Valuing “work life wellness” in an “attention economy”

The most valuable commodities are no longer just money or time; more specifically, it’s your attention. And in a workplace that is overloaded with stimulation, as we morph into digital natives, employers face daily new hurdles to engage an employees attention.

Part of the challenges are mounting health care issues leading to stress in the workplace. As we recognize National Work & Family Month, workplace wellness is grabbing headlines. Congress is turning up the heat on the health care debate and H1N1 is boiling up a storm on the front burner. If an employee is not well, their attention will be diverted and they’re just not going to perform as well. Common sense.

The Wellness of the American Workforce – NOT!

In a recent report from the Families and Work Institute on the State of the American Workforce, data shows the health of the employed American worker is spiraling downward.

• Only 28% of employees today report that their overall health is “excellent,” down from 34% just six years ago
• Two-thirds of the American workforce is overweight
• 41% of employees report experiencing three or more indicators of stress
• One in three employees experiences one or more symptoms of clinical depression

The report calls for reform in creating more “effective workplaces” which is based on six measurable criteria. The findings indicate that a more effective workplace makes a difference for an employees health and well being. Kathie Lingle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Work-Life Progress echoes this idea in a recent article on The Huffington Post, “Seven Ways you Can Win the Battle to Control Your Own Life:”

“Workers should use this time to take steps to strengthen their physical, mental and financial health. Companies, meanwhile, should take stock of their management strategies in order to maintain productivity and alleviate the burden on their employees.”

In our 24/7 economically challenged environment, workplace wellness initiatives aren’t carrying enough weight even in the face of the healthcare debate. Such workplace wellness initiatives like nutritional counseling, financial advising and programs like flextime and shorter work weeks are too often seen as “perks” as opposed to long term strategies. But only sustainable long term programs will act as incentives toward changing behavior, leading to healthier more attentive and engaged workers.

How do you measure wellness?

This conversation is not given the airtime it deserves and the overarching quandary seems to be metrics, even with non-profits like the Families and Work Institute, Alliance for Work-Life Progress and Corporate Voices for Working Families leading the charge. Companies want the hard figures to reflect in their spread sheets which makes quantifying. Wellness programs must yield financial benefits.

When employee attention is diverted due to health issues and/or stress, both employers and employees end up losing. Solution? More emphasis on wellness programs at work. Not just the fluffy on-site gym kind, but behavioral and environmental modification.

Changing Behavior @ Work

Changing behavior is an uphill battle unless you have buy-in and participation from employees and employers. As we are living with an “attention crash” mentality, we’ve got to first understand the value of that attention. Rick Jarow Ph.D is a Vasser College professor and one of my cherished mentors in everything work-life who is a progressive career counseling. Here’s what he shared recently on his thoughts of attention:

“Your greatest asset is attention. Everyone is vying to control your attention because that’s what creates reality. Where ever you place your attention is where your life will expand. Engage it.”

Many companies are educating their employees and offering wellness programs, but how serious are they about follow-through and quantifying the results? If companies do not offer the experience in an appetizing way, modify the programs, and create a wellness culture in an organization – a new model of workplace wellness, health and employee engagement will not emerge. (Please check out Maggie Jackson’s Balancing Act post in the Boston Globe for more on this including a success story)

Bringing attention to workplace wellness is a prerequisite to fostering changes in behavior. An evolution of sorts is called for. But how can we ignite the interest of the employer and engage workers long enough to capture their attention? Oddly enough, thoughts on this poured into my head at a recent public discourse on online marketing hosted by the Center for Communication at The New School in NYC.

The conversation focused on competitive marketing in a digital age. But whether you’re marketing a new product or workplace wellness – you’re still vying for attention. Here’s what digital visionary Mark Ghuneim, CEO of Wiredset, said at the discussion with media business guru Jack Myers (Jack Myers Media Business Report & MediaVillage.com)

“How do you engage? You can change behavior – based on engagement.”

Mr. Ghuneim gave the example of a recent YouTube video which shows how people better engage when they are enjoying an experience. It’s part of a site called TheFunTheory.com, an initiative of Volkswagon. Here’s the idea:

Something simple and fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

When employees engage in an experience they enjoy – perhaps they’ll be more likely to change their behavior. It might sounds simple but the video is telling. In the interest of stress reduction and workplace wellness, perhaps we can start with a healthy dose of fun and serenity. Enjoy!