Vitality at Work

THE FUTURE
OF VITALITY
AT WORK
VISIONING REPORT

2
1. Introduction
2. Grand Challenge
‐ Well-being at work
‐ Future vision
‐ Drivers of change
3. THNK Community
CONTENT
THE FUTURE OF VITALITY AT WORK

4
THNK believes that companies that focus on
the vitality of their employees will increase
productivity and create new economic
opportunities
EMBARKING ON A
MULTI-YEAR
INNOVATION
JOURNEY
THNK is driving the collaboration and fostering
the co-creation of solutions that address the
Global Vitality challenge
THNK believes that employees that focus on
their wellbeing are more creative and
experience less stress
THNK believes that a society that values
vitality in the workplace has happier citizens

5
VITALITY
CHALLENGE
OVERVIEW
THNK is committed to launch
two new challenges related to
health every year for the coming
10 years.
The next section of this
document will outline the
insights, vision and ideas that
came out of the THNK Class 6 –
Vitality 2.0 Challenge.
Currently, THNK Class 7 is
working on the Personal Health
challenge, focusing on how
smart health solutions can
contribute to the prevention of
lifestyle related diseases.

6
How might we create a smart
workplace where employees improve
vitality, reduce stress, and become
more impactful?
THNK VITALITY 2.0 CHALLENGE
June 2015

7
A DIVERSE
TEAM
20 participants with
interdisciplinary backgrounds,
ranging from corporate to the
creative industry, and from
diverse geographies - from
Mexico to South Africa, from
Norway to Shanghai.
Partners: ASICS , the Ministry of
Social Affairs and Employment,
and Achmea.
Faculty (a.o.): Menno van Dijk,
Bas Verhart, Sharon Chang,
Mark Vernooij, Berend-Jan
Hilberts, and Janneke
Hohmann.

8
EXAMPLES OF THNK PARTICIPANTS
Liselore
Ammerlaan
Amena Lee
Schlaikjer
Sina Farzaneh
• 14 years of experience at IBM
where she was part of the core
team to define the company’s
‘Social Business Maturity
Model’.
• Founder of
MySocialSymphony.com;
specializing on the ‘why and
how’ to get people in the
organization to participate in a
digital world.
• Wellness innovator, health
coach and facilitator of ideas
that create change.
• Founder of The Wellness
Works; co-creating with brands
using innovation methodology
and finding ways to support the
community.
• Former professor of integrated
marketing communications at
Fudan University.
• Co-founder of Advocacy, a
digital marketing agency
focusing on building sustained
partnerships between
companies and consumers.

9
Health & Safety Manager at ING Bank.
She introduced the Energy@ING
program, which lets employees discover
that they can manage their own energy
levels from an “empowering people”
motive.
Assistant professor and former
physiotherapist and manual therapy
practitioner. He is an expert on chronic
sports injuries and lower back problems.
At Achmea, advises corporate clients on
how to apply integral health and
wellness policies in their company.
Passionate about how technology,
behavioral change and games can
improve health – focusing on
exponential technologies like (digital)
health, quantified self, neurotechnology,
and motivational games.
Interior designer specialized in healthy
working environments. She believes
that healthy employees, high
productivity, creativity, and engagement
with the organization are all stimulated
by a good working environment.
Author of "Mind Lift: metal fitness for the
modern brain". As a speaker and writer,
he is constantly exploring the human
potential to be more creative and
effective.
JOHANNA DEKKER
ERIC BAKKER
LOTTE MINTJES
MIRA GLEISBERG
EVELIEN KOEKKOEK
KASPER VAN DER
MEULEN
EXPERTS INTERVIEWED (A.O.)

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WE APPLIED THE THNK APPROACH TO
INNOVATION
Design the concept to
scale while remaining
adaptable to an
uncertain future.
Explore the topic,
combining
rational analysis with
intuitive gathering of
insights.
Create an innovative
enterprise concept by
thinking big.
Perform rapid user
testing to collect
feedback and improve
the concept.

