Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Dream Manager... making our joy complete

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly is a story and principles on how dream managing can help people become the best version of themselves by helping them re-engage in their dreams... either secret, hidden or forgotten. The concept of dreaming can totally reinvigorate a business.

"The most competitive advantage any business is the ability to keep and motivate human capital." A business can then become the best version of itself ever possible.

A John Schlitt song lyric says, "As a child, you used to dream there wasn't anything that you couldn't do...
then somebody told you dreams don't come true..."

This song is a theme in many hearts. It affects the heart of productivity, emotional, personal and business well being.

In a story, Kelly shares how dreams re-discovered totally transformed Admiral Janitorial Service. Here's a thumbnail version:

Greg owned the business. The typical short-to-the-point, somewhat abrasively direct, business entrepreneur owner. Simon is his general manager. They realized they have a big problem. Of their 400 employees, they have a turnover rate of 107% each quarter. That's over 400% a year. Simon had an idea on how to find the solution. Ask the employees.

They did a survey and found out most had transportation problems. So the company created a transportation system for them to pick them up, deliver to jobs, and take home at night. In time the idea worked great. They cut the turnover nearly in half...down to 224%.

Greg felt they could build on this and do better. He called an executive meeting for ideas. One voice jumped out from the group... Simon's assistant, Sandra, spoke up and said. The problem is "they don't see a future here. They have dreams and they need to find a way to connect their job today with their dreams of tomorrow." Greg, the strong-willed entrepreneur struggled with this idea. Simon wondered on this. Then he challenged himself and Greg with "isn't one of the primary responsibilities of all relationships to help each other fulfill our dreams. Shouldn't we do the same for our employees?"

Simon and Sandra went to work on Admiral's first Dream Survey.The survey was simple... "What are your dreams?"

From the responses they had, Simon saw many things people wanted were things management took for granted. With a little guidance many were achievable. But there were a lot of areas.

People have small dreams and big dreams. If "we helped with just one small dream, it would create unimaginable good will and loyalty." Then Simon came up with the another idea (which constantly just thrilled Greg to the core). Simon drove to Greg's house one Saturday morning with his eureka idea. "We need a dream manager."

Greg wondered about this again. Simon showed that with what Admiral will save it will more than pay for the manager, plus the potential impact on what it will do for profitability at Admiral. Greg thought Simon was either a genius, or crazy. Simon's ideas were working so far, so he gave the nod on this one again.

They concluded an outside person would be best to handle this... someone with life experiences, personal management skills and ability to guide people. They found a seasoned business owner who had brought himself out of the tough side of life. The office was made, the dream manager was in.

One by one employees stepped in to visit Sean, the dream manager. They reviewed dreams, set priorities and goals and created a plan to reach them. Just the idea of doing it added a buzz in the business.Then successes began happening. Sean wisely took them from one level to the next in their dream realization process. More and more came.

And when Rita, a 58 year-old worker, who never owned a home stepped in her dream, her own home, the dream manager position could not handle all the requests. New dream managers were hired.

Profits increased. Turnover went to about zero, client retention was at all time highs. More and more people wanted to work there and more businesses wanted them as their janitorial service company. The business became a green house for nursing new business dream innovations into produce. There was no limit to the enthusiasm and things they began achieving. The workforce became Admiral's best sales force for the workforce and clients. Admiral even helped those pursue dreams outside the company. This kept the business fresh, alive with zeal and the client quality improving.

In 4 years, the 625 employees had nine dream managers. With turnover almost nonexistent it proved to be a tremendous cost savings for them. (On the average, turnover costs 150% of an employee's base salary. Now every dollar being spend there was producing up to 10 fold.) Individual workloads increased 32%, with high efficiency, cohesiveness and self-initiated enthusiasm. People want meaningful work. They need help to articulate dreams and form plans for short-, medium-, long-term achievements.

People spend most of their lives working, so their work should contribute to moving them in the direction of their dreams.

Why did this work?
Money is important to people, but what is more important is getting from life what they want... their dreams. The Dream Manger Program showed that the company cared about them personally. Loyalty and doing a great job are a natural outgrowth of being valued. In many companies, the workforce feels their management doesn't care about them as people and their heart's desires, the things important to them, their dreams, their personal development so they can live their dreams.

Even Greg, skeptical at first, was right in the middle of dreaming. He and his wife were taking month-long vacations, of their dreams, as he knew Admiral was in good hands.

The big discovery was that by teaching personal dreaming skills and living in a dream process, these skills carry into the job and it boosts the business in accomplishing business dreams. Positive and hopeful thinking, can-do attitudes and motivation spur process skills, which are sharpened for greater company success. They believe dreams can come true and apply this to the company's vision and dreams. They are skilled and motivated to make it happen.

John Schlitt continues his lyric on dreams:
"...inside of you there's a heart full of dreams
like gold in a stream to be uncovered...
a soul made to shine, yes a child meant to fly
and discover all the wonders God can do
inside of you.
Where dreams can still come true."

The Dream Manger Process
The first truth, we all need someone to hold us accountable. People start, but give up on dreams. They need direction, how-to methods, ideas, encouragement, prodding, teaching and support to keep going. So a dream manager is vital... to see each person through to successfully reaching a desired goal.

