Many leaders view employee wellness as their employees’ responsibility, not an enterprise priority. Companies focus on optimizing the flow of information and physical assets, not on the brainpower of those they employ. Yet a large body of research shows that without a consistent level of health people’s brainpower, sound decision-making, executive function, memory, full learning capacity, and creativity doesn’t come to work with them each day.
Recently I published a paper with my friends at Virgin Pulse explaining why it’s time corporate leaders take an active interest in encouraging employee exercise. Download the paper.
Focusing on cognitive performance addresses a root cause of productivity loss in the workplace. With an estimated 200 million knowledge workers in the U.S. alone, even a small increase in collective brainpower could dramatically increase an individual’s capacity, their company’s health, and the economy overall.
Brainpower is already on your employees’ minds, and it’s time for it to drive business decisions. With over two billion people worldwide dealing with brain-based health and productivity challenges, the resulting global economic burn is in the trillions. Among adults over 50, “staying mentally sharp” outranks Social Security and physical health as the top priority and concern.
Unlike expensive infrastructure solutions that won’t be fully realized without additional attention, addressing the cognitive dilemma is relatively inexpensive. Research shows that physical movement—even in small amounts, even at a moderate pace—greatly expands brainpower. Short bursts of activity, like taking a brisk walk at lunch or opting for the stairs instead of the elevator several times a day, adds up.
Neuroscientists use the phrase, “neurons that fire together wire together.” That approach can improve your bottom . The question becomes why aren’t more of us creating company cultures where people can be physically active, on their own or in groups, so together collectively employees can be wiser?
Few areas of focus are more important than making sure people can bring to work the brains they were hired for. Time to make a shift, and get started.