Getting to the Why

  • Aug 7, 2013

Help Your Employees Discover WHY They Want to Lose Weight or Quit Smoking

Austin, Texas: We all want our employees to get healthier–but why should they?

To help you save on insurance premiums?

Because Marty or Mary from the next cubicle dropped 15 pounds?

Because they can get a free T-shirt and an”atta-boy” at the next wellness meeting?

Doubtful.

The key to motivating and inspiring a person to achieve a certain goal is to find out why they want to achieve it in the first place.

Help them uncover their reason for wanting to lose weight or stop smoking.

Help them determine and visualize what it will mean to them.

Have them paint a visual picture in their mind of how they will look or feel once that goal is met.

Help them find some images on the web to print out and post on their desk of them enjoying their new reality.

Don’t tell them to post a skinny model’s photo at a beach and say ” this will be you in a year!”.

Instead, encourage them to go to a store in the mall and look at clothing that is a size or two smaller than you currently wear. Have them take pictures of it and post it on their fridge and on their computer.

They tell you that they want to stop smoking? Uncover the why.

Is it so they can spend more quality time with their grandchildren? Have them post their grandchildren’s pictures all over their office.

Is it to feel better and to stop coughing?

Help them find pictures on the web showing X-Rays of clear lungs and post them on their computer and in their car. And then encourage them to schedule a physical for three months down the road to keep them on track.

They want to be able to run in a 5K or 10K in a few months? Encourage them to go online and book a race in 60-90 days and post the race’s logo all over their office and home.

Simple enough–right?!

Now, help your employees reach their goals by discovering their “why”.

They are all individuals so they will each have their own goal or goals that they want to achieve –if you can get them to visualize the “why”.

Why do they want to change their behavior?

Why do they want to put in the time to make it happen.

Help them uncover their own “why” and you will have a much healthier workforce in the coming months.

Here’s to a healthier workforce!


  • Category: Wellness Programs
  • Tags: discovering the why of weight loss, inspiring employees to lose weight, motivating employees, wellness programs