THE TIMING, NATURE, AND DEGREE OF STRESS IS
CRUCIAL AS STRESS ALSO FUNCTIONS AS A
SOURCE OF LIFE ENERGY
Source: Forbes

STRESS CAN BE REDUCED BY CHANGING THE
WAY WE THINK ABOUT IT
Source: TED

15
When employees feel stressed it is
not only harmful to the individual,
but to the organization as well. It will
likely lead to more costs due to
higher levels of absence, loss of
productivity, and higher staff
turnover.
THIS CRISIS
EFFECTS THE
BOTTOM-LINE
OF BUSINESS…
Source: Healthyworkplaces.eu.

16
… AND
PRESENTS
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR MAJOR
IMPROVEMENTS
The CDC estimates that 75% of
American healthcare budget is
spent on treating preventable
diseases such as as alleviating
and managing the symptoms of
hypertension, a condition that is
suffered by 70 million
Americans.
Research by Vitality Works
shows that “when there is a
comprehensive workplace
health program in place,
employers can enjoy significant
tangible returns and research by
Baicker and others shows that
such programs can save about
$3 for every 1$ spent.
Source: Baicker et al. (2010): Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings;

18
HEALTH IMPROVEMENT IS IN THE
MIDST OF A PARADIGM SHIFT
Source: Purpose+ team
Health as the absence of
illness
Health as the ability to adapt
and manage one’s own well-
being
• Focus on ‘positive health’ and
prevention
• Multiple parties responsible for well-
being initiatives: e.g. schools, public
places, and workplaces
• Business models associated with
prevention (Humana) and training of
the self (Headspace)
• Focus on curing illnesses; getting
people back to a normal state of
being
• Parties responsible for curing
illnesses include hospitals etc.
• Business models associated with
curing illnesses (hospitals, doctor
visits etc.)
Focus ‘0 to 100’Focus ‘-100 to 0’

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HOLISTIC WELL-BEING CAN BE
QUANTIFIED BETTER AND BETTER...
Source: Gallup Healthyways
61%
44%
40%
39%
39%
37%
37%
36%
34%
34%
7%
7%
6%
6%
6%
5%
5%
3%
1%
1%
Panama
Costa Rica
Denmark
Austria
Brazil
Uruquay
El Salvador
Sweden
Guatemala
Canada
Georgia
Croatia
Benin
Uganda
Madagascar
Chad
Congo
Haïti
Afghanistan
Syria
Flourishing in
3+ elements
Why are
these
countries in
the top-10?
Why are
these
countries at
the bottom-
10?

20
...AND BROKEN DOWN IN SUB-
DIMENSIONS (1/3)...
Source: Flourish, Seligman, 2011
Positive
emotions
Meaning
Relationship
s
EngagementSuccess
Success
12%
PERMA MODEL, MARTIN SELIGMAN, 2011

21
Source: Gallup Healthways, Well-being Index, 2015
DIMENSIONS (2/3)...
Purpose
Well-Being
Community
Well-Being
Financial
Well-Being
Social
Well-Being
Physical
Well-Being
Success
12%
GALLUP MODEL FOR WELL-BEING, 2015

22
DIMENSIONS (3/3)...
Physical
Emotional Social
HUBER MODEL FOR WELL-BEING, 2012
Source: Huber, 2012

23
...WHICH CAN THEREFORE BE
ASSESSED RELATIVELY EASILY...
Source: PERMA Profiler Survey, University of Toronto
In general, how often do you feel joyful? _______
In general, how often do you feel positive? ________
In general, to what extent do you feel contented? ________
How often do you become absorbed in what you’re doing? _______
In general, to what extent do you feel excited and interested in things? ________
How often do you lose track of time while doing something you enjoy? ________
To what extent do you receive help and support from others when you need it?___
To what extent have you been feeling loved? ________
How satisfied are you with your personal relationships? _______
In general, to what extent do you lead a purposeful and meaningful life? _______
In general, to what extent do you feel that what you do in your life is valuable and worthwhile? ________
To what extent do you generally feel you have a sense of direction in your life? ____
How much of the time do you feel you are making progress towards accomplishing your goals?_______
How often do you achieve the important goals you have set for yourself? ________
How often are you able to handle your responsibilities? ________
Positive
emotions
Engagement
Relationship
s
Meaning
Success

