According to Gallup®, 70% of the population is struggling or suffering, and 70% of employees are not engaging at work. Investing in wellbeing at work is critical to the success of your employees and organization.

The impact of wellbeing extends far beyond how employees feel — it affects the number of sick days they take, their job performance, burnout levels, retention rates and the organization’s bottom line.

We will dive into these issues in this blog post, and you can learn by listening to the webinar recording: “eMbrace the link between employee engagement and wellbeing.”  Click here to access the recording.

Organizations should care about wellbeing

Contrary to what many believe, wellbeing is not just about being happy or physically fit. Wellbeing encompasses all aspects of our lives:  how our lives are going, feeling good about our thoughts life experiences and what is important to us.

Poor wellbeing affects employees and organizations:

• 75% of medical costs accrued are due to largely preventable conditions.
• $20 million of additional lost opportunity for every 10,000 workers due to struggling or suffering employees.
• $322 billion of turnover and lost productivity costs globally due to employee burnout.

 In contrast, employees with high wellbeing are more resilient during widespread or personal tough times, less likely to have unplanned days out of the office and more engaged than those with low wellbeing.

Traditional EAPs are not enough

Traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) fall short because they average about 5% engagement and focus mainly on distressed employees. Low utilization and a reactive model leave a large gap to fill to meet the wellbeing needs of all employees. Organizations need a proactive program that benefits all employees.

Learn more in the webinar recording.

Building a thriving culture of wellbeing

Leaders that bring engagement and wellbeing together create a high-performance environment where the two inform and build on one another. Magellan Healthcare and Gallup® collaborated to create eMbrace, a fully integrated, evidence-based solution delivering improved employee wellbeing and engagement across six key areas of their lives: Emotional, Career, Social, Financial, Physical and Community.

Through eMbrace, employees and organizations can measure their wellbeing and discover where they are suffering, struggling, and thriving. Employees receive a personalized plan that guides them to services and resources to help them improve their total wellbeing and lead thriving lives.

Resources:

• https://www.gallup.com/workplace/215924/well-being.aspx
• https://www.gallup.com/workplace/320297/invest-employees-wellbeing-afford-not.aspx
• https://www.gallup.com/workplace/358082/struggling-suffering-employees-twice-likely-leave.aspx

As I entered the workforce, I was drawn to work for an organization supporting the military and their families. Magellan Federal’s founding history as a non-profit and mission focus on improving the lives of the military and their families inspired me and has kept me engaged as an employee for 22 years. Service is embedded in our culture—you are surrounded by people who are passionate about giving back to others, especially those who are connected to military service. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that attracts individuals searching for meaning and purpose in their careers, and I’d like to share how volunteering has helped me find even greater personal and professional satisfaction.

Connecting to a Cause

As a military family member myself, with personal experience in the challenges of military life, Magellan Federal was a natural fit for me. I began my career in Member Services, helping active duty, veterans, and family members understand the benefits they were entitled to. Over the years I became a military benefits expert providing guidance on topics ranging from health care, life insurance, dependent entitlements, and survivor benefits. The tragic events of 9/11 led me to my calling of working to support military survivors.

My passion for volunteerism started early on in my career at Magellan Federal (at the time called Armed Forces Services Corporation). I was fortunate to work with leaders and mentors who volunteered often and put a high value on honoring the military community by giving back. This mentality encouraged me to incorporate volunteerism into my life as well. One influential leader was a Board Member at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and educated our team on their mission and volunteer opportunities. I connected to the TAPS organization immediately and their noble purpose of providing compassionate care to all those grieving the death of a military loved one. I began volunteering for TAPS in the early 2000s because their mission aligned with my desire to help military survivors.

At first, I was unsure if I could make a difference by volunteering, but I soon learned that non-profits like TAPS not only appreciate but rely on any time and help that their volunteers give—whether folding t-shirts, welcoming survivors to an event, writing correspondence, or running in a 5k to fundraise. According to the Nonprofit Leadership Center as of April 2022, the estimated value of each volunteer hour is $29.95. This is a good reminder that no matter what level of service you provide, the simple act of volunteering your time brings a huge value.

