Effective communication about workplace wellness programs plays a key part in driving program engagement. According to Vitality’s 2017 Engagement Study, employers who deploy a strong level of communication see a 13-21 percent increase in employee engagement rates in their wellness program. However, many companies struggle to implement an effective communication strategy. What follows are some tips to developing your communication game plan.
Step One: Assess
Start by assessing your company’s communication best practices. How does your company communicate corporate-wide changes? What pathways do the communications take, i.e., email, newsletter, flyer, etc.? What types of communication return the greatest response?
Step Two: Consider
Consider three different pathways the communication will travel. For example, one pathway might be email, the second may be flyers or posters in common areas (the back of bathroom door stalls are a great place to catch attention), the third could be word-of-mouth at regularly scheduled meetings or huddles. An especially powerful communication source is the employee’s supervisor or manager. When an individual sees or hears the same message three times they are more likely to remember and follow through.
Step Three: Organize
Set up a monthly communication strategy meeting. Identify topics to be covered that promotes your wellness program and initiatives. If employee communications require leadership or marketing approval, determine when the communication drafts need to be completed so they are ready to go by the communication deployment deadline. Have the communications ready to go and all you have to do is copy, paste and click send!
Step Four: Follow Through
Set up calendar/task alerts that remind you to deploy the approved communications. My favorite follow-through strategy is setting aside time at the beginning of each month to set up all the communications to be deployed to members via www.PowerofVitality.com on the dates they should be sent throughout the month. Additional alerts can be set up to remind you to send emails or post communications on your company’s intranet site.
Developing an effective communication strategy can be simple and easy to do. With just a little bit of organization and follow-through you will be able to reap the rewards of increased program engagement through effective communication.
Cara Graham Cynkar, CWPC, Vitality Wellness Strategy Manager, Chopra Center Certified Meditation Teacher, mother of 4 fabulous kids, deep thinker and passionate about self-improvement and personal growth.