24
...OR QUANTIFIED IN ONLINE
SYSTEMS AND DATABASES
Source: Purpose+
The percentage of people flourishing
within the entire organization...
...and the quality of networks within the
firm – showing network density in teams
and departments
www.purposeplus.com/data/well-being/ www.purposeplus.com/data

25
LARGE PARTIES WILL BE INVOLVED...
Source: Purpose+ team, Gallup Market Recommendations
...what the future holds when it comes to well-being...
▪ Consider different measurements to measure progress in
society besides GDP, like GHN, human development etc.
▪ Increase awareness of existing programs that are present; with
one cohesive ‘brand’ and strategy to reach people.
▪ Create better partnerships to stay innovative and sharp.
▪ Cost reduction in healthcare in society.
▪ improvement in quality of life overall.
▪ New ways to frame prosperity and
wealth in society are possible and within
reach.
▪ Moving beyond physical wellness by taking a more holistic
approach that includes mental well-being for all employees.
▪ Integrate well-being initiatives into systems and processes in
order to ensure easy access for leaders to champion vitality.
 Educate the public on specific elements of well-being in
remote/highly specific areas.
 Incorporate well-being lessons into existing programs.
 Implement highly specific programs and tools in specific areas
where it is most needed.
▪ Expand the consultant toolkit with tools around well-
being, best practices and healthy cultures.
▪ Become healthier themselves.
▪ Re-brand as ‘positive firms’.
▪ Employers that do focus on holistic
well-being will reap benefits related to
enhanced performance, lower
healthcare costs, increased acquisition
and retention rates.
• Focus on improving the population’s health through
education and behavior change; prevention over care.
• Creating strong brands around total well-being.
• Using data systems that are both predictive and
actionable to achieve real – positive – results as a firm.
▪ Ideal way to position yourself within the
marketplace as a well-being company
that ‘does good’ for people.
▪ Abundant opportunities to make money
through data, education, apps etc.
 Many NGOs are well positioned to
promoted well-being messages in
developing countries where they have
access to key people.
...and why
Governments
Employers
Insurers
NGOs
Consultancies
Party...
 Consultancies are under pressure to
keep delivering for the same high rates –
innovation is needed.
 Many consultancies loose people rapidly
with retention rates of ~2-3 years.

26
...AND CORPORATES START MORE
WELL-BEING INITIATIVES
Source: Purpose+
...and the well-being initiatives they employ at the
moment▪ Search Inside Yourself: program based on emotional intelligence, compassion and mindfulness
training.
▪ Manage your Energy: program around four sources of energy.
▪ Optimize your Life: program with health/happiness tips.
▪ G-pause: meditation breaks in the office.
▪ Mindfulness on the go: collaboration with Headspace app.
▪ Internal happiness model devised by founder Tony Schwartz.
▪ Well-being initiatives with clients allowed; people can call Zappos for anything – even if
personal.
▪ Internal happiness start-up called ‘Delivering Happiness’.
▪ Holocracy pilot to see if it raises happiness levels through more autonomy at work.
 Helpers network identification to strengthen ties within the organization, visualized monthly.
 People that can be freed up to act as helpers in the company, based on preferences.
• US Army Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program which covers all of the latest positive
psychology.
• Program delivery to more than 1 million soldiers.
• Modules based on self assessment.
• Focused on dimensions physical, family, social, spiritual, and emotional.
Organizations...

27
EFFORTLESS DATA WILL BE THE
NORM IN THE NEAR FUTURE...
Source: Purpose+
Effortful data Effortless data
3500BC* - 2015... ...2015 - future
What it is:
• Purposefully and
consciously collecting data,
which is used for a specific
purpose.
• Data is stored so it can be
accessed later for analysis.
The problem:
• Data fatigue, leading to
poor responses rates on
surveys.
• Often a lack of
transparency and relevance
for employees
• Data ‘controlled’ by owner
of the tool.
• Insights come after
administration and analysis.
What it is:
• Automated collection of
already existing data points.
• Mostly real-time data,
storage optional.
• No effort from users.
• Accessible for all users.
The solution:
• Solves data fatigue partly,
people can access data
that’s already available.
• Solves transparency:
everybody has access to
their data.
• No direct data control or
ownership.
• Insights come directly and
real-time.

