Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don't know where I'm going!
Cat: Then it doesn't matter which way you go!
As we learn from Alice, if we don't know where we are going, then it doesn't matter which way you go. But without a plan, a road map or idea of where we are going, how will we ever get there? In the context of worksite health promotion programs, an organized and thoughtful planning process can increase the likelihood of success of the program. Planning is a systematic approach to uncovering what options are available and making informed choices relative to those options.

Employers are increasingly addressing health promotion and wellness issues of their employees, and often, their family members. As organizations develop these programs the quality of program planning becomes increasingly important. Wellness programs must meet the needs of the employee (and spouses/families) population by addressing diverse cultural, language, and generational needs and interests. These factors make the task of program planning more challenging.With the increased visibility of worksite wellness programs, there are growing pressures to demonstrate program effectiveness in reducing the prevalence of health risks, minimization of costs, and improvement of employee productivity. If worksite health promotion programs are going to meet the expectations of business and organizational leaders in reducing health-related costs and creating sustainable competitive advantages in worker productivity they will need to be carefully planned, designed and implemented.

Program planning is a discipline of program management and as such, needs to be conducted with the goal of effective and efficient program development and operation in mind.  The growing need for well-designed programs and the complexity of work environments are just a few reasons for developing structured approaches to program planning. Undertaking and planning new programs presents challenges not revealed in refining existing programs, which must also be addressed in the planning process.

At AdvancingWellness, developing a strategic plan for a wellness program is at the core of our service offerings. The plan we co-create with our clients is based on data gathering on the needs and interests of the employees, and understanding many factors that impact the work environment, including policies, practices and culture. This plan identifies the goals and objectives for the health promotion program. Without this plan, we would be like Alice, wondering where we are going.