On Monday I shared four life lessons based on things I heard at the Wellness Workdays worksite wellness conference. Continuing from that post, here are four more lessons from the conference.
8 Life Lessons from the Worksite Wellness Conference – Part 2:
5. Be flexible and creative
Respond to changes in needs and interests. The program planner’s goals/needs and the participants goals/needs often differ. Rarely are things the way we expect them to be. Life in general requires the ability to adapt to new situations and move forward.
6. “Meet people where they’re at, but move with them to meet their goals”
Being accessible and helpful depends on being willing to find out where people are, what their struggles and goals are, and then to walk with them to achieve those goals. I forgot to write which speaker shared this advice with us, but it’s really good, and goes along well with lesson #5.
7. Customize, but not too much
Everyone (every business, every group, etc) is different, but there are basic needs/wants. For example, each company wants to be successful. Most see healthy employees as essential to that goal. However, an employee wellness program for each company looks different depending on the organization’s culture, goals, and other factors unique to that organization. Similarly, people may want/do different things with their lives, but we all want to experience health, love, safety, etc. The way you interact with each person or group of people changes on the culture, background, and so on, but the essential elements are the same.
8. Get started
“To have a successful program, you have to start a program.” Christine Durkee, VP of Human Resources Operations at BJ’s Wholesale Club, shared this with us. It’s similar to the concepts of “just ship it,” “start before you’re ready,” and hackathons. This isn’t saying accuracy, quality, or planning is unimportant, it’s simply a reminder that sometimes we get so caught up in trying to get it right that we never get it out.
—
What is the lesson that resonates most with you? Let me know in the comments below.
Click here to see Part 1 with lessons #1-4, and here to get posts – on health and wellness, recipes, lessons, social media tips, and more – sent directly to your email.
Shelly Najjar, MPH, RDN 
One thought on “8 Life Lessons from the Wellness Workdays Worksite Wellness Conference – Part 2”