North Star

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North Star

The North Star represents an organization’s ultimate purpose, extending beyond profits to reflect the desired state for the wider system it operates within. It should inspire, unify, and guide employees, aligning their day-to-day efforts with the company’s higher mission.

Near Star

The Near Star is a shorter or near-term goal tied to a specific innovation project. While the North Star remains steady, the Near Star can change and evolve – especially as projects reach maturation. Each Near Star moves the organization closer to its North Star and helps track progress.

PROBLEM

A problem is the gap between where you are and where you want to be. How you frame this gap shapes your understanding and influences the ideas and actions you explore.

AWARENESS

Awareness is the process of deepening your understanding of the broader system in which your problem is embedded. Most of us only see parts of the system we interact with – so establishing a view of the entire system is vital.

IDEAS

Ideas are potential solutions to the problem. Ideas often emerge informally, so be sure to keep track of them while going through the other spaces of the Compass and also set aside dedicated time for formal ideation.

ACTIONS

Actions are a range of ways to tackle the problem and move toward the Near Star. Actions don’t control the system – they nudge it forward so the focus is on small, quick actions that actors can take immediately to work towards the long-term outcomes envisioned in the Ideas space.