Improved Well-being = Healthier and Happier World

Simple Idea

Our Well-being Check-up iPad app is a tool to help individuals and teams reflect on their well-being. It is a simple idea. Reflect on your well-being, focus on your well-being, improve your well-being and the world will be healthier.  According to Corporate Wellness Magazine, every $1 invested in employee wellness programs yields roughly $4 in savings through reduced sick days, higher productivity and decreased overall health costs. Healthier People = Healthier Business Results. 

As an Executive Coach and Management Consultant I have had the privilege of working with thousands of leaders. In my experience, Leaders with positive well-being are more energized, innovative, approachable and more fulfilled.  There is a huge payback to society, business and our communities when people are healthier and happier.  The burden on our healthcare system would reduce. Our schools will be filled with healthier children. More energized people are more creative and can positively impact our economy.  Parents with high well-being have children who are happier and more confident to learn.  In line with reducing school and workplace bullying healthy human beings need to be developed.

When I was a little girl I remember thinking that if every person had peace in their heart the world would be at peace. It is another simple idea. As Nelson Mandela said – It starts with us.  Our Vision is that our simple idea will help focus and improve individual well-being and this will help us have a healthier and happier world.

This need spurs us to continue our development in spreading the message through our Well-being Check-up app.  The Well-being Check-up helps people stop, pause and reflect on their life balance.  The well-being wheel has 10 dimensions; these 10 dimensions are not exhaustive, but are a good place to start.  The check-up gives you a baseline against the 10 dimensions.  The dimensions include Work, Health, Mind, Adventure and Money. The iPhone app allows you to focus on the dimensions in your life that are most important for you and develop an action plan.  The iPhone app also provides tips and hints to improve each of the 10 dimensions.

Crossing the Chasm into Software Development

To make the Well-being Check-up more accessible we are about to launch our iPhone version.  Android phone and tablet development are in the pipeline.  The iPad development lessons learnt was a fantastic process we reviewed features and functionality of the app based on user feedback and overall development process. We had a lot of feedback on the design aspects of the app this became our starting point for the iPhone development.  We wanted the iPhone app to be a more positive experience aesthetically and functionally.  We called in help from Designers and we experimented with the harmonizing of design, functionality and costs.

 I am still a novice and what I thought would be a small development process moving from an iPad app to an iPhone app has proven to be much bigger than anticipated. I am now entering the black box of software development; I am a positive person so I will rename this to the rainbow box of software development. In this world there are native languages that can only be used with certain tribes at certain times. There is a universal HTML language that can cross chasms between Android and Apple, but beware there are dangers… If we use the universal language; design and colours are comprised.  HTML provides leverage and the ability to create Apple and Android devices at the same time. For our new Well-being Check-up iPhone app we have decided to program in native language and visually the app is 1000 times better than the HTML iPad version. Ongoing we will continue to explore the dilemma of leverage v design, when to do native or universal development. 

We are fortunate to have an-in house partner locally in our office who is leading the app software development.  We are also looking at broadening our capability to access more resources locally and abroad.  The risk management aspects of building the right software development capability are becoming apparent and we are now actively looking at deepening our capability and spreading the risk.

Crossing the Chasm into Social Marketing

As my previous blogs have highlighted we are light on in the social marketing space.  My research has me discovering some wonderful Social Marketing sites.  I was blessed to meet Rhiannon Colarossi founder of the Well-being Web.  She has amazing resources on her fantastic website and Facebook pages –

http://www.wellbeingweb.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/WellbeingWeb?ref=hl

We have agreed to form an alliance to support the cause and spread the well-being message.  I am going to continue to explore wonderful social marketing partners to spread the word.

Vision for Product Development

Now that we have had a taste of app development we are broadening our vision for product development.  We have always used technology as an enabler to support effective learning, organisational development and business improvement.  Our technology powered solutions include global on-line surveys, knowledge portals and information dashboards.  We are now adding mobile app development to that suite to support in the moment access to knowledge and learning.  We are talking to clients right now about how blended solutions can in particular reinforce learning on the job. Watch this space for updates! 

Please look out for our iPhone app, it will be out in the next couple of weeks. Spread the well-being message and  keep well!