Conducting a needs assessment is an essential step in developing (and maintaining) a worksite wellness program. The webpage on needs assessment discusses three components of a needs assessment, health risk appraisal, health culture audit, and employee survey. It takes all of these assessments to create a clear and accurate picture of the needs of the organization and what direction the wellness program should take. While the wellness team may understand that a needs assessment must be conducted to decide what programs and policies to implement, senior level management may not. This could be a particularly difficult problem to address if management has a vision of the wellness program and the types of activities they would like to implement. This vision may not be the same as the employees’ vision of the wellness program. Since participation is dependant upon the employees’ needs and interests, they must be strongly considered for the program to be successful. What are some strategies you have utilized to convince senior level management of the importance of conducting a needs assessment before starting wellness program activities? What are some barriers you have faced in conducting a needs assessment? If you did not conduct a needs assessment, what are some challenges you have faced in your program?