THE OUTSOURCED DREAM MANAGER

I got an email from a colleague asking me how to find a "Dream Manager."  I recognized the concept of a Dream Manager, but it had been years since I read Matthew Kelly's book.  Since it was still on my bookshelf, I thought I should re-read it before recommending a course of action.

I want to share some of my thoughts as a I re-read The DREAM MANAGER.

Like so many of these management books, The DREAM MANAGER is a fictional story about an imaginary business.  I always struggle with these little parables, because I wonder how much of it would be reality vs. wishful thinking.  In this case, I think truth would follow fiction pretty closely.

The basic premise is that a janitorial business is struggling under the weight of massive employee turnover and is on a journey to turn it around.

They stumble on the truth that, "There are two things that keep people interested in a job: the sense that they are making a difference and the sense that they are progressing or advancing."

Since janitorial work isn't particularly meaningful, they focus on enhancing their employees sense of progress and they hire a Dream Manager to facilitate this process.

The Dream Manager meets with each employee to help them document and develop a plan to accomplish their dreams.   He uses their monthly meetings to provide support, resources and accountability based on each employees unique needs.

You can imagine the arc of the story.  Employees re-engage with their lives and their work.  Their loyalty to the company grows and the company becomes more successful as employees accomplish their dreams.

I would suggest that, though it is fiction, The DREAM MANAGER is highlights an important truth.  The person who can help people feel like they are making a difference and progressing in the world can change lives.

"The pursuit of dreams creates passion, energy, enthusiasm, and vitality." And "People stop dreaming because they get caught up in the hustle and bustle of surviving."

They need, want, wish for, someone to help them break out of survival mode and feel that sense of progress again.

The DREAM MANAGER is set in a corporate environment and is about motivating employees.  It depends on a forward thinking management team willing to invest in an internal Dream Manager position.   In this cost-conscious world, how many companies are really going to do that?

What if you could become the outsourced Dream Manager?

I know that many of you manage group plans for businesses large and small.   What if you were to develop a coaching program that supports holistic dream attainment and financial health?

I think that in today's competitive environment, the out-sourced Dream Manager could be a low-cost, scalable way for companies to invest in their employees, build loyalty and still be gentle on the bottom-line.   It is also perfect for those considering a subscription-based, next generation financial planning model.

Matthew Kelly says that "one of the primary responsibilities of all relationships to help each other fulfill our dreams."  If you are the person who helps others fulfill their dreams, all of them, not just financial, you are one of the most important relationships in their lives!

I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of The DREAM MANAGER and read it through the lens of your Advice-based  Financial Planning practice.  How could you incorporate these concepts into your business model, or even add an additional service model, to ensure that you become the person who helps your client's fulfill all of their dreams?

With Purpose,

-Lucila

If this concept intrigues you, I would love to talk to you about it.  I KNOW that there is a huge possibility here for the right advisor focused on the NextGen market. 

Instagram and all the social medias are filled with unlicensed "Financial Coaches" sharing their one lived experience with doe-eyed novices.