For those of you who have concluded that the current economy requires nothing more of you than survival tactics in the next three weeks, to close the year as best you can, without regard for the future much beyond 12/31/08, you can stop reading this right now, and get back to work.
No sense wasting your time with what I’m about to say…
For anyone left reading this sentence, let’s do something crazy!
Let’s dream.
I’m a contrarian about the economy. I think a few of us have to be. Otherwise, mass hysteria reigns and the whole thing tubes down into a smoking self-fulfilling prophecy of biblical proportions or something like that. So, I’m choosing to remain optimistic, stay focused on the future, and try to summon the courage and the discipline to find opportunities now in the crisis that others, frozen in fear, will miss.
So, what’s YOUR dream?
Do you remember?
Is it time for some new dreams?
Or are you one of those practical types who think:
–“dreams are for those who sleep…” David Gates and Bread
–“dreams, so they say, are for the fools…” Seals and Crofts
(I guess I’m showing my age).
OR, do you agree with T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) who said that “dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”?
We need dreamers. We need to BE dreamers, because we need our dreams to take us into our futures consciously, rather than unconsciously. With OPEN eyes.
I’ve just read Matthew Kelly’s book, The Dream Manager. In it he makes the fascinating point that, in many ways, we ARE our dreams. Some time in the past, we had a set of plans and dreams and goals that, if worked on, are now reality. I know that’s true of my life. I’m not only living my dream, I am living the dreams so many others who have loved me dreamed for me back then.
I hope it’s the same for you…
And if you see and believe that point, then DO NOT miss this next one. This is HUGE:
Your future is in the dreams you’re dreaming TODAY.
AND, do NOT miss this next point: Your people have dreams too! That’s where their future is right now.
Does it include YOU? Your company?
Mr. Kelly agrees with us here at BUILT TO LEAD that by helping your people dream their dreams at work, and then helping them achieve them, you actually teach them how to be better employees. Dreaming is strategic planning. Putting practical actions into motion to achieve dreams is all about process management, anticipation, piloting new approaches, evaluating test results, perseverance, and focusing on priorities. People can’t give your company what they don’t know how to do for themselves. Teach them to dream, and you’ll be teaching them to become more valuable assets for your firm.
More LOYAL assets, too. If YOUR dream is to take your company somewhere it’s never been before, and you open that dream up to your associates, many of them will dream themselves into your dream. If that destination or path is part of their dream, you’ve got BUY IN, baby. In a service economy, where your people’s passion and commitment are often the only difference makers you have in your competitive category, buy in is not optional, it’s ESSENTIAL.
So dream a little dream while the world goes mad here in the late fourth quarter of this most amazing year of 2008.
You just might get the future you dream of.
BUILT TO LEAD 