The Real Reward

Volunteering for organizations whose mission I care about has given me validation as a contributor but also, I have made lifelong friends. I recognized my professional skills translated well to lending my free time to help organize and implement improvements to non-profit programs. I have volunteered over the years for my daughter’s community recreation dance program and my son’s Little League team by managing their website and programs. I volunteer annually at the Virginia Scottish Games to connect with our family’s heritage. It is very rewarding to give time to these programs that get our community active and involved in the arts, recreation, and sports. While the tangible value of volunteering to me is using my creativity and innovation for the greater good, the feel-good factor is priceless.

I’ve also found that volunteering has benefited me socially in my career and personal life. I have expanded my sense of purpose and community, improved my social skills and self-esteem, learned new skills, and developed an overall happier outlook on life.

Where to Start

Having a formal volunteer program within your organization can be extremely valuable. At Magellan, we are lucky to have a robust volunteer program that is supported at every level of the organization. Not every company has that, and that’s OK. You can start small, connect with others, encourage involvement, and get more organized around your activities. I think you’ll find that volunteering is contagious and can help spread a culture of caring within your career as well as your community.

Through our Magellan Cares Foundation, qualified charity donations made by staff are eligible for matching funds. Full-time employees are also eligible for 8 hours of volunteer time off—paid leave for volunteer activities. We also have a central portal where our employees can record volunteer hours, connect with other givers, and search for or organize events. I love that Magellan makes it easy for employees to give back and encourages us to deepen our ties to the communities we serve.  As another great mentor once said, “working and leading with a servant’s heart will give you and your team fulfillment.”

I think we could all use a little more of that in our lives.

Article originally published on MFed Inform.

References

• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-are-benefits-of-volunteering
• https://nlctb.org/tips/value-of-volunteer-time/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjIzsyOOC-gIVA-TICh3b9gi1EAAYASAAEgK4o_D_BwE
• https://hbr.org/2021/01/volunteer-programs-that-employees-can-get-excited-about#:~:text=Many%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,they%20performed%20on%20work%20tasks.

What is it and how to get started

Mindfulness has become a popular topic over the last decade, and for good reason. A growing body of research is showing incredible health, performance, and relationship benefits to adopting the practice. But what exactly is mindfulness and how does one practice it?

Mindfulness is a particular way of focusing on the present moment without judgment. It is a skill, a practice, and a state that helps counteract our brain’s natural tendency to time travel back into the past or ahead into the future. Being in the present moment more often is what enables us to build meaningful relationships and perform at our best.

Unfortunately, most of us are more familiar with not being in the present moment. Research suggests we spend nearly 50% of our time thinking about something other than what we are doing. It’s when you arrive home from work excited to see your family and just as you sit down at the dinner table you remember an email you forgot to reply to and suddenly you’ve missed your kid sharing the best part of their day. Or it’s the moment you’re at work trying to focus during a meeting and your mind wanders back to an argument you had with your spouse that morning. It can also be the moment when you are sitting down to finish a report, but you begin daydreaming about your upcoming vacation. And it’s a hundred moments in between.

Understanding Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of catching our minds when they wander and intentionally bringing them back to where we are—put simply: it’s the practice of being present. The more we practice, the more quickly we’re able to reestablish our mind in the present moment before it impacts relationships or performance.

To be truly mindful is to be able to recognize as your mind wanders away from the here and now, accept the wandering, and recenter your mind back to the present to be where your feet are.

Mindfulness has a long and rich history dating back more than 2,500 years. While this may activate images of ancient monks in stillness and solitude, in the last 15 years, an enormous amount of rigorous research has been conducted supporting the benefits of a mindfulness practice—many that are particularly relevant to thriving in our fast-paced, always-on culture.

Mindfulness Benefits
Mindfulness has been shown to act as a buffer against cognitive anxiety, improve memory and learning, improve sleep, and reduce fatigue. It is also associated with increased frequency in optimal performance states, improved performance in high-intensity contexts, and better regulation of emotion and stress. Importantly, these benefits can be realized without spending hours upon hours a day in silent meditation. Mindfulness training research suggests that 8-20 minutes a day is all you need to see meaningful benefits. If you want a more exact prescription, Dr. Amishi Jha, one of the leading mindfulness researchers, has determined that 12 minutes a day, five days a week is the most effective “dose.” It balances what time-pressed people will actually commit to and it benefits their attention.