28
...TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE
PERCEIVE HEALTH
Source: Purpose+
2015 2020 2025 2030
First organizations
try to implement
emotional
dashboard, mostly
based on surveys
and word ratio
feeds.
Sensors become
smaller and
integrated in daily
usage of materials
(clothing,
smartphones,
earphones, jewelry)
• First real company stories
• First real sports successes
• First ~100 mln users with
biometric sensors
• Low prices for sensors
• Huge amount of user data
Biometric data will be
integrated in F2S
interfaces; communicating
through actions is obsolete.
First neural implants are on
the market, allowing us to
know and directly influence
emotions.
Neural implants will allow
deep empathy between
people since real ‘state
copying’ is possible
(research level).
Brain to brain
interfaces are a reality;
human interaction has
transformed to a whole
new level.
Countries,
organisations and
systems are governed
by human data
primarily (‘engagement
problems don’t exist’).
Quantified self has
moved to ‘automated
self-regulation’; states
can theoretically be
regulated from the
outside.
• Total difference in interpersonal
relationships; people will really
understand each other
• Total transparency about human
emotions inevitable
• Opportunity to (re)make
the world, and its people,
good (love) or bad (war) for
people in power. Technology
is there.

29
JUST 17% OF US IS FLOURISHING
AT THE MOMENT
Source: Huppert & So (Cambridge, 2007) in the European Social Survey
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Portugal
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Bulgaria
Ukraine
Poland
Slovenia
France
Estonia
Spain
Belgium
Germany
Netherlands
UK
Cyprus
Sweden
Ireland
Norway
Finland
Austria
Switzerland
Denmark
Percentage flourishing

30
...WHICH LEAVES ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT GLOBALLY
Source: Gallup, State of Global Well-Being, 2015
10,1 – 20,0% thriving
<10% thriving
No data for 2013
20,1 – 30,0% thriving
30,1 – 40,0% thriving
Over 40% thriving

31
CHANGING WELL-BEING IS
POSSIBLE...
Source: Sonja Lubyomirski, The How of Happiness, 2008. Thomas Bouchard, Genetic Influence on Human
Psychological Traits – A Survey, University of Minnesota, 2004. Bouchard et al., 1990, Sources of Human
Psychological Differences: The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart.
DNA: 50%
Circumstances: 10%
Intentional activity: 40%

32
...SINCE HERITABILITY FACTORS
ARE ALWAYS LIMITED IN POWER
Source: Bouchard et al., 1990, Sources of Human Psychological Differences: The Minnesota Study
of Twins Reared Apart.
Psychological trait Estimated heritability
Extraversion 0.54
Agreeableness (linked to aggression) 0.42
Conscientiousness 0.49
Neuroticism 0.48
Openness 0.57
Intelligence (age 5) 0.22
intelligence (age 18) 0.82
Schizophrenia 0.80
Major depression 0.37
Panic disorder 0.30-0.40
Generalized anxiety disorder 0.30
Phobias 0.20-0.40
Alcoholism 0.50-0.60
Antisocial behavior (children) 0.46
Personality
traits
Intelligence
Psychiatric
illnesses

