Austin Tsutsumi & Associates 

Employee health and happiness is a top priority at ATA, where colleagues have access to a broad range of wellness programming, thanks in large part to a proactive committee dedicated to keeping things fresh. 

ATA kicked off last year with a well-being theme of Connections, which can serve as an example to other worksites on how to:
•    Create a 12-month themed well-being program. 
•    Leverage and inspire a culture of friendly competition.
•    Identify “in-house” talent to lead activities.
•    Appeal to a diversity of interests, maximizing inclusivity and participation.

Family Connections

Colleagues started off their annual theme of Connections by interviewing family members to share their stories – one colleague shared her family tree, and another shared her grandmother’s touching WW2 love story!

Cultural Connections

Colleagues celebrated each other’s cultural connections through food, by bringing their favorite Japanese, Korean, and local culinary delights to a company potluck. ATA is among an elite handful of worksites that have implemented healthy Blue Zones Project Potluck Moais! They’ve also hosted onsite cooking demonstrations like a Dumpling Day with members of both the Honolulu and Maui offices making and enjoying dumplings together, and bringing members of all three offices together to make and enjoy spring rolls.

Mind and Body Connections

Colleagues also connected with their mind and body through physical and mindful activities like walking, meditation, yoga, karate, hiking, volleyball and dance! Participants also journaled and "talked story" about their experiences and the positive effects the activities had on their mental health and well-being. 

Social Connections

Colleagues focused on social connections by expanding their network through a fun activity that started out with participants brainstorming networking methods and conducting research on a couple of ATA’s social (butterfly) experts. Then they practiced building new relationships and assessed their results. Colleagues uncovered that some strangers are simply “friends we haven’t met yet,” others can take months to warm up to (and that’s okay!) and joining an interest group/club or sports team can be the ideal environment to meet someone new and expand your social circle. 

To build upon social connections, ATA leveraged and showcased the talents and interests of colleagues by having them lead fun activities. Colleagues connected to each other’s culture with fun activities like a calligraphy workshop over Zoom, learning the game of Pepito (AKA Filipino or Chinese poker), and learning how to make ti leaf lei and lei poʻo! 

Nature Connections

Connecting with nature started with a “Bring Nature to the Office" day where participants brought in small potted plants and they painted the pots they were in to decorate their desks – and yes, the competition to see whose plant lives the longest is afoot! Staff also enjoyed a Dog Day with their pets and connected socially outdoors at their annual summer picnic at Ala Puʻumalu Community Park. 

ATA closed out their year connecting at a holiday party and charitable giving drives, connecting beyond their workplace and in their community. 

ATA's thoughtful approach to well-being has been an essential ingredient to their successful well-being program. ATA demonstrates that workplace well-being thrives in an environment that values health and wellness, such that it becomes engrained in the cultural fabric of their organization. As a result, teamwork, retention and productivity flourishes.

If you’re inspired and want to learn more about ATA’s well-being program, Claire (cfukuoka@atahawaii.com) has graciously volunteered to share more about their program upon request. 

Join the Well-Being Movement!

To learn more about incorporating well-being in your workplace, email bluezonesprojecthawaii@sharecare.com.

Email our team to learn more about partnering with us to make healthy choices easier at your worksite, school, grocery store, restaurant, or faith-based organization.

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