last week i attended the 2010 psychologically healthy workplace conference, a conference presented by the american pscyhological association practice organization.  as defined by APA, a psychologically healthy workplace is one that builds a strong-performing company by addressing work/life fit, development, engagement, recognition, and health and wellness.

this conference attracts attendees from various functions, roles, and organizations, which makes for a very broad, complex conversation. attendees included researchers, HR professionals, general practitioners, and consultants. they came from universities, health care organizations, think tanks, and large and small companies.

i attended as a speaker and regular attendee, there to soak up all of the knowledge. unfortunately, i was able to attend only one day, which meant that i attended two sessions—one on health promotion program design and another on employee engagement, plus my session on effective communication with michelle james, my co-presenter from intel corporation.

so, what did i learn?

i learned that the biggest nut to crack isn’t how to engage, develop, and reward employees; how to create a workplace wellness program; or even how to communicate any of the above. there are consultants, models, and practical case studies galore. sure, it’s not as easy as picking one off the tree. solutions need to connect with your culture and to focus on the right behaviors and outcomes for each organization, but we’ve options and ideas to work with.

the real hurdle is doing within each company what this conference did with different ones: pull together all invested parties to talk turkey. ideally, company leaders are setting expectations and measuring outcomes based on this type of integration. but we know that not all of them do this because we know they’re at varying degrees of understanding about work/life fit, engagement, wellness, etc being a business strategy and not a nice-to-have.

HR, you still looking for a seat at that table? here it is.

until the day HR uses its influence to bring together internal and external partners to look for areas of overlap, continuity, and connections and to find a way for each to support, not distract from one another, the psychologically healthy workplace is more form than fact for all but a few.

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note: who knew barney’s lyrics could be used without a tad of irony?

mayo clinic uses social media to build their brand, connect with current and future patients, and educate people about their health. but they go beyond this, helping to educate others about how to use social media for their own purposes. all of this is largely due to lee aase, the social media manager for mayo, who’s invited non-mayo employees to join mayo webinars to learn more about twitter and started smug, social media university, global.

lee works separately from the mayo team that supports companies and their workplace wellness communications. i chatted with him about what he’s learned about social media and its impact on health that companies can benefit from knowing. i’m hoping to chat with the team associated with workplace wellness, so watch this space!

you’ve obviously been using social media to build mayo’s brand and competitiveness.

our philosophy is we’re giving away information that’s helpful to others. over time, it’ll make people more likely to use mayo or refer their friends. using social media—this is the way word of mouth happens in the 21^st century.

you’ve also devoted a lot of time to sharing what you’ve learned so we all benefit. what are the critical lessons?

the biggest mistake is studying it to death and never implementing anything. another is to throw a ton of resources at it right away.

take a smart first step so it’s unlikely you’ll have to ask for that much forgiveness, and pick as low-cost an effort as you can so you can prove the value. there will be some of these tools that don’t get a huge following, but if it doesn’t cost a lot and it serves people…

what have your efforts taught you about social media’s contribution to health?

we use videos, podcasts, blogs, and facebook. they let people share experiences, support, and encouragement. they also let them become more informed and more involved in their condition management. for example, one of our patients came to mayo clinic after his mother had interacted on a yahoo health group where her discussions with others led her to seek out a second opinion. he had been diagnosed with long QT syndrome, a potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormality, and may be the youngest patient to have received a pacemaker-defibrillator. his mom not only became suspicious of the diagnosis after interacting with this long QT syndrome community, but also received advice on where she and her husband might get a second opinion for their son. a community for a relatively rare condition wouldn’t be possible without online platforms like this. companies can form support groups to provide this same type of network to their employees, using these tools to serve as continuity for what they’re already doing.

those are instances in which being involved in a group ultimately led to a change in care. do you see that a lot?

we’re seeing social media as a way to improve care. we’re in the process of building some closed patient-support groups on facebook that will have a moderator. we want to research different ways of providing support groups—moderated, unmoderated—to see what affects behavior, like medication compliance, for example. we’re in the early stages of exploring this, and look forward to sharing what we learn to help patients and health care providers everywhere.

and, of course, i must ask, do you use social media internally to support mayo employees and their families’ health and well-being?

we’ve been experimenting with social tools internally as well, but more in relation to how we work together and share information as colleagues, not so much specifically aimed at health and wellness. still, some of the applications have related to our mayo clinic dan abraham healthy living center, where social tools have provided support for exercise and nutrition programs. i really believe we’ll be implementing social media enterprise-wide in a significant way now that we have the proof of concept from what we’ve done externally.

for more on mayo’s use of social media, in general, read this interview with guy kawasaki. this blog post by erin turner, one of mayo’s patients, tells how blogs, twitter, and a story in usa today combined to help her find treatment for a painful condition that had bothered her for five years.

you can follow lee on twitter and join social media university, global (smug). if you have a question you’d like to ask lee, leave it in the comments.

the free-ranging conversation series explores workplace wellness from a number of angles. read more free-ranging interviews here.