33
FLOURISHING PEOPLE
OUTPERFORM LESS HAPPY ONES...
Source: Jessica Pryce-Jones, Happiness at Work: Maximizing your Psychological Capital for Success, 2010; HBR
What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs, 2010; Oxford Handbook of Happiness, 2013; Oxford
Handbook of Positive Psychology, 2011; The Energy Strategy case studies. iOpener Institute case studies.
Proven benefits of being happier…Area
▪ Higher individual employee output
▪ Higher levels of creativity
▪ More effective leadership
▪ Better job performance
▪ Higher salary per employees
▪ Better evaluations by supervisor
▪ Less burnouts
▪ Less sick days
▪ More time focused on actual work
▪ Perceived as more helpful/friendly
1. Companie
s
▪ Better resilience during tough periods
▪ Better performance on average
▪ Less likely to choke
▪ More enthusiastic
▪ More inspiration
2. Sports
▪ Higher levels of resilience
▪ Less PTSS
▪ More Post Traumatic Growth
▪ Lower suicide rates
▪ Improved social ‘fitness’
3. US Army
▪ Higher grades
▪ Better conduct
▪ Less anxiety to perform
▪ More sociable behavior
4. Schools
▪ Longer life
▪ Higher levels of energy
▪ Lower chances of depression
▪ Lower anxiety levels
▪ Better (and longer) marriage
▪ Higher quality network of friends
▪ More altruism
▪ Lower levels of jealousy
▪ More positive emotions
5. General
public
▪ Better team bonding
▪ Significantly better team performance

34
...ARE MORE ENGAGED AT WORK...
Source: Gallup, 2015
12%
4%
58%
35%
29%
61%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Managers that thrive in 0-3 elements of
well-being*
Managers that thrive in 4-5 elements of
well-being*
Engaged
Not engaged
Actively disengaged

35
...AND ENGAGED EMPLOYEES TEND
TO EARN MORE FOR THE COMPANY
-37%
-25%
-65%
-28%
-48%
-41%
-41%
10%
21%
22%
-80% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40%
Profitability
Productivity
Customer Ratings
Quality (defects)
Patient Safety (incidents)
Safety Incidents
Shrinkage
Low Turnover
High Turnover
Absenteeism

36
HIGHER WELL-BEING ALSO
EQUALS FEWER SICK DAYS
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-100
Overall well-being score
Annual per-person cost

37
…AND IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS
Source: Christakis, Fowler (Harvard)
Most happy individuals
Reasonably happy individuals
Least happy individuals
Statistically a, an increase in happiness of a good friend, raises your chance of
being happy with 25%, a brother or sister with 14%*

38
EXERCISE HAS MANY BENEFITS...
Why this is trueWhat you need to know
 Doing sports is likely to changing our
mental state in the long run because of a
change in the baseline (number of
receptors) of neurotransmitters and
hormones
 Many psychologists have started to use
sports in therapies for mood and anxiety
disorder
 Doing excessive sports in certain critical
periods like puberty may have detrimental
effects because of an excess in growth in
dopamine receptors
 Being physically active in the longer run
will
 have a positive impact on
concentration and passion
 result in a more satisfied feeling
about self image
 For the best effects on dopamine: make
sure the training has a high intensity
level
 For the best effects on serotonin: make
sure the training is at least 90 minutes
long and uses rhythms (movement
breathing)
Deepdive
Source: Thesis Rens ter Weijde, Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. ‘Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning’
(2008)

39
...CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE ON
THE SAME DAY...
 Children who are more active in sports at
school perform better on average
 Physically fit children on average have a
bigger hippocampus (related to memory)
than unfit children
 Doing sports changes our physical state in
body and brain acutely by changing
hormone levels, neurotransmitters and
endorphins
 Alternate mental activity with physical
activity for better performance, e.g. by
doing walking meetings
 Spend your breaks moving at least a
few times a week
 For the best effects: do both cardio
training and strength training and make
sure at least one of your training
sessions has a high intensity
Source: Wilmore, J.H., Costill, D.L. Physiology of Sport and Exercise (2004), Brain Boost: Sport and physical
activity enhance children’ learning (University of Western Austrailia)
Deepdive

40
....CHANGE UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF EXERCISE
 Mice in a physical training program show
more cell proliferation and neurogenesis in
the dentate gyrus (hippocampus)
 Elderly people can reverse hippocampal
cell loss by becoming physically active,
hereby improving memory function
 Physically fit children have a larger
hippocampus on average than physically
unfit children, this is reflected in higher test
scores on spatial reasoning, memory and
other cognitive tasks
 Doing sport will have a long-lasting
impact on your brain and improve
cognitive abilities
 Schools should consider implementing
more fun sportive activities to enhance
learning of children
 Companies should spend more time on
the energy management of their people
to improve their performance
...AND CAN PHYSICALLY CHANGE
OUR BRAIN IN THE LONG RUN
Deepdive
Source: Van Praag, H, Shubert, T., Zhao, C., Gage, F.H. ‘Exercise Enhances Learing and Hippocampal
Neurogenesis in aged mice; Ratey, J., Hagerman, E., Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the
brain.

