Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

Create objectives

Goals are general guidelines that explain what you want to achieve. Objectives define strategies or steps to take to attain the identified intention.

A wellness program ought to have a “destination”. Use the outcome of your surveys and your wellness committee’s mission statement as guides. Consider these ideas:

• Focus on making health information and learning resources readily available to workers
• Focus on group activities so employees can work together to support and advocate healthier lifestyles
• Create a wellness program that is visible to both employees and to your customers
• Focus on written policies and instructions
• Set objectives for your wellness program.

Review Guidelines for Writing Goals.

Goals Should Be

Specific – A goal is specific when it provides a description of what will be accomplished. It will state exactly what the company intends to accomplish. It must be written so that it can be easily and clearly communicated. A specific goal will make it easier for those writing objectives and action plans to address the following questions:

• Who is to be involved?
• What is to be accomplished?
• Where is it to be done?
• When is it to be done?

Measurable – A goal is measurable if it is quantifiable. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable – You can attain most any intention you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable.

Realistic – Realistic, means “do-able.” The intention needs to be realistic for your employer and where the employer is at the moment. A intention to take out all the high fat items in the snack machines may not be realistic for your employer right now; a better intention would be to substitute some of the chips, candy bars and pies for pretzels, yogurt and dried fruit.

Timely – Finally, a goal must have a timeframe: for next week, in three months, by age 35. It must have a starting and ending point. It should also have some intermediate points at which progress can be assessed. Limiting the time in which a goal must be accomplished helps to focus effort toward its performance. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.