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University of Maryland, College Park

Generating Vision: Long-Term Ideas to Motivate Stakeholders

University of Maryland, College Park via Coursera

Overview

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Motivate employees, align stakeholders, and guide strategic decision-making by learning how to move beyond traditional vision statements towards meaningful, actionable visions. Through practical frameworks for strategic foresight, future-back planning, scenario thinking, and big idea generation, you'll discover how successful organizations anticipate disruption and create lasting competitive advantage. In today's rapidly evolving business environment, organizations must balance short-term execution with long-term thinking, especially as artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and shifting customer expectations reshape every industry. Drawing on real-world examples from organizations such as Amazon, Patagonia, AARP, and the Mayo Clinic, you'll examine why many vision statements fail, how visionary leaders communicate the future effectively, and how long-term thinking drives innovation and sustainable growth. Designed for leaders, entrepreneurs, product managers, strategists, and anyone responsible for shaping organizational direction, this course provides practical tools to create a shared vision that inspires action, strengthens strategy, and prepares organizations for an uncertain future. Great leaders don't just respond to change, they create a compelling vision of the future that inspires others to act!

Syllabus

  • Week 1 Framing the Future
    • Explore the foundations of visioning by examining how people think about the future and use long-term perspectives to guide decisions.
  • Week 2 Short-Termism
    • Learn how leaders can balance immediate priorities with ethical, future-focused decision making to create lasting value and inspire a shared vision.
  • Week 3 Getting the Big Ideas Right and Communicated
    • Explore the essential role of vision in leadership and learn how to develop and communicate compelling long-term ideas. Examine the relationship between vision and mission, identify opportunities for innovation, and discover how to engage employees and stakeholders around a shared future.
  • Week 4 Communicating and Activating a Bold Vision
    • Learn how to use visualization, strategic alignment, and practical implementation techniques to turn bold ideas into meaningful action.
  • Course Final
    • Test your knowledge!

Taught by

Daniel Forrester

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