May 2025 Briefs
“There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” ~ Desmond Tutu
“Elephant in the Room” by Sophie von Hellermann
A Bite at a Time
Last week, I had the privilege of joining a roundtable of business leaders who are seeking to unlock the power of neuroscience, technology, and human capital to drive innovation. We were at the TMC3 Collaborative Building in Houston at the invitation of the Business Collaborative for Brain Health. And as we talked about brain health and brain capital and the brain economy, I noticed a large painting in the corner: “Elephant in the Room” by Sophie von Hellermann. I was reminded of Tutu’s advice – “a bite at a time.”
I’m still processing all that I learned and will share more in a future blog post. But in the spirit of “a bite at a time” — especially during this time of year when days are longer, weather is warmer, and we want to spend less time in front of our computers — I’ll offer a few morsels:
- Watch “How to start a movement” by Derek Sivers on TED.
- ORGANIZATIONALLY Complete the HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer(c) and receive your organization’s Brain Health Best Practice Score.
- PERSONALLY Take care of your own mental AND brain health with these brain healthy habits:
- Move more – boosts focus and mood.
- Prioritize sleep – your brain’s way of taking out the trash!
- Foster connection – builds resilience.
- Take a deep breath.
This newsletter holds several additional updates on what’s happening at HERO. If you’re a HERO member, I hope to see you at our virtual Think Tank next week.
Together,
Karen
One more thing…
150 leaders have already signed the CEO Pledge for Physical Activity — and the movement is growing
If you lead an organization, we invite you to join this community of leaders committed to making physical activity a priority for their teams and the people they serve.
If you work alongside a leader who shares this vision but isn’t on the list yet, consider encouraging them to sign and be part of this collective effort.
See who has signed: https://paamovewithus.org/pledge-signers/
Sign the Pledge: https://paamovewithus.org/sign-the-pledge/
Together, we’re supporting the CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative to help 27 million Americans get more active by 2027 — and building a culture that supports movement for all.
Liz Clark of HFA holding the signed pledge.
Member Updates
Register Now: HERO Forum II & Healthcare Summit + Fall Think Tank
September 16, 2025 | Healthcare Summit & Think Tank
September 17, 2025 | Forum II on “From Incivility to Kindness: The Business Imperative”
International House at UC Berkeley | Berkeley, CA
We’re inviting proposals from speakers who can:
- Shed light on the causes and costs of incivility in our workplaces and communities—exploring how it takes root, spreads through our systems, and what happens when left unchecked.
- Showcase kindness as both a remedy for incivility and a catalyst for positive transformation—illuminating how it creates benefits that extend far beyond merely counteracting negativity – for individuals and organizations alike
- Share research-backed approaches that have successfully transformed organizational cultures from incivility to kindness, with practical wisdom participants can bring back to their own teams.
Last call: submit an abstract by COB Friday, May 30!
HERO Committees
What’s new with HERO Committees?
Interested in staying ahead of industry trends, contributing to published reports, and building strong connections with fellow professionals? HERO members are encouraged to participate in one or more committees for the additional value accrued in the people you meet, the insights you gain, and the ability to contribute to published articles, white papers, case studies, webinars and other tools.
Here’s the latest update on our current committee activities:
- Research Study Subcommittee: Dividing into two workstreams to work on deliverables focused on belonging/inclusion and value on investment.
- Belonging/Inclusion: This project will explore the impact of unmet social needs on belongingness in the workplace, aiming to create actionable recommendations for employers. The primary deliverable will be a manuscript for submission to the American Journal of Health Promotion (draft deadline likely September 2025), along with possible supporting materials such as slide decks or toolkits. Activities will include participating in bi-weekly meetings, collaborating on writing sections (with modest writing assignments based on team size), and contributing to discussions on framing and application. Workload will depend on final team size, but participants should expect 2–4 hours per month. Next meeting: June 3rd at 9:00 AM EDT.
- Value on Investment (VOI): This project will define the business case for workplace health and well-being initiatives, focusing on producing a practical resource such as a white paper, position paper, or similar deliverable (exact outcome to be determined). Activities will include participating in bi-weekly meetings, assisting with literature review, writing or reviewing small sections, and shaping practical recommendations for employers. Workload is estimated at 2–3 hours per month, depending on the number of participants. Timeline and final deliverable will be confirmed after subgroup formation. Next meeting: June 2nd at 4:00 PM EDT.
- People & Culture Study Committee: Will join with the Research Study Subcommittee on the next phase of work.
- Workforce Mental Health & Well-Being Study Committee: Seeking a co-chair to join Philip Swayze in leadership of this committee. Next meeting: June 17th at 2:00 PM EDT.
- Education Committee: Reviewing submissions for Forum II, with the goal of sending invitations the week of June 16th.
- Healthcare Summit Planning Committee: Finalizing Fall Summit theme and will announce in June. Next meeting: June 9th at 12:00 PM EDT.
