Throughout this year, several crises pushed U.S. companies to reexamine their ways of doing business, from moving employees to a remote-work environment to increasing their commitment to anti-racism in the workplace. For some companies, this transformational time provided an opportunity to make systemic change.

But how best to do it? When a company tackles a deep cultural shift, it has to go beyond the Human Resources office or directives from the C-suite. And it can’t be taught through training alone. There’s another way: coaching, when deployed in the right way and through the right framework, can prove to be a highly effective solution to drive systemic behavioral and cultural change.

That’s what an expert panel of coaches gathered to talk about in a webinar hosted by From Day One and AceUp, a company that facilitates a culture of coaching. Paul Tripp, an executive coach with AceUp, likened effective coaching to the narrative quality of a Disney ride. “As the individual grows, so does the company and their training,” he said. “It’s a bit like a ride where you go along and see different things as you move.”

Companies often start with the idea that they want individualistic coaching, according to Tripp, but he views coaching in three parts: as a company priority, a learning-and-development priority, and an individual priority. “Often the entryway is through the individual, like turning someone from a subject-matter expert into a manager,” he said. “But I think it’s more synergistic that that–when you deploy coaching it’s important to look beyond the individual.”

Kvon Tucker, CEO and founder of Consciously, a purpose-driven leadership coaching firm, put it this way: “When I think about coaching and using it inside of organizations, I think of it as a strategic lever for the broader change the organization wants to create.”

Coaching should be utilized as one mechanism for company change, but “it cannot be the only thing that creates that shift,” explained Belinda Tribley, the founder of Aclero, a human-capital consulting and coaching firm, and executive coach for AceUp. “You have to tie in all sorts of underlying infrastructure as well.”

The buy-in has to come from the top, panelists stressed. “I want to know, where are the leaders at?” asked Tucker. “In my opinion, if they’re not personally invested in this change, if their purpose or their values are not attached to what they want to accomplish, then that systemic change isn’t going to happen.”

Once a company prioritizes coaching as an important component for the courageous conversations that lead to broader culture change, it can be utilized in multiple ways. One of the most important elements is finding the most influential people in the company, who are not necessarily the ones at the top of the org chart. Tucker said he listens for the employees mentioned most among the company, then works to get them on board with a coaching strategy.

Tripp seeks out a diverse range of employees beyond senior leadership, including the “steady Eddies,” the “high-risk, high-reward” employees, and organizational influencers. Tribley added that coaching within teams offers opportunities to establish clear communication structures based in respect, which can impact the broader company.

Coaching can effectively complement training, including diversity and equity training. Tripp shared a saying from his colleague: “Training without coaching is entertainment.” He followed with a story about a three-hour training session he led at a technology consulting company on how to onboard a client. He followed the session with group coaching–and found the real needs of the team were to figure out roles and responsibility. “The coaching really allows people to talk and identify those systemic things that come forward from training,” he noted.

Tribley noted that coaching effectiveness can and should be tracked with various tools: board reports, turnover statistics, shifts in employee competencies that are of strategic importance or represent the company's cultural values. Engagement surveys can measure “how comfortable people feel bringing their whole self to work,” she said.

Still, all the panelists stressed that coaching is not a cut-and-dried procedure with the same outcomes over the same timeframes. It’s a more fluid, bespoke experience–one that Tucker called a journey–which looks different for everyone.

“The relationship with the client and the organization is most important,” Tucker said. “At the tail end, when the client knows how to use the coach more effectively, you can run even faster whether it’s the organization or individual.”

Tucker cited a successful coaching relationship with a company that had a prevalence of fear in the workplace. Through coaching, the company committed to shifting toward a culture of courage. Tripp talked about utilizing coaching to help a Fortune 500 executive, a white man in his 40s, to kickstart a companywide conversation in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

“It affected hundreds of people,” he recalled. “When the coaching conversation has the ability to touch upon issues that are difficult, that we haven’t talked about before in Corporate America, either through awareness of participation, that’s success.”

Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this webinar: AceUp. Thank you as well to everyone who attended this webinar live. If you missed it, feel free to check out our replay here and visit our conference page to register for more upcoming events.

Emily Nonko is a Brooklyn, NY-based reporter who writes about real estate, architecture, urbanism and design. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, Curbed and other publications.

