don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

One of my favorite fitness books, Personal Best, was written by my friend, the late George Sheehan, M.D. (Rodale Press, 1989.) George often referred to himself as a "self-proclaimed legend in his own mind," and then added that he wanted us to be legends, too, in OUR minds. His book, like a chapter I included in my work 14 Days to Wellness, was about heroism, "the theatre for life at the top of Maslow's hierarchy." George said nobody gives medals for this kind of heroism, but none is needed when the experience of genuine fitness is felt, day after day, because this kind of excellence is its own reward, as everyone who lives a self-managing lifestyle knows so well.

Sheehan's work is relevant to the topic of promoting a healthy company. His ideas could be helpful in assessing ways in which positive lifestyles might play a part in the selection process at better companies. I suggested that people who want to be legends in their own minds, who want to seek heroism by functioning in a manner that requires a disciplined commitment to daily excellence, would seek out companies that adopt good lifestyle values. In short, those who want to take initiative and be responsible, commit to goals bigger than themselves and be part of high performance teams will prove to be the best performers. Most companies surely seek employees like that who can deliver high efficiency, productivity and performance.

What else might be said about the Well Company? My guess is that the work ethic in such an organization will reinforce and reward personal mission or wellness plan for all. As Naisbitt pointed out in his classic work Megatrends, work in the future must "...fit harmoniously with other priorities, such as family, health and spirituality."

The Well Company will offer an environment deliberately designed for learning and growth. It will be a place where folks like George Sheehan would be able to pursue their best potentials for physical and psychological well-being. What might a manager of an organization do now who wanted to move his organization in this direction? Here are a few possibilities:

• Shape personnel policies to reinforce desired health and life-enhancing customs, traditions and characteristics.
• Identify and rectify any conditions that reinforce mediocrity or poor health habits.
• Persuade the CEO (unless you ARE the CEO, in which case you are already convinced) to make the Well Company idea a personal priority. His or her visible support, as is the case at Coors and other leading firms, lends credibility, stability and excitement to the program. Insure that all the key players know what industry leaders have done, thereby avoiding the time and expense of reinventing the wellness wheel. Where to look? Start with the companies whose assorted offerings won awards in the varied competitions sponsored by health promotion coalitions.
• Invest in equipment designed to help the employees stay in working order, just like the equipment. For employees in the field without access to company gyms or other such perks, arrangements can be made for memberships in area health clubs.
• Develop a plan to guide the company from the present to the desired future. It need not be elaborate. Ease into the wellness revolution. Wellness can be scary if presented with the self-righteous fervor of the TV evangelist. Lose the fire and brimstone.
• Portray a vision of a worksite community where employees care about themselves, each other and the organization's continued success. This does not require the violent overthrow of the established order! Keep perspective along the way. Becoming a healthy organization is not an end in itself. Making a profit -- and a good one at that, must remain the first goal. Also, a handsome shareholder return is important. The key point to make is that a wellness consciousness will serve these purposes, not get in the way of their realization.

No doubt there are risks in pursuing a Well Company vision. Doing something bold and unprecedented is always fraught with concerns and uncertainties. However, there are greater risks in enduring mediocrity and its attendant costs, poor health and limiting norms. A ship in port is safest but, as many keen observers have noted, ships are not built for this purpose. Being safe is not how most successful companies got where they are. It certainly will not take them where they need to go to remain competitive in the new century. Furthermore, it certainly would encourage employees to become legends in their own minds!

Be well. Look on the bright side.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of lifestyle habits. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell