Imagine Learning's Passion Is Love Made Visible

When’s the last time you felt passionate about what you do? According to a Deloitte University Press report, 88 percent of the workforce isn’t passionate about their jobs. Although some may wonder if passion is really a big deal, without passion employees feel less energetic and engaged at work. They may also feel less resilient against roadblocks and setbacks. So, passion matters. And we believe passion is what landed Imagine Learning on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list in 2016. If—as Kahlil Gibran mentions in The Prophet—“work is love made visible,” then it should follow that being passionate about work equates to loving one’s work. Begin with a compelling mission and core values Most companies follow a mission statement and adhere to various corporate values. That being said, most employees rarely fully buy into such statements and values. Perhaps that’s because they don’t personally relate to the company’s cause. Imagine Learning employees are different. From the minute our employees walk in the door, they both feel and exude a true energy while at work. It’s clear that the Imagine Learning team believes in a higher cause. Passion for that cause underlies everything we do. Also, because the Imagine Learning mission and core values feature prominently on the walls in both buildings, employees see and internalize these statements every day.

Because of our mission, employees know they’re part of something significant, meaningful, and worthwhile every single day. Our seven core values focus largely on honor, integrity, and passion as the best principles of business. These values make us happy both in and outside of the office. Imagine Learning also feels like a family because we:

1. Obsess over customers
2. Be innovative and change our world.
3. Let passion and belief drive what we do.
4. Do what’s right, rather than what’s easy.
5. Stand united: all for one, and one for all.
6. Maintain a quiet confidence in our abilities.
7. Have a whole lot of fun.

Identify your passion so you never forget the “why” Sometimes, the ‘why’ of a company can get lost in the day-to-day meetings and never-ending task lists. But when employees drive themselves because they believe their work matters, they remember the “why.” At Imagine Learning, our third core value says it all: Let passion and belief drive what we do. We love Mondays. And you know why? Because we’ve found our dream job—which is helping kids fulfill their dreams. Our passion for helping kids and our belief that it’s making a difference in their world is what drives us. When you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life. We really believe that. Visit customers regularly When you run a national or international business, it’s not always possible to stay in direct contact with your customers. And when you lose track of their lives—their challenges and triumphs—you run the risk of veering off track and losing focus of what matters most. Imagine Learning has an amazing team of Area Partnership Managers and Educational Support Consultants that know our customers (school administrators and teachers) intimately. Once we integrate our literacy and language software in a school district, we really are partners with our customers. In short, we don’t just install the product and leave. Instead, we offer support for the long haul. Even the employees at our corporate headquarters in Provo try to visit our Imagine Learning schools on a regular basis. And we often invite current and prospective customers to come with us to local schools. These visits always create more passion for our work. If our passion ever flickers, just one visit to a school is enough to light the flame once again. We see for ourselves what a difference our product makes to children. Then—once we’re back in the office—we feel ready to charge ahead with the next project. The following video is a great example of what we see when we visit our customers. Love your job No matter where you work, if you believe that what you do makes a difference, you can love your job. And if you don’t feel you make a difference, you can choose to make a difference for those on your team. Even small choices can yield great results. The Imagine Learning family loves what we do—because we know it will change children’s lives for the better. We love working with each other on a united cause. In the end, our passion at work is indeed love made visible. Learn more about Imagine Learning by watching our student stories and exploring our “Why” page.