Applying the Drivers of Appreciation to Support People and Business

Showing employees that you appreciate them doesn’t stop at recognizing efforts on a specific project; that’s only the beginning. To inspire engagement, loyalty, and performance, it’s important to demonstrate that you appreciate and support the employee as a whole person.At From Day One’s Miami conference, Alexandra Powell, the director of cultural insights at Reward Gateway, spoke in a thought leadership spotlight session on the distinction between recognition and appreciation, and shared new insights on leveraging appreciation drivers to boost employee engagement and satisfaction. With 15 years of experience driving organizational culture change through leadership coaching and training, Powell leads employee recognition research at Reward Gateway and partners with clients seeking enhanced engagement through the use of recognition and communication tools.The Power of AppreciationBerkeley Haas School of Business conducted a study showing that people who were recognized at work were 23% more effective and productive, while people who felt appreciated for who they are as a person were 43% more effective and productive.While these numbers speak for themselves—feeling genuinely appreciated nearly doubled employee effectiveness and productivity—it is more nuanced than simply telling people leaders to appreciate their employees more.Powell demonstrated this difference in a qualitative way through a personal anecdote. A few years ago when her daughter needed additional parental support, Powell’s boss quickly created a simple system for her to easily communicate each morning the level of work she was capable of that day, and helped to triage and manage her workflow on the days that she was less available. This leader honored that Powell was not only an extremely valuable employee, but a mother, and understood the importance of supporting her in balancing those roles.Despite how vital it is to both people and businesses, actions supporting employee appreciation can be challenging to identify and initiate. This led Reward Gateway to research employee perceptions to help train leaders for success.Early Research FindingsFor the first phase of their study, Reward Gateway worked with 3,000 people across the US, United Kingdom, and Australia. With traditional surveys, results can be skewed as respondents have time for a longer thought process and tend to give the answer they want to give, or the answer they think is wanted, rather than the actual answer. To record true, instinctive answers to the survey questions, Reward Gateway used a fast-response model where statements were flashed on the screen and participants had a limited amount of time to respond.The full 40-page study will be published in January, but early findings validate the importance of employees being and feeling appreciated. Using a scale of 0–100, employee appreciation is shown to impact how hard the employee works (average rating of 72.14), their engagement (average rating of 70.5), and how satisfied they are with their job (average rating of 68.7). Across the surveyed population, the average global appreciation index is 65 on that same 0–100 scale (with, of course, some deviations across multiple demographics such as gender, industry, seniority, age, organization size, and control over work.)By measuring the response speed for each statement, Powell’s team was able to identify the top five most likely drivers of employees feeling appreciated. Finding ways to impact the employee experience in these areas is one key to boosting engagement:I am recognized by managers.My hard work is rewarded.I feel I belong here.My managers support me.My organization praises me.Applying Appreciation DriversPowell shared some examples of actions her clients have taken to influence their employees’ sense of appreciation. Recognition and appreciation don’t necessarily have to require developing a comprehensive program or system. You can start with simply meeting employees where they are to show genuine interest and gratitude for them.I am recognized by managers. Add a recognition moment to team huddles. If you have weekly huddles, this adds over 50 opportunities per year to recognize and appreciate your team members—even more if this is implemented across multiple departments. If you don’t know exactly what every person is working on, that’s okay. Ask them what they have done recently that they’re most proud of, and have a conversation about it.My hard work is rewarded. A couple years ago, one of Reward Gateway’s UK clients designed and sent a festive end-of-year holiday card to all employees and, because it had been a tough year, deposited just 20 pounds into everyone’s reward accounts. The CEO was concerned about the amount of the gift, so the day the card and reward were released, the organization also shared a video from the CEO communicating “how much he appreciated them, how hard it had been, and how instrumental they’d been to this success.” He got many messages of thanks from people who could see and sense his authentic appreciation for them.I feel I belong here. Top performers may appreciate additional professional development opportunities, or having the option, after a challenging project, to participate in enrichment events outside of the office. Expand traditional recognition programs to include celebrations of individual groups and belief systems. One of Powell’s clients created a series of 124 such celebrations organized on a quarterly calendar to recognize holidays such as Autism Awareness Month, Diversity Month, National Volunteer Week, Lesbian Visibility Day, Military Appreciation Month, as well as various religious holidays. They included supporting materials and a glossary of how to recognize and celebrate intentionally.Alexandra Powell, director of client cultural insights at Reward Gateway, led the thought leadership spotlightAnother client put additional effort into welcoming and celebrating new hires during the early stages of their tenure through automated recognition of their 30, 60, and 90-day milestones. This, in combination with ongoing in-person interactions, lets employees know right away that their presence is appreciated.My managers support me. Place a well-being block on everyone’s calendar for them to use as they see fit—yoga, a walk, play music, read a book, meal plan, attend a virtual wellness class—illustrating and reinforcing the company’s awareness that each person needs time to take care of themselves in whatever way is appropriate for them.My organization praises me. Use existing recognition events to ensure frequent praise and awareness across teams. Some examples include employee appreciation days, holiday celebrations, or highlighting the team members working on new and high-visibility projects.Powell provided insights into existing theories, but also introduced some new research findings and examples of practical ways to better support appreciation in the workplace, arming attendees with a framework of ideas to improve organizational engagement and illustrate to their teams the impact they have each day.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Reward Gateway, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer and proofreader based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at jmswensonllc.com.

