If you follow national politics, the endless rhetoric and posturing may frustrate you. But in spite of the gamesmanship, there are valuable workplace wellness lessons we can take from the structure of the US governmental system.
The US system of government endures as one of the most successful and admired in the history of the world. It works that way because, when the founding fathers drafted the Constitution, the critical question wasn’t “Who should be president?” or “Who’s the smartest to lead us?” Instead, they concentrated on issues like:
- Processes — what can be put in place to ensure leaders have guardrails?
- Principles — what values are the foundation for our form of government?
- Systems — what will balance power and result in decisions for the good of all the people?
- Outcome — what freedoms, rights, responsibilities do we want as a way of life for our citizens?
Visionary thinking allowed the founding fathers to create a government that works more than 2 centuries after they’re gone.
Organizations need a similar vision if they hope to create a healthy workforce. Today, more than ever, health promoters need to take these workplace wellness lessons to heart and become visionaries — resisting the temptation to implement the “program of the month” or give in to “we do it because employees like it” thinking.
Some questions to get you started:
- Outcome. What do we want the well-being function to accomplish — in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years? What effect will it have on employees’ work, health, quality of life?
- Systems. What ensures employee health and well-being remain priorities — regardless of business or leadership changes? How can those systems become self-perpetuating and part of the fabric of the organization?
- Principles. What values drive our actions — not just for today, but always? How will we conduct our business so those values are evident to employees/management?
- Processes. What establishes efficiency and effectiveness, regardless of who’s managing the well-being effort?
The obsession with quarterly profits can make long-term, delayed-gratification, visionary thinking risky. But to build a program that lasts, one that survives layoffs and cutbacks, will require strong, visionary leaders committed to doing what’s right for today and tomorrow. I encourage you to learn a few workplace wellness lessons from our founding fathers and become a visionary for your organization’s program.
Dean Witherspoon
Chief collaborator, nudger, tinkerer; leads the most inventive team creating well-being and sustainable living programs. Reach out if you’d like to talk about employee well-being, emotional fitness, or eco-friendly living.
