Beyond the concepts of computer keyboard placement and a well-designed desk chair, few people are aware of ergonomic programs. After all, it’s not a discipline OSHA overly regulates, especially in companies with smaller headcounts.

Often times it takes the implementation of large technical projects to captivate people’s attention and open the door to conversations about why a company needs an ergonomics program.

Increased productivity and a business’s bottom-line is vital. Any gains a company might make, however, are sacrificed if it fails to lower the amount of workplace risk or reduce the amount of departmental redundancy due to a lack of best-practice ergonomic solutions.

Broad organizational awareness of an established and proven ergonomics program help businesses not just become successful, but continue to thrive.

Therefore, the goal of an ergo-based culture that doesn’t rely on reporting is to keep team members across different levels of a company engaged with the ergonomics program.

One simple and effective method for doing this finding a way to keep ergonomics front of mind and embedded in conversations that you are not a part of.

Here is a practical example:

After purchasing 400 pair of cheap ergo branded sunglasses (shades) and passing them out to key employees across different departments, a series of small conversations got started. People asked team members about the logo on their sunglasses and, all of a sudden, the opportunity to sale value of your ergo-program is underway without spending an inordinate amount of money on technical solutions or expensive offsite dinners and events.

“I have people ask me about the ergo logo on the side of my shades all the time,” the finance manager told me. “When I explain what it is, they typically say that they could use a department like that at their company.”

The EHS Administer responded in a slightly different, but no less effective way.

“I put those sunglasses on everyday on my way home and each time I remember to sit-up straight and make sure my legs are parallel to the floor during my commute,” he said.

Innovation and creativity are currencies that help leverage your way into small conversations that raise company awareness of your ergo-program and offer the opportunity to sale your value.