The Dream Manager [Hardcover]

Matthew Kelly (Author), Patrick Lencioni (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2007

A business parable about how companies can achieve remarkable results by helping their employees fulfill their dreams

Managing people is difficult. With disengagement and turnover on the rise, many managers are scratching their heads wondering what to do. It’s not that we don’t dream of being great managers, it’s just that we haven’t found a practical and efficient way to do it. Until now . . .

The fictional company in this remarkable book is grappling with real problems of high turnover and low morale -- so the managers begin to investigate what really drives the employees. What they discover is that the key to motivation isn’t necessarily the promise of a bigger paycheck or title, but rather the fulfillment of crucial personal dreams. They also learned that people at every level need to be offered specific kinds of help and encouragement -- or our dreams will forever remain just dreams as we grow dissatisfied with our lives and jobs.

Beginning with his important thought that a company can only become the-best-version-of-itself to the extent that its employees are becoming better-versions-of-themselves, Matthew Kelly explores the connection between the dreams we are chasing personally and the way we all engage at work. Tackling head-on the growing problem of employee disengagement, Kelly explores the dynamic collaboration that is unleashed when people work together to achieve company objectives and personal dreams.

The power of The Dream Manager is that simply becoming aware of the concept will change the way you manage and relate to people instantly and forever. What’s your dream?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The business statistics are astounding: high percentages of detached, ready-to-exit employees; soon-to-occur vacancies among top executive and middle-manager ranks; and a growing chasm between employees and the organizations they work for. From Gallup to corporate human resources gurus, myriad solutions have been proposed. Yet Kelly, consultant and author (The Rhythm of Life, 1999; The Seven Levels of Intimacy, 2005, among others), proffers an idea that seems simple to implement. His philosophy is that organizations can only become best versions of themselves if their employees can realize that same opportunity. Center stage is the Dream Manager, an individual (or group) devoted to helping workers achieve personal life goals. His fictional parable plays out the story of Admiral Janitorial Services, a cleaning company plagued with extraordinarily high turnover. Presto digito! Within months of hiring a Dream Manager, employees stayed. Profits increased—and customers clamored for information. It is true that the pursuit of dreams "creates passion, energy, enthusiasm, and vitality." It is also true that, without solid proof, few businesses will explore this avenue. Jacobs, Barbara

Review

"The Dream Manager emphasizes that a key and critical role of leadership is the ability to recognize the dreams of those that we lead and inspire them to achieve those visions . . . I believe Matthew Kelly’s new book will be an important contribution to the literature of leadership." -- Robert A. McDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Procter & Gamble

"The Dream Manager will forever change how companies think about their employees, and how managers define what it means to do their job." -- Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401303706
• ISBN-13: 978-1401303709
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Motivational

More About the Author

Matthew Kelly, the New York Times bestselling author of The Rhythm of Life and The Dream Manager has been captivating audiences around the world since his late teens. Over the past decade, more than four million people have attended his seminars in over fifty countries. Kelly is the president of Floyd Consulting.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Is About Living Our Dreams, August 21, 2007

By 

Thomas M. Loarie (Danville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dream Manager (Hardcover)

In "The Dream Manager," author Matthew Kelly departs from earlier best-selling books ("The Rhythm of Life, Perfectly Yourself, Call to Joy, Seven Levels of Intimacy") where he focused on improving "self" and provides, through a fable, an innovative way to improve the life of "the other." While the book is centered on the workplace and potential improvements in productivity and profitability, the concept Kelly outlines can reap great returns when applied to people outside of work as well.

Kelly builds on the concept of connection (See Michael Stallard's "Fired Up or Burned Out) to meet basic human psychological needs for respect, recognition, belonging, autonomy, personal growth, and meaning. The connector is the Dream Manager who connects the employees' now to their dreams and a better tomorrow.

The fable Kelly tells is based on a true story in which a janitorial services company had a chronic annual turnover rate of 400%. The fictional General Manager, Simon, is frustrated since he is operating more as a full-time "lead recruiter" rather than GM.

After numerous unsuccessful studies to define the problem, Simon's senior assistant suggests they learn what the employee's dreams are then find a way "to connect their job today with their dreams for tomorrow." Making money without a dream to fulfill is pointless and obscene. "Life is about living our dreams."

The company goes on to implement "The Dream Manager" program (the program's implementation and evolution is described in detail). The program results in improved morale and loyalty, and a drop in the annual turnover rate to 12% while gross revenue tripled. The number of employees grew only to 743 from 407 (less than 200%) during the same period.

The story of Rita serves as an example of a dream fulfilled. Rita, a 42 year old woman, had a dream to own a home. No one in her family ever owned a home. Within 132 days she owned her first home. This dream was not fulfilled with an increase in pay, company bonus or a gift but rather, with the involvement of a Dream Manager who worked with her to develop a program of saving and house/loan shopping. Once in her home, Rita commented that no one had ever asked her what HER dreams were.

Do you know the dreams of those around you? "You can ignore people's dreams, but it will be at your peril. You are free to ignore your children's dreams, your spouse's dreams, your employee's dreams, and your nation's dreams. But in each of these areas of life, you will pay an enormous price if you do." Dreams are invisible but powerful. With a "Dream Manager" you make them visible then harness their power.

Since his real life experience with implementing the Dream Manager program, Kelly has founded Floyd Consulting (Chicago, Illinois) to help companies in its implementation.

And since reading "The Dream Manager," I have begun to find out the dreams of my employees. I have also added the question, "What are your dreams?" to interviews of potential employees, suppliers, and consultants...and I have given copies of the book to: my wife, a real estate agent; two friends who are financial planners; another CEOl; and an inner-city high school teacher. All, like me, are in a position to be effective Dream Managers.

And in closing, it would be accurate to say Kelly's book really is about "self" not just "the other" as there is a lot of receiving when one gives.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give to friends and family this easy but profound read, August 29, 2007

By 

Ralph D. Zerhusen "serious Catholic" (Covington, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dream Manager (Hardcover)

I have now purchased 28 copies of this excellent work, and have given most away already to people I care about. The message is simple but profound. Some amazing conversations with my wife and kids have already taken place because of this book. I highly recommend it. Dave Z.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transform your organization, transform your life, September 1, 2007

By 

Joe Tye "CEO and Head Coach, Values Coach Inc." (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dream Manager (Hardcover)

I have read a great many works of inspirational fiction (and published a few myself), so I'm obviously a fan of the genre. Probably as a result, I'm pretty easy to please but pretty tough to impress. I read "The Dream Manager" at one sitting, then read it again taking notes. I'm impressed! Any leader (including family leaders) who takes Kelly's extraordinary concept to heart and acts upon it cannot help but to achieve extraordinary results. If you are a business leader, you really must read this book - before your competition does! Never Fear, Never Quit