A decade is a long time. 10 years.
Workplaces change. Employees change. Technology changes. And over the past decade, the way organizations think about employee wellbeing has changed significantly, too.
That’s why reaching the 10-year mark with a client is something worth celebrating. And this year, we get to celebrate that milestone with five incredible organizations: Gannon Associates, MarshBerry, the City of Green Bay, Ozark Schools Benefits Association (OSAB), and Point Park University.
Each organization has built a wellbeing program unique to its people. But after a decade of working together, there are a few lessons that continue to come up: consistency matters, programs need to evolve, relationships make a difference, and wellbeing works best when it becomes part of the culture.
Consistency Creates Culture
One of the biggest lessons from our longtime partners is surprisingly simple: keep showing up.
A successful wellbeing program isn’t built through one challenge, one initiative, or one great year. It develops when employees see that their organization continues to make their wellbeing a priority.
For OSAB, that consistency is one of the things Krista is most proud of after more than a decade.
“It’s never questioned ‘if’ it’s needed. Sometimes how it looks is questioned or tweaked or changed, but the importance is never questioned.”
The City of Green Bay has seen something similar with its Health 1265 program. After 10 years, wellbeing has become a normal part of workplace conversations. Employees encourage coworkers to participate, longtime participants introduce the program to new employees, and support extends throughout the organization.
That kind of culture doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from continuing to invest, listen, adapt, and reinforce the message that employee wellbeing matters.
There Isn’t One Right Way to Do Wellbeing
If there’s another thing 10 years teaches you, it’s that what works for one employee or one organization won’t necessarily work for another.
“Finding that right fit for your people and having contact people in place willing to help are key,” Krista shared about OSAB. “I’ve done some things that work well, I’ve done some things that fell flat.”
That’s part of building a sustainable program.
At the City of Green Bay, some initiatives have become favorites employees want to revisit every few years, while other offerings continually change. The goal isn’t to find one perfect formula and repeat it forever. It’s to understand what employees need and provide different ways for them to engage.
Physical activity might be what connects with one person. For someone else, it could be mental health, nutrition, preventive care, or a presentation that introduces them to an idea they’ve never considered before.
As the City of Green Bay’s wellness team has learned, you never know what the one thing will be that clicks with someone.
The Impact Is in the Individual Stories
Participation rates and program data are important. But after a decade, some of the most meaningful measures of success aren’t found in a report.
They’re found in the stories employees tell.
At the City of Green Bay, that might be hearing from someone who started walking again, improved a health metric, or learned something from a presentation that changed the way they approached their health.
OSAB has experienced the same thing.
Toward the end of each school year, Krista receives messages from teachers sharing how the changes they’ve made have affected their lives. Sometimes it’s improved self-esteem. Sometimes it’s being able to show up differently for their families. Other times, it’s having more energy and presence for their students.
Those individual moments add up.
At Gannon Associates, the impact has also been visible through employees participating year after year, encouraging one another, sharing what they’ve learned, and making wellbeing part of everyday conversations.
That’s when a wellbeing program becomes more than a collection of activities. It starts becoming part of how people experience their workplace.
The Right Partnership Helps Programs Grow
Over 10 years, organizations don’t stay the same—and neither should their wellbeing programs.
When OSAB first began working with Motion Connected, its consortium included 19 schools. Today, it includes 182 districts statewide and more than 5,000 participants.
With that growth, providing the same level of hands-on support individually became impossible.
“I know I can trust Motion Connected to take care of my people with the same professionalism and concern that I would show them myself,” Krista shared.
For Gannon Associates, the partnership has provided structure, resources, and support to turn a commitment to employee wellbeing into a sustainable program while keeping wellness visible and continuing to evolve with employees’ needs.
MarshBerry has seen the partnership help create greater awareness of health and wellness across its organization, encouraging employees to be more intentional about the everyday habits that contribute to long, healthy lives.
And at the City of Green Bay, Motion Connected has become closely intertwined with Health 1265 itself—providing an accessible place for employees to participate while giving program leaders the flexibility and data they need to keep improving.
Different organizations. Different programs. Different employees.
But the goal has remained the same: make it easier to build a healthier workplace in a way that can last.
Here’s to the Next 10
A lot can change in a decade, and we’re proud that these five organizations have continued to evolve right alongside us.
We’re grateful to Gannon Associates, MarshBerry, the City of Green Bay, Ozark Schools Benefits Association, and Point Park University for trusting Motion Connected to be part of their employee wellbeing strategies for 10 years.
More importantly, we’re grateful for the people behind these programs—the wellness leaders who keep trying new ideas, the organizational leaders who continue investing in their people, and the employees who choose to participate.
Because after 10 years, perhaps the biggest lesson is this:
The strongest wellbeing programs aren’t simply launched. They’re built, adapted, supported, and cared for over time.
Here’s to 10 years together and everything still ahead!
