About halfway through last year, I joined the Benefits Canada Magazine Advisory Board, after talking extensively with their editors in regards to the article they did on my work at UBC. Last Friday, we had an advisory meeting, which included a number of professionals from across Canada.
I cannot talk in detail about what we discussed (read the Magazine in upcoming months and you’ll see a lot of interesting articles), but I wanted to say what a privilege it is to join a group of thoughtful, dedicated people who understand that workplace health doesn’t just make sense as “good organizations” but it also makes sense financially. Unfortunately though, everyone seems to be getting on the wellness bandwagon and I see a lot of this work done in ways that waste a lot of time, energy and money. This gives my field a bad name and ends up making a lot of workplace health cynics in the business world.
It is inspiring to meet people who do my work who understand how to do it well, how it matters to individuals and organizations, and how to keep companies from wasting their resources on yet another “You Should Eat More Veggies” workshop. We all know what we SHOULD be doing and WHY it matters (so “we don’t get fat or die”) so I look forward to talking with folks like those on the Benefits Canada Advisory Board who talk about the How of Health. That’s what we’re all trying to get to- how to eat more veggies in our busy lives, when we’re surrounded by fast food joints and rushing to another meeting.
Here’s to new opportunities in 2012!
Suzanne Jolly Consulting 