I Can Benefit

Group support and encouragement could be very beneficial in assisting workforce make healthy changes. Create situations, colleague groups, or information avenues where the professionalise and experiences of colleagues could be shared with others. Some ideas for providing on-site support for healthy changes include -

o  Employees may be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthful practices they have successfully implemented in their lives.

For example, ex-smokers could be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas could be shared in newsletters, flyers, classes, etc.

o  Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.

o  Behavior change support groups, developed based on employee interest in making healthy change, can meet on a regular basis to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Wellness programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group started.

The group then its self takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a speaker or presenter on a topic relevant to the group.

Be sure to help the group establish ground rules that everybody agrees to before the group is left on its own.