In today's global economy, successful companies recognize the importance of understanding other cultures. Understanding your clients' internal culture is crucial in creating a successful wellness program.

Every company has its own culture. That culture drives the design, implementation and acceptance of a wellness program. If you don't take the time to do your cultural homework, your efforts in creating a wellness program may prove futile.

The first step is to assess the current culture. How do you know if a company is ready for a wellness program? You don't, but understanding three things: trust, motivation and commitment, will help drive the process.

Evaluate the level of trust

If there is a low level of employee trust with management, then the confidentiality of health assessments, for example, becomes a much bigger issue. You must communicate the value of the program to employees, so that even if they don't trust management, they still see "what's in it" for them. Instead of focusing on lowering medical costs for the company, show the weekly savings from not spending hard-earned cash on cigarettes.

Understand the motivation

Is the company's motivation for offering a wellness program centered on lowering health care premiums? It can take up to three years to achieve that, so if this is the sole motivation, your clients may give up on the program before they see results.

You may need to help your clients shift their thinking on health care from an expense to an investment. Employees who lead healthier lifestyles have fewer absences and are more productive. Lost employee time means lost profit. If you can get that message across, your client will better understand the return on investment.

Determine the commitment level

If the C-suite is not engaged in the process, you will encounter major stumbling blocks. That commitment must be in the form of personal and financial support. Although you will probably have a much easier time with the CEO who is a marathon runner, it is essential for all corporate wellness programs to have senior-level support.

You need to demonstrate to the "Doubting Thomas" the impact a healthy, productive employee has on the bottom line. Set realistic expectations to enable senior management to recognize the long-term commitment, both financially and administratively.

ROI begins with data

Once you understand the current culture, there are many analytical tools that can be used to develop an effective wellness program. Even before you acquire claims and health assessment data, focus on obtaining employee, plan and industry data, including:

* Employee survey, demographic and income data

* Type of insurance (fully insured versus self-funded)

* Plan contributions

* Percentage of medical waivers

* Industry-specific benchmarking data

* Company plan documents (i.e. employee handbook)

Employee surveys reveal what is important to employees. Their demographic and income data identify potential hurdles. For example, a company with employees located throughout the country makes administration more challenging. Each region may have its own unique culture that differs from corporate culture. Whatever the challenge, it must be addressed to ensure success.

Plan data unlock clues for designing the wellness program. The type of insurance distinguishes carrier resources and the amount of flexibility. If the company has consistently shifted costs to the employees, it may indicate a reluctance to commit to premium incentives for wellness. This could present an opportunity for you to educate them on alternatives.

Generally, a company with 25% or more in medical waivers would not want to base participation incentives on medical contributions. Other incentives, such as cash incentives, paid time off, etc., should be considered. Benchmarking data can provide a reality check to ensure the company remains competitive in its industry.

Effective communication

All the analysis and number-crunching doesn't mean a thing if employees are not engaged in the process. And that takes effective communication.

In planning a communication strategy, look at how the company currently communicates. Do they use town hall meetings, a company intranet or newer techniques such as instant messaging? Develop a wellness message that is consistent with the corporate message and incorporate it into their style of communication.

Make wellness a part of the company culture. A wellness program is truly successful when a healthy lifestyle is accepted as the norm. Because in the end, the company culture is just a beginning.