Physical activity in the workplace

People need to be encouraged to be more physically active at work.

Reference points and personalisation.

We change our behaviour in relation to specific reference points, and according to the principle of personalisation, we are more likely to respond to information that is tailored to us.

A simple leaderboard can be discouraging for those not at the top. A better approach may be one that is more personalised – that is, one that emphasises who is just ahead of you and just behind you.

We built on an existing step challenge by inviting different business units to compete with each other in a way that encouraged all employees to participate.

Our new style of leaderboard significantly increased individuals’ step counts. Importantly, the biggest effect occurred among those who had previously been the least active.