How Workers Can Make Their Money Go Further With HSA and Limited Purpose FSA

An emerging but underutilized strategy involves pairing a health savings account (HSA) with a limited purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) to save on future healthcare costs. This approach allows employees to maximize the benefits of their health and retirement investments.“Why folks often wish to pair an LPFSA with an HSA is that many folks are using the HSA like an IRA, because they’re saving it for the future,” Michael C. Eldredge, HSA product manager at Inspira Financial, said during a From Day One webinar. In collaboration with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Inspira Financial released findings that employees who own both an HSA and an LPFSA invest about $3,419, yet, 30% don't withdraw from their LPFSA. 64% of workers with both accounts also still withdraw money from their HSA per year. The information sheds light on how workers with both accounts are missing significant cost-saving opportunities, and not using their LPFSAs to their fullest potential. Employers can support their workers where a major concern is securing future care benefits by informing them of this strategy. Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars Inspira Financial is an organization committed to providing health care, retirement, wealth, and benefits solutions to support the employee health and wealth journey. Their collaborative report with the EBRI outlined several ways workers can achieve maximum financial healthcare benefits. One way to maximize long-term savings is to set aside an amount that optimizes growth over time in a health savings account. Every dollar contributed reduces taxable income, and funds can grow tax-free. For example, investing $1,000 per year in an HSA could grow to over $165,000 in 40 years, while contributing less significantly reduces the total savingsMichael C. Eldredge, HSA product manager at Inspira Financial, led the webinar (company photo)Another particular advantage, Eldredge notes, is that LPFSA funds can cover preventive care that isn't covered by an employer’s health plan such as dental and vision or care for chronic health conditions. This means workers can save more by not withdrawing from their HSA accounts for those procedures. “It’s an awareness point to make sure folks realize they don’t accidentally spend from the HSA, for let’s say an online bill payment or something like that when they could have done it from the LPFSA.” Unused LPFSA funds are also carried over the next year and often have a grace period so workers have the chance to use all of it instead of losing what’s left of it. A noticeable trend with Americans who invest in HSA/FSAs alone strategize pre-tax savings to determine estimations for future medical care and copays, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA). Inspira estimates that on average, men must save $184K for health care expenses in retirement, women must save $217K, and couples must save $351K. Undoubtedly, these are estimates that Americans with both accounts base their strategic planning on. This reflects a growing mindset shift occurring as more workers learn the value of HSA and LPFSA in avoiding paying more out-of-pocket and maximizing reimbursement. American Use and Perception of HSA/FSAs A 2023 CHPA study revealed that only 1 in 5 Americans have an HSA or FSA, and most are unfamiliar with their purpose. As a result, many without these accounts were unaware of the 2020 legislation that made over-the-counter medications and menstrual products eligible for reimbursement through HSAs and FSAs.Half of American workers with HSA/FSA accounts plan to invest less than $2,000 annually, unaffected by the 2020 legislation expanding eligible reimbursements to over-the-counter medications and menstrual products. Instead, 81% of workers with these accounts are focusing their investments on reimbursable medical expenses and preparing for high-cost medical and dental needs.While most American workers, both those with and without HSA/FSA accounts, agree that more healthcare expenses should qualify for reimbursement, this sentiment alone isn’t motivating them to contribute more.Employers can leverage this opportunity to educate workers about the potential to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs by combining HSAs with LPFSAs. Eldredge highlights that when employees understand how an LPFSA can preserve HSA funds by covering eligible dental and vision expenses with tax benefits, they can better plan for maximum reimbursement and long-term savings.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Inspira Financial, for sponsoring this webinar. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.

