Tap into Competition

tap-into-competitionYoung or old, most people have a streak of competitiveness in them, and tapping into it can help boost engagement. In fact, more than half of all employers surveyed either used competitions or planned to implement a competition within the next year.13 However, participation in a competition should be voluntary, and there should be clear rules in place. Offer rewards to incentivize participation and highlight winning teams in company newsletters, emails and other communications to remind employees that the competition is ongoing. This strategy might work best in programs that have tangible outcomes like weight loss or lower blood pressure, or in challenges involving number of steps or minutes spent exercising, as these are easier to measure and track from month to month. Programs like the President’s Challenge and apps can help you design your challenge and keep track of your employees’ progress. AHA recommends My Life Check as a set of metrics.