Solving the unsolvable

Holistic wellness programs face a situation of almost unfathomable complexity. Not only is today's workforce more heterogenous than ever before, but it is — as it always has been — made up of human beings, and human beings are complex creatures.

Any attempt at elevating human well-being raises issues of privacy, trust, and respect, and poses difficult questions: What constitutes well-being? Where does physical health end and mental health begin? How can a wellness program motivate and engage its employees without coercing them?

No matter how well-designed, if employees refuse to participate in a program, it will not improve their well-being.

These seem like complex problems, and they are. But complex problems do not always require complex solutions. Likewise, simple solutions are not always easy solutions.

However, there are some guidelines. After all, we are dealing with human beings. While working as a consultant on some of the world's largest natural and man-made disasters, I have made a career out of providing solutions to problems of almost unfathomable complexity. However, no matter where I was, I, too, was working with human beings. In my consulting work, I use an assessment framework called Me We Do Be. I began using it because it was complete, balanced, and simple. I kept using it because it worked.

A holistic solution aimed at improving the well-being of the whole person must first recognize that a person is not simply the sum of two parts — the physical and the mental. Separating the human experience into physical and mental realms seems like common sense, and thus it is a common error.

A whole person exists as a physical and mental being in a social, cultural, and historical context. There are not afterthoughts, but rather essential elements of the human experience and thus core elements of any human-centered solution. A holistic wellness initiative must fully account for four basic cornerstones of human experience.

The me cornerstone: The self

Attention to the self seems obvious and even unnecessary given the supposed narcissism of our 21^st century lives. Do we really need more attention to the self? However, much of what passes as self-absorption, such as social media activity, is simply another kind of extroverted social behavior.

Authentic encounters with oneself occur in times of solitude and quiet. Fitbits, incentives, and social media participation have their place in employee wellness, but for authentic well-being there must be regular, planned times of solitude and disengagement.

Example: Offer a bonus "wellness holiday" every month to each employee who fully participates in the program.

The we cornerstone: Others

At the core of authentic connection is service. While some wellness initiatives report increased trust between employers and employees, the wellness program provides a unique opportunity to develop connections across all demographics in an organization.

Fitness levels and health goals do not respect differences in status, culture, or age. An entry-level employee may be more experience in the gym or on the bike. Mentorship programs that encompass the C-suite, middle-managers, and employees provide micro-opportunities for accountability, leadership, and trust-building.

Example: Create intramural "wellness teams" composed of mentorship families (mentors and their mentees).

The do cornerstone: Action

While often interpreted as the domain of all activity, this cornerstone concerns deliberate, planned action. Multi-taking and burn-out are the enemies of deliberate action. Most gym-goers are familiar with the January 4 effect.

People overcommit and end up doing nothing. Like any attempt at improving health, wellness programs launched with the best intentions too often fade with time. Participants overcommit and then become overwhelmed. However, just as bad habits are contagious, seemingly insignificant positive habits are also contagious and can quickly engulf an organization.

Example: Commit to one pushup per day.

The be cornerstone: Context

Humans exist in time, and seek to understand their actions in context. Too often this big picture is forgotten and the forest is lost in the trees. A human-centered wellness program must understand humans in the context of the past and the future.

This can be as easy as setting, tracking, and sharing a vision. It can mean passing that vision on to the new generation or to the community. Participants in a wellness program should feel as if, at least for a time, they are bearing the torch of their organization's legacy. Nothing can substitute for pride of ownership.

Examples: Establish a "wellness team" leadership position that rotates. While in charge, the leader defines the vision of the team, whether that is choosing the team mascot or planning the next 5K.