41
OUR MENTAL CAPACITY IS
INCREASINGLY CHALLENGED
 The daily intake of information today may
be 300% higher than in 1960
 In the US, adults were spending double
the amount of time online in 2009 as they
were in 2005
 In Europe, the amount of time online grew
by around a third in the same period
 In 2010 8-18 year olds in the US spend an
average of 11 hours a day in front of a
screen
 In today’s multitasking mayhem, we last
on average 3 minutes before being
distracted, causing higher levels of stress
 Performance improving drugs like Ritalin,
Modafinil and Provigil are on the rise
 Mental workload is way higher now than
ever before in our existence on the
planet
 Our processing capacity hasn’t changed
this rapidly, so we’re stuck with a brain
that’s not used to this much information
 Ways to process more information are
developed daily with new devices, better
multitasking software and new drugs to
heighten attention on the way as we
speak
Source: Forrester research, R. Watson (2011) Future Minds
Deepdive
Source: Forrester research, R. Watson (2011) Future Minds

42
A RICH SOCIAL LIFE IS ONE THE
MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO
ENSURE MENTAL HEALTH
 Social support is one the most important
stress buffers
 Studies done on monkeys show that social
isolation can have devastating
consequences for life
 Even short social contact (noncompetitive)
can improve cognitive function later that
day
 Higher levels of social activity decrease
the risk of cognitive decline in elderly
people
 Your social network is of direct influence
to how you feel and will be even more
important in stressful situations
 Become aware of the real value of your
social network and appreciate what it
gives you
 Make sure to choose consciously the
people that really inspire you to hang out
with
Source: H. F. Harlow (1958), The Nature of Love, Wikipedia, O. Ybarra et al. (2010). Friends (and Sometimes
Enemies) With Cognitive Benefits: What Types of Social Interactions Boost Executive Functioning?
Deepdive

43
MEDITATION IS ONE OF THE KEY
TECHNIQUES FOR MENTAL HEALTH
 Meditation (or a similar practice) is
practiced in almost every religion
worldwide
 More than 1000 studies have been
published on the subject and the topic
remains popular under brain researchers
worldwide
 Meditation has proven benefits on
emotional control, attention span, stress
reduction and pain reduction
 Daily meditation can improve your
cognitive function and emotional control
 Practicing meditation may also influence
your ‘average’ happiness level
 There are many different ways to
meditate with different functions, make
sure you choose the one that’s suitable
for you
Source: Association for Psychological Science (2011) Teaching the neurons to meditate. K. MacLean et al. (2010)
Intensive Meditation Training Improves Perceptual Discrimination and Sustained Attention
Deepdive

44
Source: Thesis Rens ter Weijde, Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. ‘Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning’
(2008)
RITUALIZATION IS THE KEY TO
LONG TERM HEALTH AND
PERFORMANCE
 Top performers in sport use rituals to
manage energy in breaks
 The difference between peak performance
and average performance often lies in the
optimal design and use of these routines
 Energy management coaching of high
performing people in businesses will often
use similar rituals
 Become aware of your own daily rituals:
what do you do to make sure you can
perform?
 Create specific routines to ‘reset’ during
stressful days
 End each day with a short positive
routine like ‘what are the best three
things I experienced today?’
Source: www.pextraining.com, J. Loehr, T. Schwartz (2004) The Power of Full Engagement
Deepdive

46
The way we work will
completely change in the
coming decades. Both service
and manufacturing industries
will be massively impacted by
automation and robotization.
This external pressure of people
potentially losing their jobs will
be an enormous stress factor.