Getting Started
Magellan Federal is the world’s largest single employer of professionals with specialized training in performance psychology coaching. Our cognitive performance coaches have delivered education and training to more than 2.7 million within the Army population in the past five years. Here are some simple exercises our coaches teach to help build positive mindfulness habits:

• Practice 1 minute of mindful breathing. Set a timer for one minute and simply turn your attention to your breath. What does it feel like to inhale? What does it feel like to exhale? Try pausing at the top and bottom of each breath. If you find 1 minute too easy, aim for 3 minutes or more.
• Practice mindfulness during everyday activities. For example, while washing the dishes focus on the temperature of the water, the slipperiness of the soap, the sound of the dishes. Every time your mind wanders to something else (as it naturally will), gently guide it back to the dishes. Surprisingly, even for menial tasks like dishes, people who focus on the task, instead of daydreaming, report greater levels of happiness.
• Conduct a brief body scan. Find a quiet place to sit, start with a few mindful breaths, and then turn your attention to your body. Start at the top of your head and work downward, just noting what your body feels like. Don’t get stuck in any particular place; just notice comfort or discomfort and move on until you get to your toes. Finish with a few mindful breaths.

Know that as you try any of these activities, your mind will wander; it is completely natural. Mindfulness is the practice of gently bringing your mind back to your target. Each time your mind wanders, think of it as a repetition to strengthen the skill of returning to the present moment.

Making it Stick — Find or Build a Community of Support
Like most new habits, developing a mindfulness practice can be tricky. Research has shown that learning with and from others on a similar path has a staggering effect on success.

Magellan Federal believes in a human-centered approach when building new habits like mindfulness. We are currently developing a solution that models the success we have found through our work with the Army, which will incorporate live coaching sessions and a community of support to further enhance successful habit change. Finding or building a group or partnership that supports your mindfulness goals and offers encouragement and motivation along the way will make you more likely to succeed in creating mindfulness habits that stick. You might consider adding a mindful minute with your family before dinner, starting a team meeting with a mindfulness practice, or finding your own unique way to build community around mindfulness practice.

Learn More
Magellan Federal’s holistic approach seeks to help people not only improve performance, but health, relationships, and culture—and mindfulness is a key piece of the puzzle for many people. If you are Interested in starting a mindfulness practice or connecting to a community of support, contact us today.

Article originally published on MFed Inform.

The destruction left by Hurricane Ian back in September serves as a reminder that times of crisis can often occur quickly with little or no warning. During these events, parents may be coping with children who feel increased worry and anxiousness. Parents and professionals can help by providing guidance on how to develop an at-home safety plan for times of crisis. Supplying children with the knowledge of what to do if an emergency occurs can reduce feelings of anxiety and provide them with a better sense of control in an uncontrollable situation. Below is guidance that our Military and Family Life counselors share with parents.

Emergency Plan Directions

• Designate a general meeting place. Establish an agreed-upon safe place to meet if a parent will be unable to pick the child up from school or will not be at home. This could be a neighbor’s house or community meeting space. Children should be reassured that the adult they are with is aware of the plan, and the parent will meet them at the arranged meeting location.
• Create an emergency backpack. The backpack should have items the child may need in the event of a crisis, specifically, items necessary if an adult was unavailable at the time of the crisis.
• Compile a list of all emergency phone numbers. These numbers should be programmed into a child’s phone, if they have one, written down at home, and placed in the emergency backpack.
• Create a social media plan. Social media sites can be very effective in times of crisis. Discuss what social media site(s) will be used for family communication and information if cell service is down.
• Develop plans for the natural disasters most likely to occur in your area. These plans could include backup locations to go in case the family must leave their home, such as a relative’s house, a community shelter, or another designated safe place.

For even more tips on preparing an emergency plan, refer to the “Make a plan” section of  Ready.gov.

Crisis Conversation Tips for Parents

In addition to creating an emergency plan for their home, parents will also need to discuss crises and other traumatic events, such as natural disasters, with their children. It can be difficult to know how to approach those topics or what to say that will be helpful. Below are tips for engaging in these conversations (Psychology Today, 7.26.22).

• Keep words and language child-friendly and age appropriate.
• Initiate the conversation in a calm manner.
• Leave time for the child to ask questions and remain silent during their questions or requests for clarification.
• Ask if they have any worries about a particular situation.
• For even more tips on preparing an emergency plan, refer to the “Make a plan” section of ready.gov.