The ROI of Comprehensive Cancer Care Benefits: A Data-Driven Approach

What does taking control of cancer look like? For one patient, 43-year-old Kristen, it has meant the world. At her company’s cancer assessment through Color, which offers a comprehensive cancer program with employers, Kristen realized she was late for a mammogram. The Color care team got her an appointment within two weeks.Unfortunately, doctors found an abnormality, and again the care team got Kristen in quickly for the appointment that would indicate she needed a biopsy. The biopsy concluded that she did indeed have breast cancer. Fortunately, they found it at stage one.“We did all this in 52 days, from start to finish,” Joshua Sturm, chief revenue officer at Color said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s NYC benefits conference.“On average, this takes 155 days in this current system. So, we reduced that time by over 60% and that reduced time is a difference from one stage shift to another,” he said. Looking at these and other data has helped drive how it approached cancer treatment.The speed at which Color can help patients through the process not only helps increase their rate of survival, it also helps employers by saving money through their cancer program investment.Detect EarlyBased on general demographics in the U.S., about 10 to 15% of people are at high risk of cancer, Sturm told listeners at the presentation. Screening is paramount to catch that risk as early as possible so treatment can be started earlier and be less invasive and expensive. But screenings take time and money. “You’ve got to make it simple,” he said. “How are you going to make it simple for your members to follow through on getting screened on cancer? Bring it to their home. Bring it on site. If it’s a screening that isn’t available to be done at home or on site, manage that entire process for them.”Color can help schedule those in weeks rather than months, and they can help patients actually follow through with results, which has become even more of a priority.“The biggest gap right now in cancer screening is not necessarily people getting them done, although that’s a big issue,” Sturm said. “It’s when the abnormal result comes back, the majority of people do not follow through on the next phase, they actually understand if they truly have cancer or not, and suddenly there’s a high cost claimant that comes out of nowhere.” Those things alone can increase ROI and survivor rates. So, detect early, and help patients follow through. Managing TreatmentAt any given time, about 1% of people are actively going through cancer treatment. During this time, the patient is scared. No one knows the final outcome. One thing Color has been focused on is closing gaps between diagnostics and first actionable steps. Having action steps means a lot to patients. “More than 40% of meetings that happen the first time when you go in are not actionable because these diagnostics aren’t done. That means more cost to you, because you’re going to have to go back in again. It’'s a horrible patient experience. And it’s more expensive.”Again, speeding up the process and giving the patient hope are paramount, according to Sturm. Employers should also pay attention to extra costs that come up that aren’t typically covered by medical insurance. Rides to treatment, loved ones taking time off work, and so on. “It's really important to think about that,” he added. Being vigilant about treatment means helping them manage their symptoms, so they can stay out of the ER if possible. Sturm said they found that being available 24/7 for patients to call and write scripts for not only helps them stay on top of their health, but it increases their rate of satisfaction. There’s a big mental health component to this, he says, and really being there for employees means a lot in this critical time. Support SurvivorsSurviving cancer is a huge step, and most typically celebrate that. But what about the days and weeks and even months following? Do employers realize what that employee might be going through?Supporting survivors is key, Sturm said. Start by assessing who on your payroll is a survivor so you know who you need to help support. “These people are just trying to get back to work. They are just trying to live their life like they did before they were an active cancer patient. They are dealing with mental health issues, physical health issues, dietary issues,” he said. Not only that, but cancer survivors have a much higher rate of cancer (recurrence) than those who have never had it.One survivor might have trouble doing any work after 2:00 in the afternoon, so companies need to make sure that patients know how to communicate with their manager or with HR so they can get accommodations.They may also have additional screenings for the next months or years. Taking that burden off them and helping them get through that is something companies can offer, Sturm added. “We’re going to get you back to work and help you understand how to talk to your employer, or we'll talk to your employer on your behalf. We're going to help the team around you to understand what you’ve just gone through. Because it doesn’t end, right? It doesn’t end when you’re a survivor.”In the end, companies need to make sure everyone gets a care plan. “Make sure everyone understands what they need to do physically, mentally, dietary wise, to survive. Make sure they’re following through.” All of this leads to healthier employees and less costs for the company and the patient overall. Using data to better manage cancer has led Color to focus on easier screening, faster diagnosis, following up on treatment, and supporting survivors. With this, they’ve been able to decrease costs and help patients have better outcomes. “We’re very proud of this kind of work that we're doing,” he added. Stories like Kristen’s resonate because most everyone knows someone who has had cancer. They know the fear, the side effects, the waiting. And if Color can help companies alleviate some of that, then they’re doing their job.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Color, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

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