Success, of any kind, is absolutely "Huge" for personal transformation to becoming self motivated. We all have a place to be a dream manager for someone. Those who reach dreams can help others. In the story, when Rita got her house, workers started coming over to her "dream" home on their own for dream sessions. One grassroot's success can light a match for the masses to jump in. Grassroots successes are vital to pave a dream builder's pathway across the company.

Dreaming is essential to stay alive and vibrant.
When we stop dreaming, we stop living. In Admiral, some managers realized they gave up on some dreams and stopped dreaming. They re-lit their dream fire and got to living with a sparkle in their eyes again.

Start with a dream book.
Take it with you everywhere to list things that excite you. Have one for personal dreams, business dreams, contribution dreams. Write your thoughts down constantly. Have a dreaming place. Write in a stream of thought flow. Don't edit or evaluate. Just let them flow to the greatest level as it wonders out of you. Enjoy this time of living in wonder.

Review them periodically. Date important dreams. Create a personal road map to get there... with dates and steps. Date them when you achieved them.They don't have to all be big dreams. Some are the simple and intangible things we wish for. When we stop dreaming we disengage from work, life, relationships. The human being is naturally a dreamer. If this shuts down our sense of well being goes down.

Here's 12 areas to consider dreams.
Physical
Emotional
Intellectual
Spiritual
Psychological
Material
Professional
Financial
Creative
Adventure
Legacy
Character
Kelly recommends to come up with 100 dreams over all. (That's about 8 or 9 small, medium, big ones per area.) Dreams may overlap several categories. For example, paying off a credit card may fulfill financial, psychological and emotional areas. Take all your dreams on the list and prioritize them to short-term (12 months) and long-term (5 years).

Carry your dream book with you everywhere and constantly jot down dreams.
"Get a dream book!" and just start.

Start with easily attainable dreams over a short-term. Get some wins in your dream book. Then began working on some bigger ones, until you have developed the belief and dream skills to go after some of the big ones... that only you and God may know about.

Create a dream team. Meet regularly to share new dreams and progress on dreams in motion. Think of ways you may practically help each other to achieve their dreams. Hanging around dreamers is a refueling, and re-invigorating experience as well. Life becomes exciting, hopeful.

What is rewarding is the pursuit. Just being in pursuit, and sharing with others who are in pursuit, brings new life into your life. Then what you experience in the pursuit can be unexpected life fulfilling experiences that turn into new dreams discovered, open up what you forgot about, or just gives you a sense of heightened satisfaction. You learn a lot in the pursuit that enlightens you, builds skills for you, your life, your business activities, and your contributions to society to make a better world. When we dream, we build a better world.

"What's Your Dream?"

Note The Dream Manger's website.
http://www.floydconsulting.com/
And Matthew Kelly's... It is interesting to observe the contributions he is making through his own dreams and his foundation.
http://www.matthewkelly.org/

Dreaming is natural for a child. Jesus said unless you become like a child you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A child has simple faith, a child simply believes. Some where in life this gets knocked out of most people. We just need to believe again like when we were a child.

The Scriptures also say the righteous live by faith. "And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away."
(Hebrews 10:38, NLT)
Faith according to the Hebrew writer is knowing, expecting something to happen without any doubt in you. It is seeing what we see in our imaginations as already existing.
(Hebrews 11)

Dreaming is a very important part of our existence.
When in Spirit and prayer the ideas, imagined thoughts, or dreams which come to mind, are many times God inspired. We can trust these as from God and we can act on them knowing He is there with us.

Paul the Apostle said, that the Spirit will do things beyond what we can even think and imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

He goes on to say that we should think about things that are noble and true.
"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."
(Philippians 4:8, NLT)

Think about things that will make this world a wonderful place, make people happy and live in joy with each other, and things that bring the heartily sought after inner peace.

Happiness comes when we pursue dreams and believe they are possible. Think on Heavenly things. What's that? Things that bring Heaven to earth. As Jesus said to pray for bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. May the Kingdom come to earth as it is in Heaven.

John the Apostle said the Spirit came to make our joy complete. He expounds that when we lack joy we are focusing on the world's pleasures, crave its possessions and are proud of what we own. True joy is doing God's will.
(1 John 2:15)

That is to fulfill the dreams He puts on our hearts. He has planned things long ago (Eph. 2:10). That's the dreams He has for us that are very big and exciting. So big there is no way we can do it alone, but Jesus said to not be afraid, "I am with you." The Spirit will always be there to help and make it happen. It's not by our effort but His Power.

Joy is in giving... the dreams that promote giving to others are the most powerful to see fulfilled.

"Our happiness lies in sacrificing our honor, our advantage, and our comfort in favor of others. Love takes no account of sacrifice. It is blessed to love."
"The Holy Spirit is not a power that in any sense is subordinate to us, entrusted to us, or to be used by us. He is an energizing power that is over and above us, carrying forward His Work from moment to moment."
(Andrew Murray, In Search of Spiritual Excellence.)

Let God direct your vision, dreams, thoughts, imagination.
Allow the Very Spirit of God to take you down His Path of Life. Our gifts and abilities, our personality are God engineered. When He molds it to His designed way, we have the greatest sense of peace, satisfaction. It's living in Him in His Grand Plan of the Universe we share forever.

Dream His dreams and live in His Power to do it!
He takes on the Big dreams, as we do the small stuff He can multiply to Be Great. In faith, we see the result in our dreams and know it is certain to Happen, because He created the Dream in us.

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