Key Strategies for Successfully Launching a Workplace MSK Health Initiative

You’ve put in the hard work to select the best musculoskeletal (MSK) health solution for your organisation, but now comes the next challenge: a successful launch.

The launch period is a make-or-break opportunity to educate employees and engage them with their MSK health. Capitalising on this will ensure that you quickly begin to see the benefits of a healthier workforce - and a positive ROI on your investment.

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Nail your communication plan to create awareness and drive uptake

To improve MSK health outcomes in your organisation, employees must be intrinsically motivated to protect and improve their MSK health. They also need to be aware of how convenient it now is for them to access support and treatment, following the implementation of the new MSK health initiative.

Leverage all the communication touch points you have at your disposal to raise awareness of MSK health and how to safeguard it. These might include:

• Company email newsletters
• Internal messaging platforms
• Social media
• Intranet portals
• Posters and printed materials in the workplace
• Webinars and events

When laying out your strategy, think carefully about how to tailor communications so they are relevant to the different members of your organisation. For example, how the specific details of a person’s role impacts on their MSK health and the precautionary measures they need to take.

Showcasing real human stories and relatable case studies via these different channels is an important way to alert employees to the relevance of MSK health to their own lives and careers.

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Secure senior leadership buy-in from day one  

Your organisation’s senior leaders are responsible for allocating sufficient resources to launch and sustain MSK health initiatives, and for modelling healthy behaviours to the rest of the organisation.

To win buy-in from leadership, ensure they are aware of exactly how any new workforce health initiative is aligned with organisational culture and that they are clear on how it supports the achieving of organisation goals and KPIs. You may also need to make them aware of how different factors within the organisation impact MSK health outcomes and why this may require changes to policies, processes and systems outside of your immediate domain (such as hybrid working rules and mental health support).

Remember that making leaders aware of the financial, operational and human capital implications of MSK health issues will make it easier for them to provide you with the tools and resources required to tackle the problem. Ensure that you are collecting data and case studies to demonstrate both the need for and impact of the new initiative, so you can evidence your need for continued support and investment.

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Empower wellbeing leads to take charge

Wellbeing leads within your organisation have the relationships and visibility needed to amplify MSK health messages and bring momentum to your launch campaign. So be sure that you are checking in and working in close collaboration with them in pursuit of improved MSK outcomes.

In addition, wellbeing leads are often the first point of contact for employees struggling with an MSK health issue. So, ensure that these individuals can spot early warning signs, encourage interventions and signpost their direct reports to the appropriate support and resources.

This can be achieved through training, platform inductions, and also through empowering the managers with an understanding of how to build a professional environment that champions healthy MSK behaviours.

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Work in partnership with your MSK health provider

Your MSK solutions provider should also be your partner in navigating the launch period, and should take a shared stake in its success. Ways they can help you include:

• Providing you with personalised, relevant and up-to-date education resources or learning opportunities that inspire behaviour change and the forming of new habits
• Motivating employees to access their solution via gamification or reward systems
• Support you in collecting data, benchmarking this data against industry norms,  and analysing & interpreting it against agreed success criteria
• Helping you to refine and iterate their solution to best meet the needs of your workforce
• Listening to your feedback and encouraging knowledge sharing
• Modelling transparent and consistent communication

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Focus on joined-up strategy to see early success

By combining strategic communication, leadership engagement, and strong partnerships, you can lay the foundation for a successful MSK health initiative that resonates with your employees. A well-coordinated launch will not only drive immediate uptake but also sustain long-term engagement, resulting in a healthier, more productive workforce.

Remember, success lies in a holistic approach – where every stakeholder, from senior leaders to wellbeing leads, is aligned and committed to the shared goal of enhancing workplace wellbeing.