17
2008
Dreamers, Schemers, And Reamers
Dreamers, schemers, and reamers, we at TriOpus Group feel you need them all!
Recently, after I gave a speech at a conference on – what else – change, I had a great chat with a member of the audience. He told me how he works with teams and organizations to get the best changes implemented. He began by saying we have to separate the dreamers, schemers, and reamers!
Firstly, let me define the three:
Dreamers are the people that come up with great sky blue ideas
Schemers are people that can figure out how to implement the dreamers’ dreams, and
Reamers are the folks that will tell you why none of the dreams will work.
Again, I emphasize, we need all three!
My new friend then told me that he gets his audience to identify themselves or others by category and, once done, tells the schemers and reamers to take a hike, go get coffee, and just disappear until called.
Then he works with the dreamers to come up with all their ‘off the wall’ ideas. When they have exhausted themselves, he invites the schemers back into the room to figure how these ideas can come to life. Finally, he brings back the reamers to try and pull apart all the work that has been done. After that, according to my friend, you are left with what is probably doable.
As simplistic as it may seem, there is a lot of merit in the approach. As negative as reamers may sound, they are a vital part of the process – the due diligence piece if you like. But they can sabotage what you are trying to achieve if they are allowed to get involved too soon. And, as meaningful as schemers are, getting into detail while the dreamers are coming up with ideas will frustrate the dreamers no end.
So let me ask you, When it comes to ‘change’ in your company, are you a dreamer, schemer, or a reamer? ‘Well it depends’ you are probably saying, and you’d be right. I suppose it all hinges upon who comes up with the idea.
Would this approach work inside your company with your teams?
‘Absolutely’, say you dreamers.
‘If it is planned right’, I can hear you schemers telling me.
And you reamers, what do you have to say?
‘Not a chance’.
I thought so.
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