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as they grapple with longer school days and more homework, combined with aging out of playgrounds, a desire to relax, and a disinterest in sports, our kids are slugs on a rug most afternoons and weekends. and they’re obviously not alone: one in three kids is overweight or obese, and kids as young as three are showing signs of heart disease. you don’t have to be a stats genius to get that many of us are not teaching, or are struggling to teach, our kids about good health. we need help!

despite our growing national problem and the impact families have on health care costs and overall well-being, far too few companies, not to mention insurance providers, offer that help in a serious way beyond general benefits eligibility. even fewer are those involving families in a way that’s fun—a key ingredient in making anything “good for you” stick—or designed to educate and inspire a family health philosophy. IBM is one that gamely latches onto this fact and attempts to address it with their children’s health rebate, a $150 incentive to make nutrition and exercise a family affair. i’ve worked with a client to spur dinner table conversation through a kids’ art contest that asked “what is health?” and a separate photo contest about how families make time for themselves. these aren’t substantive changes. of course, one needs more. but they’re seedlings, and they show that these companies get that you can create two (or more) for one change by working through the child to reach the adult.

for my family, today’s great idea is to walk to city sports to buy four pedometers. we’ll see if a little competitive stepping and (admittedly low) technology can get our kids up and moving. of course, my youngest has already figured out she can just jump up and down or shake the thing to rack up her steps. at least she has to move some with either method of cheating.

• for those of you with kids, how do your kids feel about fitness and general health? if they’re like mine, what’s worked for you?

• for those of you at companies, how does your company reach out to, involve, and support your family on health matters? how would you like them to?

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karen works in the post office four blocks from my house. she’s an institution in my neighborhood. she’s friendly. informed. incredibly patient. she has a brother, and loves prince and roller coasters. i don’t visit her often, but when i do, it’s always a pleasure.

the reason i know so much about karen is because her slot at the homely post office is chock-a-block full of her personality. there’s the photo of her at dorney park, screaming while on a rollercoaster. the purple needlepoint tissue cover with prince’s emblem. another photo of her and her brother hamming it up with celebrity wax figures. and many other personal effects.

and truly, i’m not so daft as to enjoy going to the post office. the lines are agonizingly long and the environment—excluding karen’s cheery spot—miserable. but somehow, karen rises above all of this. every day, day after day, she stands within her carefully crafted haven and guides mail-challenged people like me (should i send it certified, express mail, insured mail, or registered mail?!) to the right solution—no more, no less. and amidst the anger and irritation that accompanies any post office experience, she maintains a level disposition i’ll never know.

if you were her boss, what would you do: cheer her on? instruct her to train others? give her a raise?

here’s what her boss did. he told her to clean up her act. literally. box up that tissue cover. strip down the walls. pack away those photos. seems the policy manual frowns on personal effects as unsuitable décor for a government institution.

i don’t visit karen anymore. turns out what made visiting her worth the extra blocks and the wait was her flair. now i visit the independent competitor a half block from my house, the one that never has a line, lets me drop off boxes and, if i’m in a hurry, come back to pay when it suits my schedule. they call my house when they receive a package for me and provide other concierge-like services that help me get over the premium they charge.

imagine. all this time i added hassle to my life because of karen’s uniqueness.

here’s the point: we think our hr policies affect only those within the company’s walls. but these policies also create barriers between companies and their customers, stripping them of that little sumthin’ sumthin’ that keeps customers coming back.

ciao, karen. tell your boss it was real.

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]]> http://www.freerangecomm.com/2010/03/crazy-things-companies-do-2-let-hr-policies-drive-away-customers/feed/ 6 http://www.freerangecomm.com/2010/02/dont-employees-deserve-apologies-too/ http://www.freerangecomm.com/2010/02/dont-employees-deserve-apologies-too/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:27:28 +0000 fran http://www.freerangecomm.com/?p=6886

whether or not it directly affects us or we are right to do so, we demand apologies.

we demand apologies from those who wrong us: tiger woods.

we demand apologies from those who shame us: olympic officials.

and we demand apologies from those who endanger us: toyota.

and, generally speaking, we get those apologies. because apologizing is the first step toward recovery. to getting things off the skids and back on track. to returning to business as usual—or better than usual.

in toyota’s case, toyoda makes his statement to the committee on house oversight and government reform today, an extension of the apology he first uttered back in october. his planned remarks reflect on where toyota’s gone wrong and how their errors and miscalculations have affected their customers. shareholders, while not overtly mentioned, are surely in the back of his mind.

but what about toyota’s employees?

while apologies are issued externally, employees are taking an obvious hit to their lives, livelihood, and their view of their employer. employees’ own reputations are tarnished, whether or not they were directly involved in the decisions or processes that led to the safety issues. in return, employees are receiving scant communication, other than the expected communications asking them to buck up and help toyota gain back customer trust and market share.

explain something to me because i just don’t get it. don’t employees deserve apologies too?

