2 Strategies to Improve Your Well-being Champions Program

In this issue, we’re getting into some well-being champions strategy. Our extensive experience in designing well-being champions programs has led us to unearth a very simple psychological concept that will increase your champion retention, reduce burnout, and increase your well-being program’s awareness as a result.

Because we help so many organizations with well-being champion recruitment, we have built a couple of template resources that are frequently used as a base for our clients. As a special thank you for being a Well-being Wire subscriber, we want to share them with you!

Click here to access a well-being champions intake form template that you can start using immediately. We included questions that will help you identify a potential champion’s enthusiasm, passion, and core competencies.

Click here to access an email template that we often start with when recruiting champions throughout our clients’ organizations.

As always, if you’re curious about how Propel might approach your unique well-being program, we would love to set up a free, 30-minute strategy session with you.

A successful well-being program hinges on the active involvement of well-being champions. However, organizations often face challenges in attracting and retaining these individuals. To build a thriving champion program, it’s essential to empower these champions effectively.

The Power of Responsibility and Recognition

Two critical elements for a successful well-being champion program are responsibility and recognition. By centering the program around these pillars, organizations can attract committed champions and enable them to make substantial impacts.

When you are involving people in this mission, it's critical that you first allow them to understand where you want to take the well-being program and why it's impactful.

But then the next step is to start finding ways to get them involved, increase the amount of responsibility they have, and make sure their efforts are seen.

Psychologically, the more responsibility we have, the more we feel that what we're responsible for is a part of who we are. The better we are recognized, the more motivated we continue to be to keep doing what we are doing.

Responsibility: Unleashing the Potential of Champions

Well-being champions are not just volunteers; they are crucial assets with unique skills and perspectives. Understanding and leveraging their individual strengths is vital.

Instead of assigning generic tasks, program administrators should align responsibilities with champions’ specific interests and expertise.

For instance, a champion passionate about mental health can share their experiences with colleagues, while a fitness enthusiast can lead exercise classes or promote nutritious eating.

When champions take on responsibilities that resonate with them, they develop a sense of ownership and purpose, which drives them to invest more in the program.

This heightened engagement not only benefits the overall well-being initiative but also enhances the champions’ personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

Recognition: Celebrating the Contributions of Champions

While responsibility is crucial, recognition of champions’ efforts is equally important.

These individuals dedicate their time and energy to support their colleagues’ well-being, and their contributions should be acknowledged meaningfully. Unfortunately, many organizations fall short, offering only minimal gestures of appreciation.

To motivate and retain well-being champions, organizations must enhance their recognition strategies. This can include:

• Public acknowledgment of champions’ achievements.

• Providing exclusive access to resources, development opportunities, or networking events.

• Offering incentives like monetary rewards or extra vacation days.

Meaningful recognition demonstrates that the organization values champions' contributions, boosting morale and fostering a sense of community among them.

Building a Sustainable Program

For long-term success, well-being administrators should be transparent about expectations and rewards when recruiting champions.

Clearly communicating responsibilities and recognition opportunities helps attract individuals genuinely interested in contributing to the program. This transparency minimizes misunderstandings, building a committed and engaged group of champions.

Empowering well-being champions is a valuable investment. When champions are given meaningful responsibilities and recognized for their contributions, they become passionate advocates for well-being, driving positive change and making a lasting impact on their colleagues’ lives.

Implications for the well-being administrator:

• Find outside-the-box ways to involve well-being champions in promoting your program and cater to their strengths.

• Keeping the balance between responsibility and recognition will prevent champion burnout and increase their desire to put more effort into their roles.

• Transparency in expectations and rewards is essential for building a sustainable well-being champion program.

If you like this content, share it with other well-being administrators.

We’re committed to discussing challenges common to well-being leaders and presenting practical solutions that increase the wisdom of all well-being professionals.