- University Summit Planning Committee: Finalizing Fall Summit theme and will announce in June. Next meeting: June 10th at 1:00 PM EDT.
- Policy Committee: Assessing public policy priorities in advance of an initial convening.
As a HERO member, you can join a committee today! If you are interested in learning more or joining a committee, please contact Karen Moseley at Karen.Moseley@hero-health.org.
HERO Think Tank
2025 Spring HERO Think Tank
A virtual, member-only event
AI and Employee Mental Health:
Promises and Perils for Employer Sponsored Health and Well-being Initiatives
Wednesday, June 4th, 2025
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
HERO think tanks are a benefit of membership. HERO member organizations are allowed three representatives for this virtual think tank.
Webinars
IN JUNE:
Dare to Thrive: Building Cultures of Health at Work
June 25, at 12:00 PM CDT | Register
Host: Paul Terry, PhD, HERO Senior Fellow
Speakers:
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Laurie Whitsel, PhD, FAHA, VP Policy Research, American Heart Association
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Nico Pronk, PhD, MA, President, HealthPartners Institute
- Mary T. Imboden, PhD, HERO Research Fellow
US adults spend the majority of their waking hours working. This makes the workplace, whether a hybrid, remote, or home-based setting, a key place to support employee health and well-being. Every company has a culture that is influenced by leaders, which can affect the health of the workforce in either positive or detrimental ways. Employers can intentionally create a culture of healthy living at their workplaces through establishing organizational policies, systems, work processes, architectural design practices, and employment benefits designs to support healthy behaviors for all employees. Organizational leaders also play a critical role in modeling these healthy behaviors and in ensuring resources are available and accessible to do so. In this webinar we will discuss various perspectives and definitions of a culture of health and healthy living at the workplace, posit that a healthy workplace culture represents a cumulative set of factors acting together to shape a positive work environment, discuss how healthy workplace cultures may be created, and provide support for the notion that a healthy workplace culture is good for the company’s bottom line.
IN AUGUST:
Kindness by Design: How Active Listening Disrupts the Cycle of Incivility
August 13, at 12:00 PM CDT | Register
Host: Karen Moseley, HERO President & CEO
Speakers:
- MJ Shaar, MAPP, HERO Senior Education Fellow
- Wendy Lynch, PhD, HERO Senior Education Fellow
Incivility in the workplace is on the rise, and it hurts all of us. Whether it’s hurtful dismissals or plain disrespect, incivility spreads beyond the perpetrator-victim relationship and undermines the psychological safety of witnesses as well. To combat this toxicity, we need an antidote that not only elevates the quality of our interactions but also spreads quickly and widely. That antidote is kindness.
But how can we transition from incivility to kindness in one fell swoop? The active ingredient that bridges this gap is active listening. When we listen to understand rather than to respond, it becomes nearly impossible to act with incivility. In a world where few seem to have time to truly listen anymore, authentic listening is a precious gift.
Don’t miss this preview of HERO’s September Think Tank and Forum II, as well as an opportunity to learn how simple shifts in communication can dramatically transform your workplace culture!
Sponsored by Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive 1 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Provider ID#101039
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
Recommended Resources
In preparation for our next Fall Forum & Think Tank
- Liran, A.Z. (2025, April 23). The curry puff effect: How small acts of appreciation lifted DHL to the top. LinkedIn.
- Seppälä, E. (2025, March 28). Yes, you do make a difference. Here’s how – backed by science. Psychology Today.
- Arruda, W. (2024, October 15). How kindness drives employee engagement and business growth. Forbes.
- Fayard, A-L, Weeks, J. (2025, May 6). The Workplace Psychological Contract Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It. HBR.
In preparation for our next Think Tank
- Gallup Blog: Play the Long Game With Human-AI Collaboration. Christos Makridis. May 16, 2025.
- HBR: Research: Gen AI Makes People More Productive — and Less Motivated, by Yukun Liu, Suqing Wu, Mengqi Ruan, Siyu Chen and Xiao-Yun Xie. May 13, 2025.
- HBR: How Companies Can Navigate the Age of AI-Driven Inequality, by Bhaskar Chakravorti. May 8, 2025.
- There are a few AI sites that do a better job (than others that sometimes hallucinate) at finding reputable sources for research findings. One is Perpeplexity.ai (nice summary with references) and another is https://platform.futurehouse.org/ (deeper literature searches).
- Q2 2025 Trends Focus: Cognitive Health in the Workplace. Segal assessed the current landscape of cognitive health in the workplace and identified dominant themes of enhancing workplace mental health strategies and adapting benefits to boost well-being, retention and productivity.
- Dementia Prevention Starts in the Workplace (Employee Benefit News). Diane Ty, managing director at the Milken Institute Future of Aging, highlights the important role employers play in mitigating the rise in dementia diagnoses.
- Estimated Impact of Medically Tailored Meals on Health Care Use and Expenditures in 50 US States (Health Affairs). For employers considering medically tailored meals as part of benefits.
