WELCOA | Wellness Councils of America

The Seven C's of Worksite Wellness
At WELCOA, we believe that seven basic steps drive the entire process of building a 'Well Workplace.' Indeed, these seven steps are inherent in initiatives that consistently produce results.

1. Capturing Senior Level Support
As you build your program, it's important to understand that senior level support is critical to the success of any worksite health initiative. After all, it's the senior level executives who control the purse strings, the organizational agenda, and all of the communication channels. Because of these realities, succeeding without senior level support is virtually impossible.

2. Creating Cohesive Wellness Teams
Because the majority of organizations have become extremely specialized, most decisions are now made in teams. In light of this, to ensure that the health promotion initiative is embraced by all of the major organizational constituents, it is imperative to involve the key players throughout the company.

3. Collecting Data to Drive Health Efforts
The third "C" of comprehensive programming is collecting data. While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is important to understand that this has been where the major disconnect occurs.

4. Crafting an Operating Plan
In most business settings, the annual plan is the vehicle that articulates the strategic direction. Moreover, it is this document against which all progress is ultimately measured. Think about it — how many successful businesses proceed without a plan?

5. Choosing Appropriate Interventions
Once the previous steps have been accomplished, it's time to implement your programs. But before doing so, prudent practitioners would be wise to ask themselves this question: "When it comes to changing behavior, what works and what doesn't?"

6. Creating a Supportive Environment
If we have learned anything in the last 25 years, it is this: Supportive environments significantly increase the likelihood that positive changes in health behavior will take place. This is an important benchmark that has been all-to-often overlooked. Fortunately, there are organizations that are doing some amazing things when it comes to creating supportive environments.

7. Consistently Evaluating Outcomes
When was the last time you went bowling without using bowling pins? Now take a moment and consider delivering health promotion programs without evaluating. Are you beginning to see the connection?

Membership is the Key to Success
Learning more about the art and science of building a Well Workplace is the primary reason that most organizations become members of the Wellness Councils of America. Through membership, 2,000+ organizations have obtained access to our proven blueprint - including the materials that give them ideas, strategic directions, answers to the tough questions, and examples and practices of the country's most successful programs.