The InVisionary

The Dictionary definition of success is: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

Society often relates success with such things as money, power, and status. This view of success tends to look down on or create a situation where a person or group is “less than.” InVision does not support this power over approach, as we have been built on relationships and recognizing the strength of “power with.”

When I think of InVision and success there are two quotes that stand out.  
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Success is not final; Failure is not fatal:  It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

When I reflect on these quotes and I think about InVision, it reminds me that success is not a destination, but rather a journey. It’s a journey that is continual because as we reach a goal, we look forward to what is next. This helps everyone in the process, and seeing what is next also fosters growth.

It is so important to recognize that success comes in many forms. Over the years I’ve seen success come in the form of Patricia, who during a team meeting stood up and said, “I’ve gotta go,” and left the room to go into another room. Prior to this day, if Patricia didn’t agree with something said in a meeting, she would have stood up and hit someone in the face. This is progress, this is success.

Success comes in the form of a person starting a new job when maybe they were told they didn’t have the skills necessary to work. But someone believed in that person and set out to help them on their journey. Success is Pete, who got his first job at the age of 50. Success is also seeing Pete retire from his job 20 years later. 

Keep in mind that while we see two different versions of success above, it doesn’t mean that there was not failure in the process. Sure, there were setbacks, there were things that appeared as though they weren’t going to work. But, as we see in the quotes above, we didn’t stop. We didn’t give in, because at InVision, we know how to keep pushing forward. We recognize the value in trying another way.  We try another way because that is how we determine what will work. That’s how we see what can help us improve. That’s how we show our courage in moving forward.

Our approach is the same as a company as it is with the people we support. We are growing and everchanging. We are always looking at what is next. We make mistakes. But we don’t let those mistakes stop us. We don’t let a failed attempt be the end of something. A part of success is being resilient and continuing. When we do this, we see improvement. When we do this, we begin to see the achievement of goals. And it’s important to understand that we do this as a team, working together for a common purpose. That purpose may be related to licensing. It may be related to a process or procedure. Or, importantly, that purpose may be related to a person we support and helping them reach a goal. Because when we do this, not only does that person succeed but the company also succeeds.
 
As I thought about putting this article together, I recognized how intertwined the words success, movement, and change are, because that journey is one that does not involve being stagnant. There is constant motion, and at times shifting and changing as we see the goal in front of us. Sometimes our journey leads to a dead end, which requires turning around and finding, or forging, a new path.
 
Fortunately, in our work, we get to do this daily! We celebrate success by recognizing that success happens daily in many different ways. Success is a series of events that we celebrate with every step reached! We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to do the things we do. For many, their career involves mundane and routine tasks. We get to experience life, all the challenges, and more importantly each individual success!