Workplace Physical Activity Programs – Management Support.

Gaining senior level management support is vital to the success of a exercise program.

Whether or not the changes you would like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully starting your ideas depends on upper-level management support.

Support from upper management is crucial for three reasons -

o  You need their agreement to involve workers in a worksite initiative.

o  When upper-level management compensates attention to and supports an program, employees also see the program as worthwhile.

o  Management has the power to give work time and money to support the health promotion program.

It’s crucial to keep senior level management involved throughout a exercise program, but at three points you will need support for -

o  An overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what workforce want to do within the limitations of your worksite environment.

o  A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.

o  Evaluating the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Management

Before approaching upper-level management to gain initial support for promoting physical activity during the workday, do your homework.

o  Prepare a corporation case clearly outlining how the corporation will benefit by promoting physical activity during the workday.

o  List the individual, social and corporate benefits of exercise and the benefits of being active during the workday.

o  Give some general ideas about what the health promotion program might include.

Expect questions such as the following from senior level management -

o  Just how this help our business?

o  How can we motivate workers to participate?

o  Exactly how much will it cost to run this health promotion program or make this change?

o  Just how are we going to know a year from now if this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they’d support. Quite often managers have ideas of their own they’d like to see acted on to increase the worksite.

Do not forget to include middle managers when gaining support for your health promotion program. They could be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate exercise challenges.