As a senior executive Case Dorman gets it: “I’ve always believed,” he says, “that taking care of your people is an important part of effectively leading a team.”
That’s why he jumped at the chance not only to sponsor two Fittest Execs and Fittest Companies Challenge teams from Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, but to get in on the competition himself. His presence reinforced among his staff the belief that a healthier work force is a happier one, and a potentially more productive one, as well.
“Our hope was that the teams would see the benefit of participating in this,” Dorman said. “And we believe it’s very important that they see us setting an example. That’s where so many people get lost in this industry,” which routinely churns through employees because of the long hours, the uneven workloads and the stresses involved.
In an environment like that, anything a company can do to retain its key people has a bottom-line impact, Dorman noted.
“We know the value of having great people in leadership positions,” he said, reflecting on the improvements notched by both Jack Stack teams. “If it helps them personally, it helps them professionally.”
Jack Stack backed up its commitment to the competition by footing the bill for personal trainers matched to the personalities of each employee competing, and by securing additional workout facilities and access for the teams. It paid off in a big way, with those two teams finishing 1–2 in the Most Improved Team final standings. Team No. 2 was the overall winner with a 25- point surge in the average health score; Dorman’s Team No. 1 finished tied for second with a team from Hoefer Wysocki Architects, up 17 points.
Jack Stack’s winning team sported two individual winners for most-improved health in the men’s categories of Over 50 and Under 50, operations director Rod Toelkes and pitmaster Tim Keegan. By taking advantage of the resources the company brought to bear, they raised their personal scores dramatically: Rod Toelkes by 36 points and Tim Keegan by a number unmatched by any in the 130-contestant field, 54 points.
“It meant everything that Jack Stack would care so much about their employees to sponsor this event,” said Keegan. “It is one reason I jumped into it 100 percent.”
Other members of the team included Travis Carpenter and Janet Keegan—no relation to Tim. She added a personal health-score improvement of 15 points to help drive the team’s overall success.
Dorman acknowledged that many business executives wouldn’t make the same kind of financial commitment, and that, as a strict matter of dollars and sense, the money that backed his teams’ efforts might not be recouped through lower health-insurance premiums.
“But this is part of our culture,” he said. “I’ve seen them be energized by participating in this, and feeling better about themselves, and we certainly see the benefit of that.” 