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Balancing Dreamers and Doers for Business Success

I am inherently a Dreamer. I like to imagine the growth my business can achieve, the services we can develop, the clients we can help, and the financial success we can attain. Oh, how I can dream!

Despite these amazing ideas, I’m practical enough to know that dreaming on its own will only take a business so far. To be a successful business owner, you must also be a Doer. If it weren’t for Mike Rowe, a past mentor of mine, I would probably still just be dreaming.

Mike was a Doer. He completed tasks on his to-do list faster than the chip in your computer becomes outdated. He consistently measured and managed both his performance and the company’s results.

What was so great about Mike is that he also understood the value of the Dreamer.

He believed that if one could master both the Dreamer’s goal-oriented, future-focused skill set, and the Doer’s task-oriented, present-focused abilities, they would improve their performance and accelerate their own growth, as well as that of their company.

I feel fortunate that Mike taught me the value of developing both skill sets and understanding both perspectives. I personally grew from it, and I recognize when business owners are struggling with the Dreamer vs. Doer conflict. I encourage you to assess yourself and establish whether you are a Dreamer or a Doer.

A Dreamer always expects their ideas and visions for their business will manifest into reality. To solve issues, they think about the big picture. They often miss the issues or challenges that must be dealt with today in order to move their company forward.

They get frustrated when their dreams aren’t achieved or are put aside, because for them their vision is so clear.

A Doer focuses on the here-and-now tasks and often ends up somewhere other than where they had hoped to be. To solve issues, they focus more on “doing things right” rather than “doing the right things.”

They fail to consider whether their tasks are leading them in the right direction, and they are often disappointed when they don’t achieve their goals despite their hard work and commitment.

Which are you, a Dreamer or a Doer? By evaluating your skills and perspectives, you can determine how to enhance your performance.

You can develop your own personal skill sets and enhance your company’s performance by surrounding yourself with individuals who offer different skills and perspectives.

At Collaboration, we purposely balance our team with individuals who offer a diverse set of skills and perspectives. This ensures we are not blindsided by reality or miss opportunities because we are not looking at the whole picture.

I worked to develop skills in areas that are not my natural strengths, which in turn improved my leadership and management abilities. Thanks to Mike Rowe taking the time to educate me on this understanding of the Dreamer and the Doer, our organization is strong with both skill sets.

Bottom Line

By evaluating whether you are a Dreamer or a Doer, improving on your weaknesses, and surrounding yourself with individuals who will complement your skills and perspectives, you can improve your personal performance and accelerate your company’s growth.

There are many behavior assessment tools on the market to assist you in determining your style such as WorkTraits™, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator™ (MBTI), DISC® Profile, and 16PF®.

This is another article in a series on Michael Gunther’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family and his belief in creating a growth company with a work-to-live mentality has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at: www.Collaboration-llc.com. 

Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration, LLC, a team of highly-skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education and consulting services. Learn more at: www.Collaboration-llc.com. Bottom Line is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media.

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