The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly

For the last 25 years, I have been a Manager and one thing as a manager you must master is: Getting Things Done. Even more important getting things done through others, i.e. staff members.

As a manager you have to be there for your staff. You have to be available, supportive; advising, directing, listening, praising, rewarding, removing obstacles….the list is almost endless.

I came across The Dream Manager by chance. I was actually approached by the publisher to review the book and in summary, author Matthew Kelly has written a book which is 'a must read’ for anyone who desires to help and improve their engagement with others. It is as simple as that.

The book is a fictional story and highlights the many real problems many managers are experiencing in today’s world such as high turnover and low morale, so the managers begin to investigate what really drives the employees. And surprise, surprise it is not bigger paychecks or titles, it is the fulfillment of their personal dreams.

So the fictitious company employ a ‘Dream Manager,’ someone who helps individuals fulfill their personal dreams, which can range from ‘being able to read’ to ‘owning my one home’.

The ‘Dream Manager’ role is to help and direct the individual to achieve their dreams. The concept is that if the individual is fulfilling their dreams with the help of the company, then they will be more willing, flexible and productive in return.

Initially the staff are skeptical but very quickly they start to see results and there is a ‘tipping point’ and then a stampede of ‘dream help’ requests.

It is a great story and of course, the company starts to profit, staff do not want to leave….

The best part of this book is the inclusion of an ‘Application and Tools’ chapter. This section helps you, as an individual start to fulfill you own dreams using tools, templates, direction and advice on how to start.

So yes, you can put the book down and move onto the next one (as most people do – they do not actively put something in place from what they have learned from the book) or here is a complete section mapped out for you to start your journey to achieve your dreams.

Over the years, I have read numerous business, manager, leadership, self-development type books. "The Dream Manager" is one of my all-time favourites. I could not put the book down!

Matthew Kelly is a terrific storyteller and, has a unique ability to embed the key learning points within the context of the story.

Whether you are a manager, leader, mentor or coach this book will help transform the way you relate to others.

A brilliant book – go get yourself a copy of The Dream Manager.

As I enjoyed the book so much, I decided to get an interview with the author, Matthew Kelly.

 

 

Matthew Kelly author of The Dream Manager

Here is the interview:

Andrew Rondeau: Today I am interviewing The Acclaimed Speaker and Author, Matthew Kelly. Matthew, you have had a fantastic entrepreneurial career. Tell me about your career so far.

Matthew Kelly: It has been a great adventure that is the first truth of the business aspect of my life. As a teenager, I started a custom clothing business and a small advertising agency with a couple of guys who were two and three years older than me.

That was the beginning.

More recently, it has involved a publishing company, a non-profit, professional speaking, and of course, Floyd Consulting. I see business, and entrepreneurial activity as a way to make money, but this is secondary. The primary focus for me is adding value.

If your efforts add value, the success is inevitable.

Andrew: You have enjoyed phenomenal success. How important has goal setting been to your overall success?

Matthew: Goal setting is critical, but as I explain in The Dream Manager, before we set our goals we must first dream. Taking time to clearly establish and identify our dreams in each of the twelve areas - physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, professional, material, financial, creative, adventure, legacy, and character - is critical.

We need to take time to dream, then we need to establish a plan to achieve those dreams, and that is where goal setting comes in. But there is no point setting goals, or even achieving goals, if they are the wrong goals. The right goals are those that constantly take us one-step closer to the fulfillment of our dreams... and add value to other people's lives.

Andrew: What attributes do you believe make a successful entrepreneur?

Matthew: They are not afraid to dream. While most of the population is paralyzed by fear, entrepreneurs are willing to stand up and state their dreams. Entrepreneurs are visionaries. They can see things that others cannot see.

Just as Mozart and Beethoven could hear tunes that others could not, entrepreneurs have the same ability when it comes to spotting business opportunities.

Beyond that, they tend to be able to absorb complex situations and boil them down to simple processes. To help them with this they usually have broad bandwidth... they can absorb and assimilate a lot of information quickly.

Finally, successful entrepreneurs tend to be quick starts, they get things quickly. They do not need a lot of explanation. They other side of these is that they tend to forget that others often need a lot of explanation, and can be notoriously poor at managing details.

The very best entrepreneurs seek out their weaknesses and surround themselves with people who complement them.

Andrew: Your latest book, THE DREAM MANAGER, can you tell me more about the book?

Matthew Kelly: The Dream Manager is about a company dealing with enormous problems in the areas of turnover and employee engagement. This is a problem that is plaguing corporate America, and for many companies, both large and small, is draining the equivalent of up to 40% of annual profits.

