A modern wedding cake...
I have spent the last week at several SHRM Conferences (Nebraska and Kentucky) and have started getting depressed about wellness.
As I present about Strategic HR stuff, I have intentionally included an inflammatory statement about wellness. I have included the sentence “And wellness plans don’t appear to be working.” When I say that, I watch the audience carefully. It’s kind of a litmus test. The response has been that everyone sagely nods their heads and quietly agrees, then some put their hands up and offer some examples of their own wellness program.
They report that there is usually a flurry of initial success and energy, and within a year the air is out of the balloon and the health care cost trend line is still pointed to the moon. It seems that we don’t have the motivators right.
Carrots and sticks are both needed. Let’s get working on that part – the carrot part is in place and not working long term in changing the health behaviors of the public. Perhaps it’s time to move to the stick side….
What “sticks” can you think of that might work?
Karl Ahlrichs' Uncommon Experience 