You’re on your way to a meeting and suddenly, your GPS stops working. You stop for directions or drive until you get service again, but unfortunately you miss your meeting. Here’s the same scenario but modified slightly. You’re on your way to your daughter’s dance recital. She has been practicing in the living room every night and you promised her you would be there. On your way, your GPS stops working. You have no idea how to get to the concert hall and miss the entire recital. Which would you be more upset about missing, a meeting or your daughter’s dance recital? Why?
How did we know that most people would favor their daughter’s dance recital opposed to a meeting? A meeting represents extrinsic motivators like, money, deadlines, and business status, while being part of a family represents intrinsic motivators like, love, happiness, and purpose.
Here in lies the secret behind successful wellness programs: finding a person’s why. When we polled people on why they care about their well-being, the number one answer was family. Maybe they want to be a good role model, run a race with their kids, or have a long retirement with a significant other. When employees connect their core values, like family, to their goals, we see far more success opposed to when employees set goals based on extrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivators can be great for getting people in the door, but sustainability occurs when people find real value and purpose.
Find out how you can use intrinsic motivation to make your wellness program successful. Download Wellness Workdays' webinar What About Me? The Value of Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace. You'll also learn the benefits of employee involvement in wellness program design, how to understand and manage your workforce “care-abouts” when making wellness personal, and how and why to “sell” the total benefits of wellness instead of the financial incentives.