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there’s a post that’s been on my mind for a few weeks. (now that’s staying power. how many blog posts can you truthfully say that about?) it’s jason seiden’s lessons from dad. in this post, he outlines over 30 lessons his dad taught him about work, relationships, and leading a worthwhile life.

unbeknownst to jason, his timing was perfect. he published this post the day before the twelfth anniversary of my dad’s death, and, of course, my dad was already on my mind. while reading, i mentally grabbed one of my dad’s imparted lessons: greet life with laughter and a willingness to be silly. create occasions to laugh, whether through pranks—my dad was gifted in this department, i tell you—witty commentary, or playacting.

then i stopped. nothing else was top-of-mind. i sat back and thought about it for awhile. then i reached out to my sister to help me out. when i emailed her, she emailed back, “i’ll have to think about it.”

it’s not surprising that we struggled. our dad was a tremendous force in our lives, but, generally speaking, the lessons he passed on were largely learned from watching him fight his demons and trying to find our own place amidst them. cautionary tales that can’t be wrapped up in a pretty little bow to share with others or readily turned into maxims.

this is exactly why jason’s post sticks in my mind. the mentors, family members or not, who give us positive life experiences are invaluable. just as valuable, though often unrecognized and uncelebrated, are those who tutor us in far less constructive ways. the parent who wasn’t full of ann lander-like guidance. the boss who left us floundering in a new job without proper support and development. the colleague who stole a key client or project. and so on.

sure, i was a bit downcast after reading jason’s post, but i just took a lesson from mom: have yourself a big ol’ pity party while you’re getting on with it.

what others do is their business. what we take from it and do next is ours.

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i’m starting to pull together my presentation for the 2010 psychologically healthy workplace conference in washington, dc, march 5-6th.

here’s a look at an early draft. there’s a lot of information behind each slide, so register and come join the conversation. i’ll be speaking from 4:00-5:30pm on friday, march 5th.

in the meantime, let me know what you think. and note the capitalization

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towers watson just released the results of a survey on companies’ efforts to improve employees’ open enrollment experience. while it’s a flash survey, and therefore summary in its findings, there are several bits of information i find compelling:

1. companies are expanding the channels they use to communicate with employees.

for 2010, 27% of participants plan to use podcasts and video to prepare employees to enroll and only a small minority plan to use sharepoint (6%) and other collaborative vehicles, like blogs or wikis (2%).

my two cents: i think we’ll see rapid growth in the use of blogs, in particular, as companies hear more success stories like intel’s and get more comfortable with social media, in general. a blog’s bent toward frequent, informal conversation where the reader/commenter has a distinct and important role, along with its ease of use and no-to-low-cost implementation, makes it an ideal channel for discussing new plans and plan changes.

2. while online has replaced paper, nothing has replaced face-to-face.

printed materials have taken a nosedive as a means for communicating about open enrollment, with 22% planning to eliminate print materials in 2010. the survey doesn’t cover the reasons for this change, but i’m sure it can be chalked up to cost savings and shifting available budget toward channels that provide a more personalized, interactive experience. i’d suspect this is also why face-to-face meetings have held their own and ever so slightly increased. employees still highly value the opportunity to ask questions and seek guidance from a flesh-and-blood presenter.

my two cents: personally, i’d like to see more companies continue earmarking budget for home mailings and open these meetings (and their wellness programs) to family members. families are critical players in enrollment decisions, in making and sustaining lifestyle changes, and in using health care services.

3. companies are starting to integrate wellness and open enrollment.

more companies are providing health fairs as part of their open enrollment experience (43%) and integrating their online enrollment with their wellness providers’ (13%). this is good news, as open enrollment is the perfect time to nudge employees about their health and lifestyle choices.

my two cents: the real trick is to integrate information, program design, and general culture for year-round emphasis.

5. nearly half of the companies provide decision-support tools, and those that do saw increased use.

this is very good news. it suggests that companies are providing the tools employees need to become the health care consumers companies desire them to be and that employees are growing more comfortable in this role.

my two cents: amazingly, nearly a full-quarter of participants said their open enrollment site is not integrated with any of their providers’. given that 39% said that employee understanding of new plan features was their greatest communication challenge, you need only consider this separation to glean why this might be the case.

employees’ use of these tools has been relatively low, so i hope towers watson digs into the employee perspective in their next survey. right now, we have only the company’s sense that employees altered their choices based on their use of these tools—74% believe they did.

you can review the full (albeit brief) report here.

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health 2.0, in a nutshell and as it concerns companies, is using technology to make it easier for patients (employees) and providers to collaborate on improving health. a great conversation about whether health 2.0’s promise is achievable has been taking place across several blogs. if you manage or communicate about workplace health and wellness programs and have ever wondered, “what’s the point?” or moaned, “i can’t get through to employees!,” read the posts below. you’ll find (a) you’re not alone and (b) food for thought.

what’s the point of health 2.0?, susannah fox, pew internet project researcher

thoughts on “what’s the point of health 2.0?” firestorm: technology’s not the issue, fard johnmar, walking the path

weight, diet and writing things down: is this what you call health 2.0?, amy tenderich, diabetes mine

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i’m putting together my presentation for the psychologically healthy workplace conference, where i’ll be addressing people like you: HR leaders, wellness managers, communication professionals, etc.

what would you want to:

• hear about?
• ask me?
• leave knowing?

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