Creating an emergency plan and having open communication about this topic can benefit both the child and adult and may reduce feelings of anxiety in the child.

Nikki Walker is the director of Federal Program Management with a focus on business innovation for the Magellan Federal Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) program. Walker, who has been with Magellan since 2012, oversees innovation projects and pilot initiatives that are either directed by our government customer or in collaboration with Magellan Health. Currently, Walker is working on the NeuroFlow pilot and the Arammu Relationship Checkup, a web-based counseling tool that allows military couples to check the status of their relationship health. They also learn how to manage strengths and challenges in their relationship with help from MFLC counselors. Continue reading to learn more about other innovative projects and pilot initiatives Walker is working on at Magellan Federal.

What sort of innovation projects are you currently working on at Magellan Federal?

I’m currently working on two exciting pilots that are moving the MFLC program forward into a digital dimension. The NeuroFlow wellbeing application is part of Magellan Healthcare’s eMbrace employee assistance program. Magellan Federal has also collaborated with NeuroFlow on a pilot program tailored specifically for the military population that incorporates additional safety features. Our relationship with the NeuroFlow team has allowed for a successful rollout at three military installations.  This is truly innovative work within the Magellan Federal business, and we’re excited to be able to offer this type of resource to our military members.

Another pilot we’re working on is the Arammu Relationship Checkup. It’s a digital-based questionnaire that allows military couples to rate their relationship health. Couples can go online and confidentially complete the questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire are immediately presented to the couples and provides concrete techniques to help them enhance their relationship wellbeing. The Relationship Checkup has had a positive impact on how we conduct non-medical counseling. Our MFLC counselors can use the Relationship Checkup in their non-medical counseling sessions to talk with couples about their strengths and any challenges they may work on to build their relationship. The pilot has been successful, and military couples have been very receptive of the checkup.

Why is Magellan Federal the best place to do these projects?

I believe Magellan Federal emphasizes collaboration as well as delivery. We deliver what’s expected of us when innovative programs are requested. Also, when we are working on business development, we are very good at identifying its key partners and stakeholders who are critical to successfully execute and deliver the product or the service that is expected. This collaboration is at all levels and within different arenas: government, military, community, greater Magellan Health, and internal Magellan Federal teams. We’re good at collaboration and building relationships, which help us deliver value to the customer.

What are your thoughts on the culture at Magellan Federal?

The Magellan Federal culture thrives on precision and accuracy. Getting things done right is very important. That supports what I’ve said about delivery. Our culture is about getting it right, which speaks to our professionalism, attention to detail, and the quality of the work we deliver. It’s that high level of professionalism that’s really rooted in delivering consistently. This is engrained in our culture. It speaks to the high level of quality work that our partners, the government, and the military want to see and why they continue to come back to us.

What exciting trends in the healthcare industry, related to military healthcare, have you noticed? In what direction do you see healthcare going? What lessons are there to learn in other industries that can be applied to healthcare?

One of the biggest trends is self-directed wellbeing or self-directed care. Many of our military members and families want something at their fingertips that allows them to easily access and navigate their healthcare. It’s mobile first. Cell phones and the web are readily available to service members, so being able to deliver wellbeing and healthcare services by phone or web gives them the opportunity to get the care they need, when and where they need it. This is especially important with our younger service members and spouses.

Lessons from other industries we can learn from include how to diligently explore the best way to operationalize research-based work. Pilot programs are often based on clinical and research studies, which is good because you do want evidence-based work. But we must also have due diligence in properly translating evidence-based work into daily operations. That takes time and skill. We must be able to think through how to manage and mobilize the workforce to be able to deliver the product and the service. Being able to successfully transition from a clinical study to operations is a big task. Having a plan of action on how to mobilize your team and how to operationalize that clinical study is especially important.

Learn more about the various solutions provided by Magellan Federal here.

Introduction

Given these extraordinary times, “resilience” has become a very popular word used to refer to a capacity that can be developed in people to withstand disruption or recover from adversity more quickly and completely. It is important to ensure teams remain ready and able to adapt to increasing demands. Historically, more pressure is put on leaders, especially those who need their teams to continue to perform at a high level when it matters most.

