The intentions are often good: start a yoga class, offer some meditation apps, and add fruit to the break room. But wellness programs that are pieced together without structure often fall flat...or worse, fizzle out completely.

If you're leading wellness efforts on campus, in a corporation, or in a fitness-focused organization, here are five common mistakes you don't want to make and how to avoid them.

🚫 Mistake #1: Leading with Programs Instead of Strategy

Jumping straight into offerings (classes, events, tech tools) without a foundational plan is like decorating a house you haven’t built yet. Wellness needs strategy, not just stuff.

Fix it: Start by clarifying your goals, audience, capacity, and success metrics. Then build a plan that aligns with your organizational culture and purpose.

🚫 Mistake #2: Assuming One Size Fits All

What works for one audience may totally miss the mark for another. A 7 a.m. bootcamp may serve your fitness staff, but exclude your student employees or night-shift team.

Fix it: Design with your actual users in mind. Use surveys, focus groups, and direct feedback to understand needs, rhythms, and preferences.

🚫 Mistake #3: Focusing Only on the Physical

Many programs are still stuck in “fitness = wellness” mode. And while movement matters, people need emotional, social, and purpose-based support too.

Fix it: Use a holistic model (like Gallup’s 5 Elements of Well-Being) to expand your view of what wellness can mean and where your organization can have real impact.

🚫 Mistake #4: Neglecting Your People

Too often, organizations overlook the fact that staff culture drives program culture. If your employees aren’t bought in or worse, they’re burned out it shows up everywhere.

Fix it: Train, invest in, and engage the people who deliver your wellness vision. From part-time team members to department heads, people matter more than policies.

🚫 Mistake #5: Skipping the Evaluation

If you can’t tell what’s working, you won’t know what to keep, stop, or scale. Many teams skip this step because it feels complicated, but it’s critical for long-term success.

Fix it: Start small: track participation, send out short feedback polls, and use tools like NPS or pre/post reflections. Evaluation builds trust and improves outcomes.

The Takeaway:

You don’t need a dozen new programs to “do wellness right.” You need a clear strategy, engaged people through education, and opportunities for real experience and connection.

That’s where we come in.

Ready to move past the quick fixes?
Let’s design something that actually works...and lasts.