They say the era of dreaming is over. The time has passed for world-changing ideas because the great start-up era is over. Had 2020 not happened, I would have had to agree with this sentiment. True, it is still relevant because although dreams are necessary, their purpose, methodology, and implementation are different from previous ones. But one thing is certain: to take our businesses in the new directions we want, we need dreamers.
Business owners and the hamster wheel
We are living in an era of universal change. Many people have started adjusting their business strategies and are trying to find solutions to new situations, all to position themselves well and capture and exploit this new market environment. Everyone senses and knows that the decks are being re-shuffled. In this situation, one really needs to come out of the safe box and produce fresh ideas. Indeed, but one’s ego does not just disappear because there is a new market situation. We remain who we were, but now we have to thrive in a different environment. In other words, brand new ideas will also be produced by those who are fundamentally born for it. By those who, even at rest, it is natural to want to change everything. Some have this motivation. However, for those who are wired differently, it is vain to think that they will be able to solve the current situation. In other words, they have to recognise that, however unpopular they may be with a constantly mobile workforce, they are needed now. This, of course, raises serious questions for business owners, and I’m talking primarily about smaller companies. Because that’s where the people who support strategic decision-making need to be included in the circle of trust, and trust cannot be established in a month or two. And yet, it is now that one has to react to the market; processes have begun. Moreover, successful business owners owe their longer-term success precisely to their sobriety and generally stay away from the “I want a quick exit” mindset. They really want to build something. Something to be proud of. And, of course, you need new ideas and dreams, but they are more down-to-earth and build on the current business. In other words, they can speed up the current hamster wheel, but they can hardly get off it. Because, for that, we need dreams that can be well managed and executed. But that cannot continue; otherwise, they can stifle dreamers.
Turmoil
Within the company, however, a true dreamer can cause serious turmoil. They are dynamic, proactive, talk a lot, and can keep others on their toes. It has to be acknowledged that they will not deliver anything concrete and that implementation and operational activity are far from them. So they must have very good dreams; otherwise, their presence is useless. This is what the owner and the entire management must be prepared for. An idea may set the company on a brand new course, but it may also take a year of time, money, and energy away from the people doing the job properly. Many owners try to mitigate this risk by hiring specialists and strategists to dream. In other words, they do not upset their organisation and do not consistently tolerate a person whose principles are contrary to their own. As a result, the demand for strategic advice has increased, and business owners are looking fairly intensively for reliable dreamers. In this way, the dreams are sufficiently “outside the box” but can be integrated and adapted to the current functioning of the company.
Next episode
OUTSIDE THE BOX, for real this time! (Transforming Strategy in 2021) Episode 3: Sobering up in 2021