In our experience, organizations and their leaders truly care about their employees and understand that while some individual skills can be self-developed, leaders themselves need tangible strategies to create conditions for resilience development and thriving. If a leader has the tools first, then it is easier to set a good example and have a foundation for transferring these skills to their teams.

Magellan Federal delivers cognitive training and coaching services to over 700,000 Department of the Army personnel and civilians each year. We have gained valuable expertise and insights on implementation strategies that can enhance resilience development. In this white paper, we will detail our unique approach based on experience implementing systems that embolden leadership to invest in their most important asset—their people.

The Problem

Quite often, people are promoted into leadership positions because they excel at their job, which intuitively makes sense since they are likely to be top performers at what they do. What we find overlooked is whether people are ready to lead and influence other people. When they get into a leadership role something shifts and they can’t quite do what you thought and hoped they could.

Additionally, leaders face higher demands than the general worker population because they are responsible for their own performance plus those they lead. It is not uncommon to observe these individuals with higher levels of cortisol, an indication that their bodies are not adapting well to these demands. The ability to respond favorably following increases in demands is an essential quality for sustained readiness in a leadership position. Resilience is a term often used to label this quality, but resilience is a complex concept that is often misunderstood, and therefore treated reactively, not proactively within organizations.

Resilience is personal

Resilience can be defined as resources and processes that combine to restore equilibrium, counter challenges, or transform an individual or group. Resilience is a dynamic construct made up of personal and environmental factors such as hardiness, grit, self-efficacy, social support and other lived experiences and learning that combine uniquely for an individual response. Essentially, we all respond very differently to demands and challenges based on a multitude of individual and social resources. Given that these unique resources and processes are able to be influenced, resilience can change and develop over time.

Since leaders generally experience higher demands and resilience is malleable, Magellan Federal believes it is essential to equip leaders with methods to enhance positive adaptation following adversity, laying a solid foundation for increased resilience across the entire workforce.

Our Solution — Human-Centered Leader Training

Resilience is teachable

Research is clear that leaders play a significant role in the performance, resilience, and wellbeing of their people. Therefore, targeted training and coaching for leaders can be a force multiplier for a resilient workforce.

Our depth of knowledge in the science of cognitive performance is broad and deep, particularly in the psychophysiological mechanisms of learning, thriving, and resilience. We have learned it is valuable to first train leaders, so they are equipped to be resilient themselves and better positioned to support their teams. Leaders then need to be supported and coached how to transfer resilience principles to their peers and subordinates.

Our successful coach-the-coach approach has three tenets: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading Teams.

• Leading Self: Helps ensure a wider swath of potential future leaders has the self-management skills which are foundational for Leading Others, particularly through volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Principles include:
  • Personal philosophy, values, and core beliefs (self-awareness)
  • Fueling behaviors and restoration (diet, hydration, movement, sleep)
  • Presence (mindfulness, authenticity, confidence)
  • Psychophysiological regulation (readiness for the task and situation)
  • Mental rehearsal (intentionality, deliberate practice, imagery)
  • Self-motivation
• Leading Others: Provides new and seasoned leaders the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the human side of leadership and how to have the most beneficial impact on the lives of those they lead. Principles include:
  • Build trust (consistent discipline and follow-through through the ability to lead self)
  • Develop psychological safety (transparency and vulnerability, applying presence in communicating with others)
  • Promote growth (feedback, mentoring, peer support)
  • Foster motivation (autonomy, supportive leadership, behavior)
• Leading Teams: Provides senior leaders a necessary opportunity to reflect and recalibrate their internal compass, adjust their approach to leading others at a larger scale, and align both with the goals of the organization so they can move forward with increased intentionality and commitment. Principles include:
  • Executive messaging, modeling, implementing and promoting performance psychology principles across the enterprise
  • Building trust in relationships (consistency in Leading Others across the organization)
  • Mental agility, situational awareness, pattern recognition (consistent yet adaptive)
  • Authenticity & Alignment
  • Cultural awareness and sensitivity

Guidance for Organizations

Focus on manager training and support

Meaningful growth requires the transfer of knowledge, demonstration, practice, feedback, adjustment, and repetition. Expertise is accelerated with the support of a coach who can provide both the right level of challenge or adversity and effective feedback to unlock solutions to overcome these challenges and facilitate growth. We have found our greatest success when we take a human-centered approach, arming leaders not only with foundational knowledge communicated with stories and science, but coaching through authentic interactions.

