A Corporate Health Promotion Program without goals/objectives is somewhat akin
to taking a family trip without any planning; you won’t know where you’re
going, how to get there, what you want to do once you have arrived, or even
whether or not you have arrived! The trip may end up ok, or it may end up disastrously.
Yet, with a bit of thoughtful planning, you expand your chances for a efficacious
experience. Clear goals/objectives are necessitated to plan your wellness program
in order to ensure success!
Wellness program goals/objectives are different from one company to another
depending on the population, needs, interests and resources. Nevertheless, well
thought out objectives based on your company’s needs assessment will form
the foundation of a efficacious wellness program!
Corporate Health Promotion Program Mission Statement
The first consideration is a mission statement for your Corporate Health Promotion
Program. The mission statement is the overriding expression of what the Corporate
Health Promotion Program Committee wants to accomplish by implementing a wellness
program. It is valuable to consider how your Corporate Health Promotion Program
fits in with the company mission statement, contributes to the overriding mission
and supports the company bottom line. This will integrate your efforts throughout
the company operations.
Below are some examples of Corporate Health Promotion Program mission statements:
“At XYZ Employer, maintaining an environment that supports employee health
and safety is our underlying value. It is the mission of the Corporate Health
Promotion Program to assist in starting Corporate Health Promotion Program services
that fosters and upholds that value.”
“It is the mission of the XYZ Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee
to cultivate healthier lifestyle choices to lower health risk factors, better
overriding well-being, and maintain a constructive, active work force.”
Corporate Health Promotion Program Goals
The goals/objectives further define your mission and are based on your needs
assessment. Depending on the needs assessment, management expectations and employee
interests, examples of goals/objectives can include:
The goal(s) of XYZ Corporate Health Promotion Program in year XXXX is to: (one
or more of the following examples)
- Decrease absenteeism by one day per employee
- Decrease musculoskeletal injuries by ten percent
- Decrease unnecessary emergency room visits
- Decrease or contain health care costs
- Improve dietary habits of workers
- Decrease health risk factors
Corporate Health Promotion Program Objectives
Specific Corporate Health Promotion Program objectives help meet your long-term
goals/objectives. Both short term and long term objectives should be developed
as the stepping stones to accomplish the goals/objectives. In addition to objectives
for the expected colleague outcomes, process objectives should also be developed
for the program process itself. For example, process objectives may include
the number of workers you want to participate in the programs, the number of
sessions on a topic will be offered, the type of wellness sessions that will
be implemented, etc.
Objectives must be easily measurable within a set time frame. Try using the
SMART formula to establish both your long and short-term goals/objectives:
- Specific (one behavior or outcome)
- Measurable (one result that can be inspected or evaluated),
- Attainable (but also challenging),
- Realistic (do you have the resources to achieve?), and
- Time specific (within 3 months – up to 5 years)
This is the who, what, when, where, why, and by how much method. For example,
an objective for a weight loss program that has an overriding goal of improving
healthy eating and promoting a healthy weight is that:
Members (who) will lose an average of .5 – 1 lbs per week (specific what
that is measurable) at the end of the 12 week lunchtime program (time specific
what, when and where) for a minimum of 6 lbs weight loss per colleague (attainable
and realistic).
Or:
Members (who) will attend 11 of the 12 sessions (specific what that is measurable)
and name at least one healthier eating change at the end of the program (specific
what, when, where)
An example of an objective for coaching workers with high cholesterol might
be:
To lower the total cholesterol (specific what) of high risk workers with cholesterol
over 240 mg/dl (specific who) to 200 mg/dl (measurable how much) through one-on-one
counseling sessions offered at the worksite (where) by X date (ex, after 6 months)
(attainable, realistic & time specific when) to lower the risk factor for
heart disease (why).
And one last example of a process goal for a smoking cessation program with
an overriding goal to assist participants in committing to quit for life:
By the end of the 4-week smoking cessation program, ten percent of the participants
will have quit smoking. Each colleague will be contacted at 3 months, 6 months
and 12 months from the program’s end to determine quit status (process
goal) and ten percent of those who quit will still be smoke-free after one year.
You have now completed Steps 1 through 4, including establishing your Corporate
Health Promotion Program Committee. It is now time to plan your wellness activities!
