Dream Big & Set Goals with The Perk
Explore our August newsletter about dreaming big and goal-setting at The Perk. Learn how dreams enhance culture and leadership!
The following is an excerpt from our August 2024 issue of Hey Leader.
Hey Leader, crafted with thought & care by The Perk, is a monthly email series all with the intention to help you lead better. You belong here!
Hey, Leader —
Something we talk a LOT about at The Perk are dreams.
I don’t mean “dreams” as in, “Whoa! I had a weird dream last night!”
(Well, maybe sometimes we talk about those, too.)
Or, “Ooh! I really want to win the lottery!”
(That is a dream, to be sure, but it’s not the kind of dream I’m talking about.)
I mean, DREAMS. Those wants & desires that you feel in your bones, & in your heart. The things you feel like you were made to do, made to bring to life.
The aspirations & ambitions that breathe life into EVERYTHING you do. The ones that make you feel like an MVP of your own life.
I love what John Maxwell says about dreams. He talks about our dreams as our compass—one that tells us the direction we should travel. “And until we’ve identified that right direction, we’ll never know for sure that our movement is actually progress.” Totally agree, John.
So, what do our individual dreams have to do with culture & leadership? EVERYTHING. When you—& your team—get to live your dreams AND support each other, it makes for an incredible culture. Sharing our dreams—& cheering each other on with theirs—creates trust (it’s literally what the ‘Celebrate’ trust behavior in our Trust by Design framework is all about!). It helps people feel seen & heard, & it just makes everything more joyful & fun.
One of the best feelings I have as a leader is knowing that at the same time we’re building our collective dream at The Perk, we’re also making it possible for our team to live out & fulfill their dreams. During the hiring process I share with candidates the vision of The Perk, what our dreams are, & I ask them about theirs. I want to know before we even hire someone that as they work to help The Perk achieve our goals, that we, too, can help them achieve theirs. It’s a win-win & makes for incredible employee engagement, as well as success for all.
Dan & I also set an example for the team by expanding our own dreams. That’s right, we bought a hotel! When we tell people that we’re investors in The New Glarus Hotel, they’re always a little surprised. I get it: it seems pretty spur-of-the-moment, but it’s actually a dream that’s over four years in the making. Dan & I fell in love with New Glarus during the early months of the pandemic—so much that we actually rented an apartment there in 2020. We saw that the hotel was for sale & started to do a little digging, but at that time in our lives, we had to make a choice: the hotel, or The Perk? We chose The Perk, but the hotel was always in the back of our minds. Last year, we were approached by the partners in renovating & opening The New Glarus Hotel. We had the dream four years ago, & now it’s coming true.
Dan says it best: “I love that we’re bringing this place back to life—& I love that I get to do this with Leah & our partner Christina. Seeing it come back—& seeing the love that all the investors & the community has for the project—is incredible.”
If you’re a leader who wants to let your team do a little bit of dreaming together, I have a few thoughts:
Create a Team Vision Board together. On the vision board, we have the vision & goals for The Perk clearly displayed, & a picture representing our personal dreams are part of the board, too. Each week we discuss The Perk’s vision & discuss how working to achieve that vision also helps us achieve our personal vision & dreams. When our team is able to work on & realize their dreams, everyone wins. Heres’ a photo of our Team Vision Board:
Hire a Dream Coach. Coaching is all about helping people get clear on what they want in life, & supporting them in the achievement of it. Work with a Perk Coach to get clear on what your dreams actually are & how to get after achieving them!
Host a “Set Goals that Matter” Workshop. In this super popular workshop of ours, we lead your team through different exercises & discussions to help each team member get clear on what they ultimately want in life & in their career so they set goals that actually matter to them AND that move the business forward (win-win for all!). Reach out to learn more - Q4 is an IDEAL time to do this with your team!
Because here’s the thing about dreams: they do come true. And being genuinely excited about the dreams of others is one of the best trust & connection builders. Start by asking what their dream is, then support the crap out of them & cheer them on!
What's The Perk saying?
Our media selections this month focus on ways to identify & build your dream with intention & energy!
8 min read
20 min activity
49 min watch
What's our community saying?
We’re always soaking in the latest news & insights on culture, organizational development, & leadership. This month’s resources focus on empowering you to make your dreams a reality.
12 min read
Jeremy Sutton | PositivePsychology.com
55 min listen
Lynn Debilzen | Redraw Your Path podcast
58 min watch
Mel Robbins podcast
Our Team’s Dreams:
Steph’s dream— she’s close to fulfilling it any day now!—has always been to be a mom. “Becoming a mom is something I always hoped & dreamed would happen to me,” she says. “One of the best things about entering this wonderful time of my life with The Perk team is that I’ve never felt like I’ve needed to choose between my career & being a mom. It’s not an ‘either or’ but a ‘yes, and.”
Building a stage that helps people amplify their voices—as well as her authentic voice—is Jess’s dream. To do this, she says she thinks of her work & life like a portfolio, and incorporates music & arts into everything she does—through her role as a teaching artist with The Lullaby Project, and as a board member with Make Music Madison all combine to fulfill this dream.
For Emily, her dream was to move closer to family & build a new home. She & her husband Bryce built their house last year, & she loved that The Perk team was flexible on the many days they had to meet with contractors. “Once we completed the build, the whole Perk team drove out & we had our team meeting day at our house instead of the office,” Emily says. “It was so special to me to share the space we worked so hard to build & show them all the little hidden gems our town has to offer.”
Isabel has already fulfilled her first two dreams—graduating from college AND earning her Master’s Degree, too! (This is an especially big deal, as she’s a first-generation college student!) Her big dream is to build a vibrant community & create a safe place where people can come to generate ideas & “find their next big thing.” She’d also really like to be on a “40 Under 40” list someday. (No doubt that will happen!)
Corie’s dream—beginning with her previous career as an HR Director—was to initiate the kind of conversations & ideas that would make work more enjoyable for her coworkers. She connected with The Perk in her former role & it showed her that HR work could be so much more than tactical functions—it could be built on a foundation of culture & leadership. After 20 years with her organization, she was able to realize her dream more clearly by joining our team!
She also has a dream to hike Glacier National Park with her family. Corie says that for her, it’s all about having the chance to “elevate” — whether it’s ascending a glacier in a state park, turning things up a notch with The Perk, or striving to make an impact personally & professionally.
Teams large & small love working with The Perk!
SEE results in action!
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About The Perk
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The skills your leaders need today are very different from the ones they needed 5 years ago. We equip leaders with the skills they need to confidently & effectively lead their teams now & going forward.
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