Organizations should support their leaders by:

• Training leaders on general learning principles and how to effectively teach psychological and interpersonal skills to their teams.
• Providing leaders ongoing coaching support in the following areas for improved thriving and resilience:
  • Establishing a secure base
  • Facilitating connection
  • Building and sharing meaning
  • Enabling growth
  • Reinforcing work-life flow
• Using a holistic approach that values principles of physical fitness, mental fitness, social fitness, and spiritual fitness, as well as targeting opportunities for change by leading self, leading others, and leading teams.

Providing growth opportunities in these areas will fill an often much-needed gap—the human dimension of leadership.

Guidance for Leaders

Based on our experience, we recommend starting with these individual steps to build a more resilient workforce:

• Develop deep personal awareness (e.g., purpose, vision, mission, motives, beliefs)
• Develop personal and team mindfulness practices
• Build systems and practices that help you be intentional with time, both yours and your team members
• Establish regular, if not daily, check-ins with team members
• Develop an understanding of what drives your team members
• Celebrate, cultivate, and grow team members strengths
• Express gratitude authentically and liberally
• Learn and respect team members’ boundaries
• Recognize and address the role of emotion and empathy in the workplace
• When facing change or adversity, reinforce a sense of community and shared meaning

Innovating for the Future: Digital Coaching & Mentoring

Many thought leaders in human performance and resilience lead with high-tech solutions and simulation exercises to accelerate learning and optimize performance. While there is utility in technological advancements, we firmly believe in the power of trusted relationships and high-touch engagement.

Magellan Federal recently piloted a digital training and coaching intervention with midlevel managers in the corporate space. The overwhelming majority noted a desire for ongoing human engagement both with an outside expert coach and with a community group. Unsurprisingly, these leaders felt a strong sense of investment in themselves as people but understood how the content, strategies, techniques, and skills would apply in both their work and personal lives.

We are engaged in product development of digital coaching and mentoring technology that will allow for follow-on support with tactical personnel as they rotate duty stations, deploy, or otherwise distribute geographically. We understand that trust is the bedrock of personal and professional development, and that trust is a uniquely human, high-touch phenomenon. Our vision for the near future is service provision that begins human-centered, customized to the client, augmented with technology that allows our coaches and mentors to remain connected and engaged beyond the training environment, affording individual leaders more timely, relevant coaching feedback.

If you are interested in learning more about Magellan Federal’s Resilience training program, please contact our director of human performance, Dr. Jon Metzler, at metzlerjn@magellanfederal.com.

For a downloadable version of this whitepaper, visit MFed Inform.

The role of being a leader is one that is of foremost importance to Paul Messier. As Senior Director of Federal Program Management, Messier, who has been with Magellan Federal since April 2014, works on programs that provide HR services to military members and their families. He is one of three Senior Directors assigned to the Human Readiness Division (HRD), where he leads six contracts that include 310 people located at 75 Army and Navy military bases around the world.

Messier shows pride in his leadership role by pointing out that everything in the Federal service delivery contracts is designed to ensure the human readiness of Service members and their families. He also points out that the same elements of human readiness that apply in delivering operational excellence to customers are relevant when engaging with Magellan’s own employees in a culture of servant leadership. “Just as military members and their families are serving our Nation; our federal employees and their families are also serving our Nation in their respective military communities. If we expect our employees to address the human readiness needs of their customers, then we as leaders have an obligation to attend to the basic human readiness needs of our work force. From that perspective, human readiness has a double meaning to me – one is operational and the other is organizational.”  Continue reading to learn more about Messier’s work with the Human Readiness Division and what being a leader means to him.

What cool, innovative projects are you currently working on?

Right now, I’m focused on developing a new leadership model for our division. This is a reality-based, relationship-driven leadership approach that emphasizes bringing our most authentic selves to the workplace and creating more welcoming environments for our employees that foster trust and transparency. It’s an intentional effort to promote the health, well-being, and overall human readiness of our employees by integrating leadership principles and practices across four key domains:

• Practicing authentic servant leadership that emphasizes emotional and cultural awareness.
• Promoting a healthy work environment that fosters unity and cohesion for world-class service delivery.
• Providing continuous professional development through mentoring and coaching of the workforce.
• Encouraging shared governance that empowers employees to inquire, innovate and make decisions to the maximum extent within their professional scope of practice, and recognize them for their achievements.