47
Integrating healthier cultures
at work will require more
creativity and innovation to
really have an impact. One-off
programs and add-on
opportunities will not be enough
to solve the problem.

48
Employees will need to
manage their personal
development, time, and
resources more
independently to have control
over their own health.
Employers are there to offer a
supportive environment so they
can nurture a healthy workforce.

49
Although there is a growing
global awareness around the
negative effects of stress,
stress related issues are “not
yet embedded in the awareness
of managers” according to
OECD Secretary-General Angel
Gurria. A new kind of leadership
is needed to translate the
awareness into action and to
redefine how we work in the
future.

50
Billions of dollars are spend
on wellness programs, but if
an employee is simply not in the
right job they will not be very
effective. In the future, these
programs will need to be more
integrated with people’s jobs,
their passion, and purpose to be
truly impactful.

51
Employers need to recognize
‘the whole human’ and create
customized solutions as part of
the reason why they are a
chosen place for employment in
order to have happy, healthy,
and loyal employees.

53
From no data to data driven insights; providing people with information on
their health and stress levels.
From wasted time to balanced time; giving employees the tools to use their
time efficiently and enhance their time management skills.
From therapy to holistic programs; offering people and organizations
programs that are based on the concept of integrated body and mind.
From exception to part of business culture; acknowledging the importance
of vitality from a governmental, business, and individual point of view.
From lifetime employment to redefining how we work; giving people the
tools and mindset to adapt to a changing work environment.
1
2
4
5
6
DRIVERS OF CHANGE
WE FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING DRIVERS OF ENHANCING
VITALITY
From practical office space to a vital work environment; providing
employees with a working space that enhances productivity, creativity, and
collaboration.
3

54
1. FROM NO DATA TO DATA DRIVEN
INSIGHTS
VIBES RING SENSOR
A new kind of stress meter combining brainwaves, heart-rate and surround electric
field measurement. The stress you feel throughout the day, and in your body and
life, is caused by multiple factors. To understand them, we have created a triple
bio-signal sensor - all in one ring.
SMART TOILET
In 2024 a toilet that records vitamin intake and hydration levels will become
commonplace mobile health technology for all.
SENSORS IN HEALTH
Half of medications will be digitized by 2020. New pills and patches can make
monitoring health as easy as checking an app on your smartphone.

55
2. FROM WASTED TIME TO BALANCED
TIME
TIMEFUL
Tell Timeful the things you want to do and advanced algorithms will make
suggestions when to schedule them.
FLOW: LIFE WITHOUT EMAIL
Flow publicly displays progress on projects. Soon email substitutes like instant
messaging, shared folders, and social networking will replace e-mail.
CHAOS CONTROL
Set goals and list the things you need to do in order to achieve them. The app will
organize your goals to unclutter your day and keep you focused.

56
3. FROM PRACTICAL OFFICE SPACE TO
A VITAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
TREADMILL DESK
Research found that overall work performance, quality and quantity of
performance, and interactions with coworkers improved as a result of adoption of
treadmill workstations.
PLANTS AT THE OFFICE
After a 15-year study research found positive results on health and energy levels
due to plants in the work environment. Creative tasks particularly benefit from the
presence of plants.
NATURAL LIGHT IN THE OFFICE BOOSTS HEALTH
A new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois report that
office workers with more light exposure at the office had longer sleep duration,
better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life compared to
office workers with less light exposure in the workplace.

57
4. FROM THERAPY TO HOLISTIC
PROGRAMS
ASIAN WELLNESS: BAREFOOT DOCTORS
Barefoot Doctors of old brought healing good cheer to the local populous in ancient
China, raising their spirits through music and story-telling, as well as providing
treatments for their ailments.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. Instead of letting
your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to
experience. Organizations like The Potential Project offer mindfulness programs for
corporations.
VITALITY WORKS
Vitality Works offers a unique approach to workplace health. They believe and can
demonstrate that where there is a strategic comprehensive wellness system in
place, both the people and the business will thrive.

