Definition of Wellness and The key to creating thriving organizations

The key to creating thriving organizations.

I believe that healthy, happy employees are the key to creating thriving organizations. 

I believe that organizations that prioritize the wellness of their people should be recognized and celebrated. 

Part of the important work of positioning wellness front and center is being clear about what we mean when we talk about wellness. As there is no scalable & practical definition for wellness, I have delineated for the Industry-at-large something can be used to gauge how they are doing in regard to employee wellness.

The wellness I believe entities are interested in is specifically the kind that I believe can be accomplished through employers, workplace wellness programs and organizational cultures. I am not proclaiming this definition to be an all-encompassing model; I am putting a stake in the ground about a bigger broader form of wellness and creating tools to set up environmental cultures that can drive that sort of workplace wellness.

To that end, I have arrived at these seven distinctive elements of wellness. While I acknowledge the traditional markers of wellness that have driven approaches to date, what actually contributes to individual wellness is much broader and more profound.

What is Wellness?

Wellness is the active pursuit to understand and fulfill your individual human needs—which allows you to reach a state where you are flourishing and able to realize your full potential in all aspects of life. Every person has wellness aspirations.

Successful workplace wellness initiatives require supporting employees in fulfilling their needs in these seven areas:

1. HEALTH  Beyond the absence of mental and physical illness, health is a feeling of strength and energy from your body and mind.
2. MEANING  Feeling part of something bigger than yourself. Knowing that your work matters. Having purpose in your life.
3. SAFETY  Knowing that you are safe from physical and psychological harm at work. Feeling secure enough to take calculated risks and show vulnerability. Free of concern about meeting basic life needs.
4. CONNECTION  Experiencing positive, trusting relationships with others. Feeling a sense of belonging, acceptance and support.
5. ACHIEVEMENT  Feeling you have the support, resources and autonomy to achieve your goals. Succeeding at meeting your individual goals and work aspirations.
6. GROWTH  Feeling like you are progressing in your career. Learning and being challenged to use and expand on your strengths.
7. RESILIENCY  Viewing life with optimism. Feeling grateful and expressing appreciation. Feeling validated and encouraged.

A new set of standards for employee wellness.

This is wellness. This is how I define it. Everything that I am creating stands to measure and achieve that definition. My vision is to set new standards for employee wellness initiatives and organizational cultures by quantifying the value of healthy, happy employees to recognize and celebrate the healthiest places to work.