How to Take Personal Responsibility for Your Company Culture through Your Workplace Wellness Program

People have all kinds of company culture goals. Some want their employees to feel like family, some want to create and foster an inclusive environment, and others want a culture of excellence and achievement.

Whatever your goals, I want to help you take personal responsibility for your company culture through a successful workplace wellness program

We, as humans, have many amazing superpowers. One of my clear favorites is our ability to create the future we desire. It’s truly amazing if you think about it. When you take the time to reflect on what you want your future to look like, when you create a plan of action, and then execute that plan, most any reality can be yours. And that’s what I want to help you do. To clarify and crystallize what you want your future to look like.

I like having a framework for doing things. A formula or recipe for success. I want to know that if I follow certain steps, I’ll get this result.

That’s what I’ve created for you to help you get where you want to go with your company culture through your workplace wellness program

You and I have enough time to do everything we want, but not enough time to waste. So let’s get started.

Overview of what we’ll cover:

Examine your existing beliefs and emotions around culture and wellness
Decide how you’d like to feel and think about company culture
Clarifying your company culture goals and the wellness program you want
Decide on your course of action and create your plan
Making it real and sustainable in your business
Removing blocks/impediments
A learning framework for making it happen
Have the will to do it or put the mechanism in place to ensure it’s completion

Examine your existing beliefs and emotions around culture and wellness

What’s really holding you back from the culture you want for your company?

We all have core beliefs, whether we’re aware of them or not. Much like your phone has an operating system that’s always running in the background, our core beliefs are always guiding our decision making.

Some of them were given to us at birth, many were installed when we were very little, and some have been downloaded along the way.

When you start thinking about yours, you’ll begin to recognize what your current version is. If you’re happy with them, excellent. If you’re not, I’ve got good news- you can change them. It won’t be easy, but you can do it.

Beliefs about culture and wellness

Here is a list of prompts about culture and wellness. As you read through them, write down the first thing that comes to mind; don’t overthink it.

Culture is
Wellness is
People think culture is
People think wellness is
We’d have a great culture if
A great wellness program is
If I could afford it, I’d
In order to have a great culture, I’d need to
In order to have a great wellness program, I’d need to
Culture equals
Wellness equals

Now that you’ve written your initial thoughts on each of these, go back through and think more deeply about the ones that we’re the most triggering.

For example, if you wrote “In order to have a great culture, I’d need to invest a lot of time and money,” spend time thinking about why you think that way. What’s your existing culture like? How intentional have you been about it? What have you tried to do that hasn’t worked?

For me, the first time I tried to create culture, I failed. I didn’t have the skills, knowledge or resources I needed.

It turned into a series of new ideas and initiatives, none of which I gave enough time to work.

It wasn’t until I recognized how essential it was to start with the end in mind, and to work backwards from there. Once I did that, it was a lot easier to find the resources and programs that fit what I wanted to create.

The more you can dig into your past and examine it, the better the chances of changing your beliefs and experiences from negative to positive.

To help you in this process, you can access our Values Course at no-cost.

Decide how you’d like to feel and think about your company culture

Once I get named to that best places to work list, then I’ll be happy. Once I get that car, then I’ll be happy. Once I’m married and have a family, then I’ll be happy. Does any of that sound familiar?

We have an odd relationship with goals and happiness, and too often, we think about them

the wrong way. So, instead of thinking “once I get more money, then I’ll be happy,” decide how you want to feel, then think deeply about why you want what you want.

Once you’ve done that, then you’ll set your goals.

I’ve found word association helps me to get clear on how I truly want to feel.

For example, when I hear Good Parent, I feel present, I feel fully engaged, I feel locked-in and focused, I feel satisfaction. I have really good and strong feelings around being a good parent. This is a clear priority for me.

Let’s go through some company culture word association. For each, write down your initial feelings.

Great place to work
Engaged employees
Productive employees
Happy people
The best team
A strong community
Family
A place people want to be
A great workplace
Winning culture

The idea is to figure out how you want to feel. Once you’ve gone through each one, go back through them again and dig deeper. You can certainly add more as well.

To help you in this process, you can access our Goals Course at no-cost, where you’ll go deeper into this process.

