Enterprise Dreams

Enterprise by Design (Part 8)

We all have dreams and visions of the rewards we will gain if our goals are achieved.  Achievement is not always what is important if you are a dreamer.  My Dad was a classic dreamer.  He always had a dream and could tell you how it would work in detail as he spun the future in his imagination.  His smile was a mile wide and his chuckle throaty as he considered options and benefits. 

Like many dreamers, Dad never had extra money and when he did, he was likely to give it away if he met someone who needed it more or if it would bring joy to someone.  He was never a status seeker and wealth was not something he worked to accumulate.  That was a part of the problem in converting his dreams to reality.    He was good at telling us that it took money to make money, but it was not from experience, it was because he knew it in theory.

His enterprise dreams were the most elaborate of all.  In his mind and scratched designs on paper, he built companies under a benevolent umbrella that would employ every family member and friend.  He thought of the products and services that would be created and sold to both internal and external consumers.  He understood the woven fabric that creates the most successful enterprises.

Dreamers inspire others with their ideas but often never really start anything.  Beyond money or resources, dreamers are not doers and do not want to be harnessed to the work it takes to make their dreams a reality.  Dreamers like my Dad have a very pleasant world in which their imagination lives and grows.  They work through day to day tasks to make a living while they look forward to the time they can dream of great things they will probably never touch.

Being a dreamer and enjoying your dreams is not wrong or bad as long as there are no contingencies or dependencies that will suffer.  Dad’s dreams of his business enterprises probably inspired many others who were doers to build businesses.  They might not have had the original dream but could use the ideas and concepts of a dreamer.  Someone else using his ideas and enjoying success was always a source of pride for Dad.  There was never any remorse. He did not look back or get into the ruts of shoulda, coulda, woulda.  He was genuinely happy and loved the freedom of his dreams that could be enjoyed without encumbrance or work.

When you encounter a dreamer, do not dismiss them as worthless.  Listen to the ideas they share when you can.  They often have time to think of things that are great ideas just waiting for a doer to put to work.  They are contributors, just not in the traditional sense.

When I was a child outside with my Dad, whenever we saw great puffy clouds in the sky, Dad would say that they were the ideas generated in brain storms traveling to destinations unknown.  Today, he would have been 83 and I am sure that he is happily puffing out dreams and ideas to float past the doers who will put them to work.  

Happy Birthday Dad!