for all types of organizations, no matter the size. And you have to create the culture for it to succeed…leaders and managers have to be passionate about the solution. Planning and patience at all levels is important too. When employees are committed to a wellness program, you end up with higher morale and productivity.

The essence of “workplace wellness” requires a lot of trust because it is a partnership between employee and employer. Personal health is “personal,” and an investment in wellness can develop deeper connections if carried out the right way.

There are a lot of different programs out there that can help reduce healthcare costs related to unhealthy lifestyles. I plan to create one that leverages my strengths. Who wants to be my guinea pig…I mean volunteer to try? No charge.