Clarifying your company culture goals and the workplace wellness program you want

I talked about how our ability to create the future we desire is a superpower.

When you take the time to reflect on what you want your future to look like, when you create a plan of action, and then execute that plan, most any reality can be yours.

It’s time to create the future you desire.

For each prompt, write down what you want (Feel free to add/subtract/substitute anything you’d like).

What is your company culture like?
Do people love working at your company?
Do people want to come and work at your company?
Is it easy to recruit and retain great people?
Are you employees healthy and productive?
How do your employees think and talk about your culture?
What are you proudest of?
What do people ask for your thoughts on?
Does your culture lead to the success of your business?
Are your investments in culture and wellness paying off?

Be honest with yourself. Don’t judge yourself. What you want is what you want, and it’s great (whatever it is). These are your goals, this is your business, and you’ve got one shot at it. Plan for the life you want to live, and the business you want to have.

Again, you can access our Goals Course at no-cost, where you’ll go deeper into this process.

Decide on your course of action and create your plan

You’ve examined your existing beliefs. You’ve decided how you want to feel. You’ve clarified your goals. Now it’s time to chart your course of action and create your plan.

For each area, determine the desired result, cost and time horizon for making it happen. As you continue along, you’ll refine your plan and get more specific.

Example 1: My desired result is to have a culture that makes recruiting and retaining top talent easy. I will need to research, decide on, and implement a comprehensive employee benefits program. I will do this over the next 90 days. .

Example 2: My desired result is having an office people want to come work in. I’ll need to determine what creates an attractive and welcoming environment. I will research and determine what changes are possible for our space over the next 45 days.

Example 3: My desired result is to have healthy employees. I’ll need to implement a wellness program as part of our benefits package. I will include this in the overall benefits initiative.

Complete this structure for each of your goals.

Making it real and sustainable in your business

It’s not enough to know. It’s not enough to know how. You also have to make change real and sustainable.

You need to recognize this is a lot. There’s immense technical knowledge in many different areas; benefits, wellness, inclusion, culture and creating an inviting physical space.

And then it’s integrating it all together.

You need to figure out how to maximize your resources of time, attention and money. And, you’ll need to take into consideration your desire and interest; do you want to spend time on this?

There has to be someone whose job it is to bring all of this together.

The good news is, support and resources are available at every level. There are advisors and consultants, books and podcasts, and new companies coming online all the time.

But it comes down to choice. Will you choose to dedicate the resources to doing this? Will you accept the personal responsibility?

And that’s the most fundamental truth of all. The ultimate responsibility for the success of your company culture is YOURS.

Removing blocks/impediments

Whenever we’re trying to make real and lasting change, we’re going to run into blocks and impediments. These blocks can be both internal and external, so it’s important to be aware of them.

Fundamental blocks keeping an org from having a great culture:

Knowledge and understanding of each fundamental area
Lack of clarity on organizational values
Lack of clarity on organizational goals
Negative or toxic employees or partners
Inherent biases and blindspots
Ego
Siloed, non-cohesive planning
Lack of time and attention
Lack of financial resources
Starts and stops

When we become aware of them, we need to take proper action to overcome them.

For example, if you lack knowledge on employee benefits, you could read blog posts and listen to podcasts, read a book, or work with an advisor or consultant.

For example, if you have toxic relationships in your business, you’ll need to figure out how to fix the problems, or move on from that person.

For example, if you’re experiencing starts and stops, you’ll need to learn more about creating a cohesive plan. You can do this through personal research or through engaging with a coach or a consultant.

To overcome what’s holding you back may require resources.

Where can you get the new knowledge you need? Knowing where you can go for information and knowledge is extremely important.

Do you want to spend time on this? Some people really enjoy thinking about culture while others would prefer to not spend much time on it. There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Again, it’s important to be honest with yourself.

Will you spearhead this effort, or will you find partners?

A Learning Framework for Making it Happen

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

Whatever you’re trying to get better at, if it’s personal finance, relationships or your leadership skills, there are three models for doing it.

DIY Model. Information and raw data is everywhere. I’ve certainly combed through it all to learn new skills. You can listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos and read blogs on literally every topic and company culture is no different.

