Systemic Organizational Change Paper

Organizations Striving for Wellness and Healthy Behaviors:
Processes of Change
Tim J. LeClaire
Gonzaga University
12-14-2012
DPLS 719 – Systemic Organizational Change
Dr. Francovich

Abstract
In many instances, change is the bi-product of trying to solve a problem. The problem may be close to you and have a direct impact on your daily living. It may be that you are an active participant in change you are trying to implement. Or, it may be that you are in an external role of inciting action that leads to change in a remote environment. In most cases, change agents are going through the change, thus having a hands-on perspective of what is happening. Change agents who have faced a number of adaptive challenges
The Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) represents hundreds of corporate entities, more than 85% of which are employers. It members are interested in health, productivity and absence/disability management (ibiweb.org, 2012, p. 3). The 2011 Workforce Health and Productivity Survey was conducted to assess how employers measure, benchmark and use productivity outcomes. The summary of the findings includes nine employer health and wellness interventions (ibiweb.org, 2012, p. 3). The experience varies, ranging from eight years to just one year, using four different measurement tools. The summary of findings include an examination of corporate factors associated with survey use, like culture, integration and senior leader buy-in (ibiweb.org, 2012, p. 7). The summary identifies how employers made the case and how they met employee-acceptance challenges (ibiweb.org, 2012, p. 8). Important findings are how employers have made their health investments stick over time, and a list of lessons learned. The employers participating in this work include Aetna, American Express, Baystate Health, Caterpillar, Lincoln Industries, Dow Chemical Company, and Eastman Chemical
The assessment would indicate if any of the 5 major health numbers were in an appropriate range for the individual tested. At the same time Premera Blue Cross launched a campaign for our insured members called “Know Your Numbers.” The five matrices checked are cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar (or blood glucose), body mass index (BMI), and exercise frequency and duration. As each of the senior leaders completed the HRA, it was determined if their numbers were in the health ranges or if they needed health coaching to address a potential health problem. In a few cases, there was a reason to assign a health coach. Over the next year, all employees were kept up-to-date on the status of the initial group. There were some dramatic change stories, or acknowledgement of continued success in keeping healthy. This set the stage for phase