Stepping with you

If a company’s team members are dealing with a variety of health issues that are impacting their work and personal lives, do you think it’s enough for an advisor to merely explain employee benefits and leave it at that?

It certainly wasn’t for Corey Williams, a strong believer in the motto “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In working with the head office of a nationwide construction company and their insurer, the 12-year MDRT member from Christchurch, New Zealand, not only set up a free health check that identified high cholesterol and obesity rates but also established a thrice-weekly walking club. The buy-in was far greater than anticipated, as individual participation and team collaboration and socialization increased. It’s worth noting that anyone who hit their individual goals earned two additional paid vacation days, and the result was a win for everyone involved.

“The company was really impressed that the insurer and I could collaborate to get a better outcome for the workers and reduce the company’s costs while taking a proactive health approach that results in fewer claims,” said Williams, who handles employee benefits for more than 30 businesses as part of an 11-person team of risk specialists, investment advisors, office managers and support staff. “To me, the core product is not enough anymore; it’s what more can we do?”

Personal connections

In fact, the walking club was sparked by Williams’ background and the relationship he’d already established with the construction company. A former champion cyclist, he understands the role of nutrition in high performance, and his wife, a doctor specializing in mental health and lifestyle medicine, already had started a walking group at her own practice. Williams realized that the walking group idea could translate well into large workspaces like the construction company and help combat the sedentary work environment.

So, he shared information about the walking group with the company’s HR representative, who asked if the company could do something similar, which led Williams to explore support opportunities from the insurer. He also helped bring in nutrition consultants, podiatrists and other health experts to provide additional advice on how to manage eating, foot issues or warmup questions to achieve a better outcome.

With help from champions within the company promoting the initiative, many team members embraced the program and helped each other if goals weren’t being reached.

At first the construction company only wanted to focus on mental health, due to the high rates of suicide and mental health challenges in that industry in New Zealand. Williams helped negotiate free employee assistance programs into their benefits package to provide employees access to a mental health specialist in a way that is entirely independent and free from any awareness or stigma within the company.

This initiative’s success, and the testimonials from advocates who were willing to share their stories about its benefits, helped Williams develop the relationship with the company that later led to the walking club.

Strategic assistance

In the last six years, Williams has seen New Zealand insurers take a more proactive approach to the health of the employees in the companies they support, recognizing that healthier people will likely file fewer and/or less-extensive claims. Though he hasn’t marketed the differentiated services he has focused on, Williams has seen that word of mouth is helping his practice win bigger clients than before by bringing a non-corporate “human aspect” to the employee benefits conversation.

“It’s starting to become more apparent,” he said. “Look after your people, your people look after customers and customers look after your business.”

At an international food company, Williams identified that employees working with processing different parts of animals were experiencing numerous muscular issues (in addition to mental health struggles). Williams worked with the insurer to bring occupational therapists into the plants to observe the workers and create plans for each individual.

One worker used this advice to adjust how he used his arm and reduce pain caused by boning the beef. He also was empowered with exercises he could do at home to boost strength. The result was enhanced well-being in the plant and reduced absenteeism.

“We try and really get ingrained into the business and the people to create the culture and the leadership teams,” Williams said. “You want to understand their business and their challenges and needs and take away as many pain points as you can for them.”

Williams understands this lesson from his own experience as well. After years of cycling, he began running five years ago but needed a coach (along with Pilates and yoga) to teach him how to run without getting injured. Plus, after his identical twin daughters were born 12 years ago, he recognized he wasn’t getting as much exercise. So, he created a morning workout, journaling and meditation routine (he calls it “blisscipline”) that would allow him to take care of his physical and mental health.

“By committing to a process, I’ve been amazed at the positive outcomes in all areas,” said Williams, adding that casually mentioning his routines to clients’ leadership teams has inspired some individuals to follow his example. “If you can learn to take care of yourself first, you can better serve your family and friends, and can better serve your clients and community.”

Staying golden

After watching his fellow countryman take gold in the Olympic high jump, Williams noted that sports lessons can be built into any area of your business or personal life:

1. Appropriate speed feels right

• Charging full throttle won’t work
• Hesitation hinders
• Master the optimal pace for you

2. Core strength stabilizes

• Understanding our core values can guide our everyday
• A strong core allows us to hold firm
• Our core shapes how and what we do

3. Flexibility helps

• Increases agility and opens possibilities
• Fosters adaptability
• Rigidity limits our view 

4. Failing allows us to win

• High jumpers get three attempts
• Even when winning, their competition tends to end by failing
• It’s OK to fail; if you don’t try, you’ll never know