What Racehorses Teach Us About Building a Better Workforce

Ask any racehorse owner: “When’s the best time to race a horse?”

They’ll say: “When the horse is well rested. Well fed. In top shape. Trained and cared for.”

It’s obvious. If you want performance, you start with care. Why is it any different with people?

We all want a top-performing workforce

Yet when it comes to people, we often do the exact opposite of what we’d do for a racehorse. Instead of offering care, we cut food assistance. We make healthcare harder to access. We remove the supports that help people stay stable, healthy, and ready to contribute.

Then we turn around and expect them to perform. We expect the undernourished, the sick, the stressed-out and unsupported to carry the load of a thriving economy.

Social determinants of health

Things like housing, food, education, safety; have a massive impact on outcomes. If we want our communities to thrive, our businesses to grow, and our economy to compete globally, we need to invest in people the same way a trainer invests in a champion horse.

Because when people are well fed, well housed, supported, and seen, they can show up and perform; as parents, caregivers, innovators, and citizens.

Let’s build systems that help them get back in the race. Let’s stop blaming people for being tired, sick, or poor.

#SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #HealthyWorkforce #FoodIsMedicine #PolicyMatters #InvestInPeople