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Best Practices in National Guard H2F Integration
Written By: Michael Laverriere, MS, CSCS, New Hampshire National Guard, Strength & Conditioning Coach
Embedding human performance specialists within a business or organization drives improved physical and mental readiness for program participants. This improved readiness results in decreased injury rates, improved physical testing compliance, decreased burnout attrition, enhanced quality of life for participants, and solid ROI for the organization.
But how can organizations maximize a human performance specialist’s (HPS) impact?
SiteWell Solutions’ experience inspires the following best practices for supporting the Army National Guard and Air National Guard through Tactical Performance Dietitians and Strength and Conditioning Coaching services. These practices are equally applicable to other high-risk, high-performance industries, such as healthcare and construction.
Accessibility of Services
One of the best abilities is availability. Navigating the National Guard’s work schedule requires some flexibility on the provider's part. Service members can be either full-time or part-time, both having jobs they need to perform during the day. To make wellness services appealing, they need to be convenient to acquire. Being available for early mornings and after hours is a critical component for integration.
Additionally, making services available for drill weekends can greatly improve efficiency by reaching large populations in a short periods of time. Consistently showing up will ensure that people see you, hear you, and learn who you are. This is the first step in integrating wellness services.
Communication
Communicating services and events to service members poses a unique challenge. Navigating through the chain of command to disperse information must go through a top-down approach. To supplement this communication channel, flyers, newsletters, social media, and site visits must be consistently supplied. To capitalize on the distribution of information, face-to-face interaction will help the information stick with service members.
Connecting
Being personable with everyone should always be the expectation in the health and wellness space. The field is based on client interactions and relationships. The same standard should be held within the National Guard. For people struggling with the concept of buy-in, I challenge you to assess your relationships with those people. Chances are that the client would not advocate for you to other service members. So, take it as a personal challenge to break down some psychosocial barriers.
One way to break through pre-existing barriers is to get to know your clients or potential ones. It is crucial that you do not interject immediately who you are and why you are qualified to be speaking to them. Allow them to lead the conversation and ask personal questions that draw on their past experiences and strengths. Respond with interest in the things they have done or what they have accomplished. Whether they have loads of experience in the fitness space or divergent life experiences, lean on their answers heavily. Then, begin to interject interventions once a base level of mutual respect and trust is developed.
Cross-Promotion
Cross-promoting each department's service within the wellness division works in everyone's favor. When a service member comes onsite for assistance, it is very easy to initiate an introduction. Wellness service providers should support National Guard events anytime the opportunity is provided. This helps us connect with service members in different settings. Cross-promoting wellness services contributes to a unified holistic health message, improved visibility, and a better experience for service members.
Conclusion
Implementing these best practices for embedding human performance specialists not only enhances the well-being and efficiency of National Guard members but also translates effectively to other high-risk, high-performance industries. By prioritizing accessibility, communication, personal connections, and cross-promotion, organizations can achieve significant improvements in physical and mental readiness, ultimately benefiting both participants and the organization as a whole.
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SiteWell Solutions helps critical workforces unlock their full potential through human performance support. We improve the physical and mental readiness of tactical and industrial athlete communities through workshops, consulting, and onsite human performance specialists.
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