Customer Reviews

The Dream Manager

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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.

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.

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

Matthew Kelly writes like he speaks - with power, clarity, and focus. I should know because I've shared the platform with him, and I've read every one of his books. In this latest book he tells the story of Simon Roberts, general manager of Admiralty Janitorial Services. Recruited to run the company by Greg, the entrepreneurial founder, Simon finds he spends more time recruiting than anything else. With 400% annual turnover, a little over average for the industry, the company is a revolving door. And turnover costs-big time. Simon convinces Greg to go back to the basics and ask employees what they want and need, even though the executive team believes they have answer: more money. And it turns out they are wrong.

By really listening to employees and finding innovative solutions that appear to cost, but really pay back-and pay back big time, Simon finds the real key to employee satisfaction, full engagement, and reduced turnover, as well as profitability. For example, running employee shuttles to help people get to their jobs because many don't have cars, and the buses don't operate on the schedules when they clean buildings.

Ultimately, this is where the Dream Manager comes in-someone who asks people what their dreams are and then helps them to create plans to reach them. Simon and Greg, together with the executive team and the Dream Manager, show the employees that the company is committed to helping them achieve their dreams-and the employees respond with increased performance, lower turnover, fewer sick days, and greater productivity.

Kelly helps the reader realize the importance of motive in making the concept of a Dream Manager work. Though the story is fiction, the facts quoted are alive and well in every industry. Hearing of the employees' dreams that come true because of the company's commitment, will bring tears to your eyes. Executives and managers reading this book will long to make the same things happen for their own employees-and they can. The final section of the book lays out a step-by-step plan for individuals, managers, or organizations to implement their own Dream Manager process.

Armchair Interviews says: Everyone will want to work for a company with a Dream Manager program.

The Dream Manager is an incredible book! I was listening to the audio version on a 200 mile drive and I wanted to keep driving because there was more to hear. Every manager, business school student, parent, teacher, coach, and everyone else should either read the book or listen to the cd's. If you have forgotten your dreams, it will inspire you to rediscover them. If you need help to develop a game plan to achieve your dreams, this story is for you. The first two cd's tell the story of a company; the third cd includes an interview with Matthew Kelly. Initially, I was disapointed that Matthew was not the narrator, but I quickly got over it. I highly encourage "The Dream Manager"!

The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly is a short business novel about a company which reduces its absenteeism hugely and increases its staff's satisfaction by helping its staff discover then achieve their dreams. Despite my "business speak" synopsis this is a moving and powerful book. I read it in just a few hours, I buy into the ideas (in fact, I think I live the ideas to a certain extent), and I love how Kelly managed to make his case both emotionally and in business terms. Very nice book. Worth every penny.

I loved this book. Very motivating and inspiring.
I'd love to work for a company like the one described!

The Dream Manager is a fable of a janitorial company that is experiencing an incredibly high turnover rate (over 400%). As the executives ponder the reasons for the turnover and the possible solutions, Simon, the General Manager and main character of the book, suggested doing a survey to get to the bottom of this problem. The survey turned out a couple of issues and they were addressed immediately. It turned out that a lot of the employees were complaining about the transportation issues. Greg, the Owner, had the initial impulse to through money at the problem in the form of pay raises, but it was obvious that this was not the solution. After implementing a transportation program and noticing a decline in turnover, Greg insisted that another survey needed to be done to further reduce the turn-over.

After much discussion they concluded that what they needed to do for the employees was eliminate the "dead-end" job mentality from the employees' mind. Of course, being janitors, many in the management team concluded that it was by consensus a dead-end job. Simon, however, thought differently and with the blessing of the owner implemented a position called "Dream Manager". This position sole responsibility was to find out what the employees' dreams were and then help them realize them. The results were outstanding. First the morale and attitude began to change to one of gratitude and excitement, then their work begin to improve and the bottom line of the company got better and better as the time progressed.

The story, of course, is fictional. However, it would be easy to see how a program like this could be beneficial for any company. Human capital is the most important capital of any company and the feeling of not being appreciated and meaningless work permeates corporate America like a cancer. Simon declares in the story: "The primary responsibility of all relationships is to help each other fulfill our dreams." With this in mind how can an organization loose when they help fulfill the dreams of their employees.

John C. Maxwell has said that "leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand". I have not heard of a better way to touch the employee's heart than by sincere concern for their dreams. The book is short and very powerful. The idea is simple and business transforming. Enjoy!

Matthew Kelly is utterly amazing and so very gifted. I have read two of his previous books and have several tapes of his workshops. It amazes me how he builds on everything he has previously taught about it in The Rythm of Life and Perfectly Yourself.

This is a self-help book for the workplace. As a Catholic professional, this is the BEST book I have ever read to apply for work. Matthew is amazing. Its a quick and wonderful read. I highly recommend it!!

Every now and then, someone will remind me of something I knew but had forgotten or perhaps simply got out of the habit of thinking about or doing. Such is the case with Kelly's small but very interesting book "The Dream Manager."

Kelly reminds us that the best way to be successful ourselves is to help other people be successful. As business leaders and/or owners, we of course want our businesses to be successful. We work hard at that. Yet often we forget to help the people who work for us, with us and around us to be successful. If you are like me, you've gotten that message several times over your career - from Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar and any other number of business leaders and motivational speakers.

Kelly has written an excellent story, quick read and compelling call to get back to the basics of helping ourselves by authentically working to help others. More importantly, Kelly gives us some practical ideas and concepts for how to do this in a practical way. The first four steps for you as a manager are to: 1) Write your own Dream List. Examine each of the twelve areas (see below) and come up with a list of one hundred dreams. 2) Spend half an hour each morning walking around, visiting with your team members. Begin to take a sincere interest in their lives. 3) Pull your team together for a Dream Session. Send out a memo or call a meeting to explain what it is, how it will work, and what it is designed to achieve. If you are concerned about how it will be received, have some or all of your team members read the book before the Dream session. And 4) Use employee reviews as an opportunity to take an interest in the dreams of the people who report to you.

The twelve areas of interest to stimulate your ideas for dreams are: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Psychological, Material, Professional, Financial, Creative, Adventure, Legacy and Character.

I thought enough of the concepts in this book that I chose it as the primary gift for my colleagues and clients in honor of the yearend holidays.