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Polaris, the North Star
January 27, 2023
[Author's note: this was originally published in our newsletter. Subscribe here.]
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, FRSA
Rebecca is a human spark plug. Her enthusiasm to create bold, inspiring futures is contagious. She's an economist and top-50 professional futurist. She's been named "Communicator of the Year" by Women in Communication, "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and has served as Resident Futurist at the Alliance for Innovation, the Association of Government Risk Pools, the Greater Omaha Chamber, and the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin. She's a keynote speaker, author and consultant with distinctions from the Association of Professional Futurists and the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Rebecca's collaborative, creative approach to shaping the future has been trusted by leaders from over 200 communities, touching one in five Americans. Contact Lisa Loniello for Rebecca's keynote fee and availability.
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