Invest Model. Tapping into the knowledge and teachings of others can greatly enhance the learning process. I’ve paid for and benefitted from many courses from college to online learning. There are a lot of programs for improving your company culture.

Partner Model. Wisdom is more valuable today than ever. Getting the support and expertise in the form of coaching, advising or a mastermind can get you where you want to go a lot faster. Working with a consultant, wellness provider, or joining a mastermind can help you get where you want to go a lot faster.

Obviously, the more you can interact with an expert, the better. But if you have the time and attention, you can most certainly piece everything together on your own.

Have the will to do it or put the mechanism in place to ensure it’s completion

I think self-discipline is an incredible thing and I greatly value mine. It helps me to do things even when I don’t feel like doing them. Like getting out of bed in the morning to exercise, and managing our household budget.

I also don’t think it’s a genetic thing; I think you can cultivate and strengthen self-discipline.

Do you know who David Goggins is? He’s possibly the most self-disciplined and intense human on the planet. He transformed himself from unhealthy and out-of-shape to a world-class athlete and he inspires millions of people.

I bring him up because it took David Goggins a while to get where he is today, and it may take you a while to get where you want to go with money. You can’t get out of debt in a week any more than you can lose 100 pounds in a month.

Structure first. Then self-discipline.

As you work up to your Goggin’s level of self-discipline, putting structure in place will help you get everything that needs to get done. That’s where your SOP comes in.

Your SOP (Standard operating procedure)

A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help their people get what needs to get done, completed.

If you have a simple, straightforward and uncomplicated business and life, you probably don’t need one. Odds are, you have a complex life with a lot of moving parts. The more you can systematize and put structure around the things that need to get done, the better.

When it comes to culture and wellness, I’ve already talked about how complex it can be. Keeping on top of everything that needs to happen on a monthly basis is important.

Checklists. One day, perhaps many of the things you need to be successful will be second nature. Until that day, make a checklist for everything that needs doing. For example, creating a list for all of your monthly and weekly initiatives can help ensure their completion.

Calendar. What gets scheduled, gets done. If you don’t put all of your important activities into your calendar, they’ll get bumped by some other “emergency.” For example, schedule a day and time each month to meet with the leaders in your organization who are spearheading the various initiatives.

Automate. The more we can take our hands off the wheel, the better. For example, putting someone in charge of each of your initiatives and having the recurring check-ins is a form of automation because you’re not the one doing everything.

Delegate. Hire a consultant, wellness provider, or join a mastermind. If there’s an area you lack in, find someone or something that can support you in your change.

I don’t want this to seem as though I’m doing a commercial for outsourcing, I’m not. You’re perfectly capable of doing this yourself. Again, be honest with yourself about whether or not you want to spend the time and attention it will take to get where you want to go.

If you find you need additional help, then look at outsourcing.

Conclusion

You have choice.

You can choose to get the resources you need to break through. To tap into your superpower and to create the future you desire.

Will you accept personal responsibility?

What’s your first step?

We’re here to help. Check out the LifeBlood podcast wherever you listen to podcasts; we’ve spent a lot of time talking about culture and wellness.

Check out our Courses and connect with a Consultant or Wellness Provider for a no-cost conversation.

Culture and wellness success is available to you and your company, get started!

Resources mentioned

If you’re interested in bringing a 401(k) to your company, learn more here.

We’ve got three free courses as well: Our Goals Course, Values Course, and our Get Out of Debt course.

Connect with one of our Certified Partners to get any question answered.

Stay up to date by getting our monthly updates.

Here are some applicable episodes of the LifeBlood podcast that talk about making change. We also have a lot of content around personal finance as well.

Personal Responsibility with Jamie Lerner

Steps to Success with Marcus Bell

Transformational Change with Rachel Fiori

You Can Do Anything with Dr. Doug Brackmann

Leadership Training with Bill Eckstrom

Trust Your Instincts with Sheevaun Moran

Getting to the Root Cause to Fix the Problem with Paul Cope

Clearing Negative Core Beliefs with Mary Schneider

Live Courageously with Joe Bernstein

Getting Out of Your Own Way with Cheyne Towers

Being Brave with Angie Dobransky

Breaking Limiting Beliefs with Aparna Vemuri