The InVisionary

We live in a constantly evolving world, and the ability to adapt to change has become an essential skill in both our personal and professional lives. How we embrace change can look different for each person. Some of us fully embrace it and dive right in, while others resist change, which is a normal human response. Change can be difficult; it can raise questions, fearfulness, and concern for how the change will impact us. Even when the change is positive, it can alter how we manage our time or impact our life in different ways, which takes time to figure out. It is important to ask questions, be open to “why” the change is occurring and communicate your needs. Change can be a learning experience, an opportunity for growth, or building a new skill. It's all in our perspective and how we look at the change that will help us move forward to meet any new challenge. 

At InVision, we embrace change daily. Often, we are flexible in changing our schedules to meet the needs of our department and the people we support. Most times, we do not even look at this daily adaptation as “change,” as most of us look at this as part of what we do in our roles. Our processes can also change. Maybe it is an updated version of a software system, or a person we support has a change in health status. Whatever it is, we adapt and are flexible to meet these changes. We do so with grace and pride in our work; even when there are bumps in the road, we work together to find solutions.
 
Recently, we implemented a new onboarding format for our direct support workforce, which was a change in process, accountability expectations, and experience for everyone. With this new format, many departments became stakeholders and needed to collaborate and communicate needs and information for this change to be successful. This helped to create an improved understanding of how to provide support to the people we serve – working together to create an onboarding environment that would benefit our new employees as they learn and then “do.” Additionally, this new format supports relationship building among team members and people we support sooner than ever before. 

Here are some steps to consider when experiencing a change. 
 

1. Have an open mind, ask questions that you have. Take time to process the new information and continue to communicate feelings and thoughts. 
2. Maintain a positive attitude. Regardless of the new situation, it is always important to be optimistic and maintain a good attitude about the change. 
3. Review your goals and how changes help us in our roles.
4. Communication and collaboration are critical components of successful change as we adapt our practices to the change. Provide ongoing feedback throughout the change process and after implementation. 

Our Guiding Principle of “We Embrace Change” gives us the path to flourish as we use the process of change to integrate new technologies, ideas, solution-based collaboration and understanding of the world around us and how we fit into the change. It means choosing to move forward despite uncertainty, seeing challenges as opportunities, and trusting in our own capacity to adapt. As the world continues to evolve, our ability to embrace change will define not only our personal and professional journeys but the future we create together.