I think there is a need for a model that offers a framework and training tool for sharing these leadership principles with our mid-level and junior leaders.

Why is Magellan Federal the best place to do these kinds of innovative projects?

I believe that when we consider our overall strategy of bringing products and services to the marketplace, we should always focus on being compelling, contemporary, and competitive. So, when I think about our collective role as leaders, I think about how we can apply these same principles to leadership. In these uncertain times, employees are asking for more from their leaders and seeking a healthier work-life balance. If we want to reach the hearts and minds of our employees and retain our human capital, we’ve got to find the courage to show them our own hearts and minds…show them who we are and how much we care for them.  If we can do that, then our message will indeed be compelling, contemporary, and competitive.

What are your thoughts on Magellan’s culture? How has the culture impacted your projects?

Magellan Health and Magellan Federal leaders have enhanced our culture by opening an atmosphere of transparency. That culture will be propagated if leaders replicate positive messaging by flowing it down the chain and engaging with our employees. Leaders cope with change, and more change always demands more leadership. We have the right leaders in place and the messaging channels and mediums are fully evolved and robust.  The stars are aligned for a new leadership model that we can share with our junior leaders and employees. Our corporate vision emphasizes leading humanity to healthier, vibrant lives, so I believe our organizational culture should also emphasize leading our own employees to help them achieve healthier, vibrant lives.  That’s what gets me excited about leading my projects.

What trends are you noticing in the healthcare industry that are related to the work being done at Magellan Federal? Are there any lessons from other industries that can be applied to the work happening at Magellan Federal?

I see many positive trends, but I also see that the healthcare industry faces many of the same challenges as an industry in general. There are remarkable things happening with innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital apps that show great promise to improve healthcare outcomes.  But there are also issues and trends involving burnout of physicians and caregivers, and politicization of healthcare. What I try to do is learn the lessons I can from what I see happening around me and apply what I’ve learned as best I can when I engage with my own employees. To me, the common denominator when we look at these issues always seems to circle back to the need for authentic, reality-based leadership.

Learn more about the various solutions provided by Magellan Federal here.

Tips for parents and professionals

To be sure, Covid-19 changed a lot of things. One of which was doubling the average amount of screen time for American adolescents[1].

• Pre Pandemic: 3.8 hour per day
• Current: 7.70 hours per day

It is important that parents, teachers, counselors, and others who live and work with children and youth become familiar with the ever-changing digital landscape to provide timely guidance and support. The following information and downloadable tip sheet will give you a good foundation to get started.

Influence and Information

To understand the degree of influence of digital media on children, we must first understand the speed and scope of peer-to-peer information sharing in the digital age. Due to use of algorithms built to share information on a global scale instantly, it is often difficult to immediately curb the spread of misinformation and propaganda on the platforms. Algorithms are digital code built to recognize engaging content and then deliver that content to audiences to generate higher views. The algorithm does not distinguish positive or negative types of viral content. As content can be seen by adolescents and parents or professionals in the same general time frame, this provides the ability to prepare an appropriate response.

What it means to “Go Viral”

When a piece of content becomes widely shared, is referenced in other content, and begins to influence the social structure of its intended audience, the content is considered to have “gone viral.”

To give you an idea of how quickly content can reach worldwide audiences, here are the viral rates for Tiktok:

• > 500 views in the first .25/hr
• > 10k views in the first 4/hr
• > 250k views in the first 24/hr
• > 1 million views in the 48/hr

Empowering Viral Content[2]

Not all viral content is bad. Some viral content empowers adolescents to be the change they wish to see in the world. It’s important to understand that viral content can be positive and widely influential. Positive examples of viral content include:

• Student-led peaceful protests—In the spring of this year, high school students from Boston, Chicago, and other cities across the Northeast organized peaceful walkouts to protest the unsafe in person learning conditions amidst rising regional Covid cases. These students passionately demonstrated for the safety of their teachers and classmates to demand access to virtual learning. This was an excellent example of our youth being the young leaders of tomorrow.
• Neighborhood cleanups—Throughout 2020 lockdowns, a viral trend showcased individuals standing in front of an area with litter and trash visible. Dancing along with a selected audio, the creator would stitch a transition using choreography to a new scene where the area had been cleaned and the garbage bagged. These videos slowly became more dramatic over the summer as creators became more competitive, however the end goal was always environmental cleanup.
• “Show Your Talent” Challenge—The “Show Your Talent” challenge of 2021 featured an original creator issuing a challenge to others to “Show Your Talent”. This video garnered significant positive feedback and resulted in people of all ages showing talents.

Destructive Viral Content[3]

Viral content can also be destructive and damaging, influencing individuals to engage in behaviors that result in the loss of life, property, or safety. Examples include:

• “Silhouette” Challenge—The “Silhouette” challenge involves individuals dancing provocatively, often using a filter to showcase a millisecond long video of the individual either nude or barely clothed, viewed through a lens such a “Heat Filter”. This portrays a lewd image under the guise of it being safe due to the filter. However, these videos can be downloaded and the filter removed through the use of apps, allowing that content to be recirculated showing the real, unfiltered video.
• “Morning-after-pill” Challenge—The “Morning-after-pill” Challenge resulted from adolescents opening the plastic device used for a pregnancy test. Inside this plastic device is a silica tablet, meant to absorb moisture and maintain the validity of the test. Adolescents mistakenly thought this tablet was a free Plan B pill and ingested the tablet. This misinformation spread quickly, resulting in such a negative impact that manufacturers of the pregnancy tests released public statements educating the public about the silica tablets.
• “Devious Lick” Challenge—The “Devious Lick” Challenge started as individuals being dared to lick disgusting surfaces, such as the bottom of a sneaker, a toilet seat, or the bathroom door handle. However, this trend quickly escalated to damage of property, with multiple schools reporting damage. Damage included sinks being torn from walls, toilets broken, mirrors broken, and soap dispensers stolen.
• “Who Want Smoke” Challenge—The “Who Want Smoke” challenge hit our local schools the hardest. In November of 2021, a viral trend began using a specific audio on TikTok referencing gun violence. The image provided is taken from the viral video showing Clarksville students coming around a corner pretending to be holding a firearm aimed at the camera. Over 50 students were suspended for participating in this trend.

These types of viral content provide misinformation which can be harmful or dangerous.

Benefits to Consider

It is critical to practice the language of the digital age on a daily basis. Linguistics is evolving at an unprecedented rate. This may create opportunities to connect with children and adolescents that were not previously available. Other benefits include:

For the Professional:

• Becoming more familiar with ever-changing digital landscape
• Understanding the evolving linguistics of the digital age child
• Faster and stronger rapport building

For the Child/Adolescent:

• Providing opportunity for discussion on current trends and topics
• Creating an environment for authentic growth and self-reflection
• Establishing a sense of trust and safety

Due to using this best practice, Magellan Federal counselors at Fort Campbell were aware of the “Who Want Smoke” trend prior to its arrival to local schools. This allowed the opportunity to have preemptive support for adolescents. Through this support, adolescents were able to have authentic conversations about the trend, its meaning, and how it could impact them.

Sites to Search

To stay on top of digital trends, we recommend actively searching the following media channels:

• Local news source
• Facebook
• Other social media platforms
• Tiktok
• Reddit
• Twitter
• Instagram

Pro Tip: Ask the adolescents where they spend their time online. Populations will differ by region and age group. It never hurts to ask!

Article originally published on MFed Inform. Visit to download free tip sheet.

[1]   Nagata JM, Cortez CA, Cattle CJ, et al. Screen Time Use Among US Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(1):94–96. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4334

[2]   Alfonseca, Kiara. Jan 14 2022. Students walk out over COVID-19 in-person learning conditions in schools. https://abcnews.go.com/US/students-walk-covid-19-person-learning-conditions-schools/story?id=82265171

[3]   Quinlan, Keely. Nov 23, 2021. Over 50 students suspended for viral TikTok video at West Creek High in Clarksville. https://clarksvillenow.com/local/over-50-students-suspended-for-viral-tiktok-video-at-west-creek-high-in-clarksville/