58
5. FROM EXCEPTION TO PART OF
BUSINESS CULTURE
BHUTAN: A VERY HAPPY COUNTRY
Bhutan measures people’s quality of life, and makes sure that “material and
spiritual development happen together.”
ARBEJDSGLAEDE
The Danish concept of arbejdsglæde means happiness at work. In a Danish
workplace, extremely few direct orders are ever given and they work strictly with
reasonable working hours
VITALWORK: PEOPLE CHANGE BUSINESS
Vitalwork helps business leaders attain their business goals by radically increasing
employee engagement. Through focusing on vitality they help build a workplace
culture where people flourish, stay, and contribute to success.

59
6. FROM LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT TO
REDEFINING HOW WE WORK
FLEXIBLE WORK SPACES
There is a growth in flexible work spaces that give company employees and
entrepreneurs the opportunity to carry out their work as they see fit.
EXPERIENCE WITH SHORTER WORKING DAYS
The Swedish City of Gothenburg introduced shorter working days for the public
sector workers. They will now have 6 hour workdays while keeping the same
payment in an effort to create a happier and healthier workforce.
EMPLOYEES WITH UNLIMITED LEAVE
Virgin gave their employees the option of unlimited leave. This way, their
employees can fulfill their jobs efficiently rather than based on a time quota. The
company believes that with a promotion of flexible working hours, strict holiday
policies should be something of the past as well.

61
Founded in Amsterdam in 2012, THNK is a ‘C’
School that combines venture design and
innovation leadership to build human-centered
systems for a better future.
THNK has over 300 innovation leaders from
more than 50 countries in its executive
community. It has trained thousands of
professionals through corporate and online
programs.
THNK works for leading organizations like
Vodafone, Nike, Philips, AT&T, ASICS,
McKinsey & Company, Shell, Cisco,
Booking.com, Genentech, Stanford, and
Carbon War Room.
THNK has programs in Amsterdam,
Vancouver, Silicon Valley, Shanghai and
Lisbon.

62
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
PILOT CHALLENGE CONCEPTS IN YOUR OWN COMPANY
JOIN THE THNK CREATIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM AS A PARTICIPANT
JOIN THE GLOBAL THNK COMMUNITY

63
CONTRIBUTORS
• Bas Verhart
• Anna Dia Adriani
• Amena Lee Schlaikjer
VITALITY TEAM EDITORS
• Bas Verhart
• Berend-Jan Hilberts
• Menno van Dijk
• Janneke Hohmann
• Sharon Chang
THNK FACULTY
• Bertha French
• Gaurav Mishra
• Felix von Coerper
• Jeroen Buma
• Patrick Leenheers
PRE CHALLENGE TEAM
• Amena Schlaikjer
• Annemarie van de Langenberg
• Arnaud Collery
• Cecile van Oppen
• Dina Sherif
• Lee Razo
• Fleury Rose Waldau
• Gabrielle Rosario
• Gideon Mogendorff
• Huib Wurfbain
• Jason Inch
• Jurjen Rolf
• Lihua Wang
• Liselore Ammerlaan
• Lynn Zebeda
• Martine Kveim
• Matthias Peitz
• Mona Hamdy
• Moulsari Jain
• Nick Miller
• Nina Curley
• Noa Naomi Lodeizen
• Pedro Camarote
• Prem Sharma
• Raul Orejas
• Rudayna Abdo
• Sarah Murray
• Sina Farzaneh
• Steve Cassar
• Syarika Bralini
• Turki Al Saud
• Venkat Kotamaraju
• Yvonne Biggins
THNK CLASS 6 - AMSTERDAM
• ASICS
• The Ministry of Social Affairs and
Employment
• Achmea
PARTNERS

65
THNK, SCHOOL OF CREATIVE
LEADERSHIP
Haarlemmerweg 8A | 1014 BE
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31(0) 20 684 25 06
info@thnk.org
www.thnk.org
THNK, SCHOOL OF CREATIVE
LEADERSHIP
Haarlemmerweg 8A | 1014 BE
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
info@thnk.org
www.thnk.org
The future of vitality at work – Visioning report
Presented by ASICS, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment,
Achmea, and THNK School of Creative Leadership

Vitality at Work

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