tips for champions

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BeUpstanding Champion Perspectives: What Makes a Good Champion

In a previous blog article titled ‘What makes a good champion’ we wrote about some of the qualities that make an effective workplace champion. Previous research suggests that those who have a genuine passion for health and wellbeing and are enthusiastic about the opportunity to inspire others towards a healthier lifestyle (Healy et al., 2018) are the most effective champions. They must also be committed to making long-term positive health changes in their workplace and display a good relationship with their peers. More general personality traits like outgoingness and motivation have been positively linked to champion performance (Howell, 2005). Highly motivated individuals are also more likely to engage with the content and be prepared to persist when faced with challenges. As part of the survey champions complete after finishing the 8-week BeUpstanding Program, they are asked what qualities or characteristics they believe make an effective champion in the BeUpstanding program, as well as what characteristics and qualities they possess that they feel helped them be a champion for their team. Common attributes identified by champions that they believe make a good BeUpstanding champion, based on their experiences, included motivated, approachable, committed, and positive. These qualities and others can be seen…

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What Makes A Good Champion?

Are you interested in becoming a workplace champion? Maybe you are looking for someone to assume this role in your workplace but you are unsure where to start. You might ask yourself what makes a ‘good’ workplace champion? Previous research suggests that the most effective workplace champions are those who have a genuine passion for health and wellbeing and are enthusiastic about the opportunity to inspire others towards a healthier lifestyle (Healy et al., 2018). They must also be committed to making long-term positive health changes in their workplace and display a good relationship with their peers. It could be someone that has, or is eager to gain, some experience in managing similar projects. Health and safety representatives are often chosen for this position because it coincides with their goals, namely to create a safer, healthier workplace. However, we must also consider the individual’s capacity to adopt this role. Do they have the time and resources to engage fully with the program within the confines of their own job? Or will it fall into their periphery? These are just a few of the things that must be considered before electing a workplace champion. More general personality traits like outgoingness and…

Top tips from Champions for Champions

We asked Workplace Champions for their top tips to running BeUpstanding™ and here’s what they said…  Don’t do it alone! Make sure you have a support network of other keen staff members who can step in to help you, especially during busy periods or when you are away. Be creative and try to have fun. Staff respond well to innovative and fun ideas. The more fun you have running the program, the more likely staff will follow your lead. Don’t be disheartened by nay-sayers. There’s usually at least one or two general and/ or management level staff who are skeptical or unwilling to make changes. Try not to let their voices be the loudest in the crowd.  Print out the program overview to help you stay on track and tick off the steps as you go so that you remember where you are up to. Regular reminders in your calendar prompting you to go back into the Toolkit can help make sure you don’t lose momentum. Think about regular ‘re-launches’ and ways to keep people motivated (like themed morning teas, quizzes, competitions and challenges). Perseverance is the key…and you’ll slowly start seeing that standing up, sitting less and moving more…

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