Until now, nobody has really offered a viable long-term solution to the problem. In most cases we have simple thrown money at the problem. It is my hope that The Dream Manager will provide a sustainable long-term solution for many companies, from privately owned smaller companies to Fortune 500 companies.

Beyond the implications the book has for companies, it deals with how managers can create a deeper connection with their direct reports... and ultimately helps employees to discover the connection between the work they do everyday and the dreams they have for their lives.

My experience in the consulting world leads me to believe that 90% of managers want to be really good managers, they simply have not been shown an effective way to do it.

Managers do not fail because they want to fail, they fail because they do not know how to succeed.

What excites me the most about the book is how it is changing the way people relate with each other both professionally and personally... and how it is getting people to explore and identify their dreams again.

We are driven by our dreams, and nothing injects passion, energy, and enthusiasm into a person, a team, a relationship, or a company, like the pursuit of a dream. So, what is your dream?

Andrew:  If you could give my readers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Matthew: Take some time today to sit down and work up a list of your dreams - personally and professionally. Examine your dreams in each of the twelve areas mentioned above. Try to come up with a list of 100 dreams.

Then, begin a conversation with the people in your life about their dreams - your spouse, children, direct reports, colleagues, significant other. Start talking to people about their dreams and have the courage to share some of your dreams with them.

Our natural instinct as human beings is to want to help each other live our dreams. If you tell me your dream is to build your business to five times it size in the next seven years... my instinct is to want to help you wit that. If you tell me you want to be in the front row for a U2 concert... my instinct is to want to help make that happen. This does not make me extraordinary, it just makes me human.

When we know the dreams of the people around us, we want to help them live those dreams... and we love the people who helps us identify and accomplish our dreams.

Andrew:  Thank you very much, Matthew. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.

Matthew: It has been a pleasure - thank you for having me.

So what are your dreams? By sharing you can help inspire others!

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Guest reviewer Andrew Rondeau and his dog Sam.

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover how you can remove your fear and reduce your stress of being a new manager by receiving Andrew's free Management e-Course and report.

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

Andrew, thank you for the review and interview with Matthew.

I very much like your line "Managers do not fail because they want to fail, they fail because they do not know how to succeed." In my experience, too much time is spent on the "why". There needs to be sometime spent on the "how". Not that there is a defined way or only one way, but a serious conversation about the how will bring far more benefit than hours of "why".

[Andrew Rondeau]

Steve,

It's a great line by Matthew isn't it?

I think this topic could be a great debate. Why vs How? What works best? Maybe we need a poll.

For me, "How to succeed" comes before "Why have we failed"

Thanks for commenting.

Andrew

[Karen Wallace]

Hi Andrew,
thank you for sharing this interview with us, your review has certainly inspired me to learn more about Matthew Kelly and to put this book on my reading list. I like the idea of the 'application and tools' section to help us go from ideas to action.

This month at The Calm Space we're talking about Dreams, and the information Matthew shared in his interview with you is so timely... I got goosebumps!

Thank you!

[dave]

Nice touch with the interview Andrew.

"Until now, nobody has really offered a viable long-term solution to the problem. In most cases we have simple thrown money at the problem."

Corp America can throw all the money in Ft Knox against this problem. It will not make a hill of beans of a difference. Programs, models, theories, applications, systems, books, seminars, dvd's, web sites - they're all very nice. But it is like trying to dress a cow in a tuxedo.

All we need to do is to place people who care in management positions. Then we feed them resources and support and allow their caring to work.

[Candace]

Andrew,

Great post, I am actually reading the Dream Manager now, after being approached by an organization wishing to implement some of the practices mentioned in the book. As a learning & development professional this book is turning out to be a useful resource as well as a good read. Kudos!

[Andrew Rondeau]

Karen, Dave, Candace

Apologies for not replying sooner. Our dog, Sam (who is in the picture with me) went to 'pet heaven' yesterday. You can click on my link and see why.

Karen, the 'application and tools' section is excellent. All self-dev books should have it.

Totally agree, Dave. A Manager is there for the staff. The Dream Manager takes it one-step further by being there for the staff inside and outside of work.

Candace, 'being approached by an organization wishing to implement some of the practices mentioned in the book' - sounds brilliant.

Keep us posted on the next steps.

Andrew

[Karen Wallace]

Andrew,
I have just left a message over at your post... I am so sorry to hear about Sam. My sympathies to you and your family.

[Andrew Rondeau]

Karen,

Thanks - appreciate your comments.

Andrew