Our motto for 22 years. Some weeks ago I read a column by Rob Wijnberg, founder of the correspondent, entitled "If progress has no story, the past tells where we're going. It was a sharp reflection by Rob on the election results. His reflection is about a glaring lack of imagination of, in this case, progressive politics. Now I am not going to engage in a political dichotomy in this newsletter, but rather trig me the word imagination. It is the foundation on which we as Fresh Forward are built. Our Council of Progress member Gerard Dielessen, a.o. former general director of NOC*NSF and NOS, aptly built on Rob Wijnberg's exposition by saying "We lack convincing perspectives and vistas, giving short-term thinking the chance to push us into the past."
Strategy is a widely used - and as often overrated as underrated - word. In my view, strategy does not exist without imagination. After all, how else will those new compelling perspectives and vistas emerge? I think Jempi saw it very clearly at its inception: strategy arises from imagination and creativity. And what is already so normal for us still turns out to be surprising and effective. Our unique and thus entirely proprietary tools such as our creative leap, our Futurise trend model, and recently the Human Dynamics Scan (provides insight into the mentality and behavior that is at play in an organization and was developed together with Ipsos), it provides guidance for new compelling perspectives and vistas that touch people. Not from behind a table or in rooms, but by going out together and letting yourself be touched and amazed as a human being. This is how you create stories as an organization that lead to a strategy that is truly connecting and inspiring. Verily, we know after 22 years, no buzz words.
And only then is there room to work on execution and implementation, although we prefer to speak of an energy plan. Because ultimately it is the energy that moves organizations and people, not a system or a process. These are always supportive of compelling perspectives and vistas.
So thank you Rob Wijnberg. It motivates us even more to continue with our motto in 2024: imagine the next level, so progress does have a story.
Hilversum, Dec. 18, 2023
Author: Carlo van Kessel
