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A photo of Polaris, the North Star, appearing bright in a black sky

Polaris, the North Star

Rebecca Ryan, APF

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A couple of years ago, we worked with a senior leadership team to develop a 2050 vision. When downstream employees got wind of it, something amazing happened: they started to organically align their plans to the vision.

Decisions that would've typically required months of debate were settled with one question, "Does this align with the direction we're going?"

A clear vision statement is a North Star. It's not a destination. It's a guidance system.

A clear vision will:

  • Resonate - when people hear it, they nod in recognition, "Ah, yes!"
  • Attract energy, attention, and investment
  • Align interests (and maybe break-down siloes!)
  • Quiet distractions

People are far more likely to get to their destination when they know what it is.

After 25 years in this business, I'm still astonished by the power of a clear vision.


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Rebecca Ryan, APF
Rebecca Ryan, APF

Rebecca Ryan captains the ship. Trained as a futurist and an economist, Rebecca helps clients see what's coming - as a keynote speaker, a Futures Lab facilitator, an author of books, blogs and articles, a client advisor, and the founder of Futurist Camp. Check out her blog or watch her Q&A on how NGC helps organizations prepare for the future using Strategic Foresight. Contact Lisa Loniello for more information.

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