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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J a n u a r y 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 27 [continued] » worked longer hours for equal or less pay, he says, and he worried employees felt disengaged or burned out. "So when I picked up 'e Dream Manager,' it just became very, very clear to me. It just slapped me in the face, like, 'Shame on you, Mr. Voss, you've worried too much about every employee's work life and you really never thought about their total life — their life beyond work,'" Voss says. "As an employer it's kind of our job to make sure that people continue to think about their whole life and their dream life and their goals." Inspired, Voss announced the company would hire a full-time dream manager. At first, the idea drew some skepticism from Miron team members and even Dream Coach Carrie Garczynski herself, before she was hired, when she first heard what the company was doing. "I laughed and said, 'Nobody does that. at sounds extremely risky. A lot of fun — but nobody does that,'" Garczynski says. But Garczynski's interest was piqued. Once Miron employees heard her presentation during the company's 2013 summit, they were interested, too. "We talked about how you have the opportunity to create your story, no matter what the chapters are behind you, and here's a benefit for you to help you map this out," Garczynski says. To date, 43 Miron employees from corporate and satellite offices have gone through the Miron Dream Project, custom designed with a construction- related theme by Garczynski, who has a background in communications and corporate training. Projects have included learning to play an instrument, saving for a trip to Italy, developing a salsa-making business, speaking in public and finding birth parents. Miron doesn't provide financial support for the dreams, but Garczynski meets with each dream achiever on a regular basis to map out a timeline, put together a detailed plan and help put employees in touch with the outside resources they need, such as business advisors and financial planners. "I was thinking if I could take 10 employees and turn them from marginal people into people that are excited about their life, excited about their interaction with other people — hey, that would be something different that no other company can say they tried," Voss says. "It attracts better talent. It builds a better team, it creates a strategy and takes your organization to the next level." Craig Bieri wanted to develop his interest in photography and ended up building a "hobby business" that in just a few months has garnered bookings for family, engagement and wedding photos. "Just being a creative person, I need creative stimulation 24/7," Bieri says. "So having this outside of work really kind of sparks my creativity at work, too." Employees can keep their projects totally confidential if they want to. Lindsey DeWitt didn't want anyone to know that she was training to be the first female Miron employee to run the full Fox Cities marathon. Just a few days before she ran, she let the cat out of the bag. "It was kind of a good feeling, and it gave me a lot more motivation and excitement," DeWitt says. "So I'm kind of glad I kept it confidential up until right before." DeWitt's greatest challenge was her doubt. "I had a lot of inner battles with myself," she says. It's not an uncommon challenge and one of the reasons many employees may not have considered giving voice to their dreams or may not want other employees to know what they're working on. Garczynski's job is to help keep team members on track. She kept checking in with DeWitt to make sure she sent in her registration for the marathon, for example, and when DeWitt said she had butterflies about the race, Garczynski sent her a motivational message about butterflies being a symbol of rebirth and renewal. For Bieri, Garczynski connected him with a business instructor at Lawrence University to help him get established. "As an employer it's kind of our job to make sure that people continue to think about their whole life and their dream life and their goals." – D ave Vo s s , Pre s i d e nt a n d C E O, M i ro n Co n s t ru c t i o n Co. , I n c. "I think it builds morale internally. I think it adds to production and quality of work. It adds personality to the people that are in the program – you just see them shine whenever they're talking about their dream or achieving their dream." – C r a i g B i e r i , g ra p h i c d e s i g n e r at M i ro n Co n s t ru c t i o n Co. , I n c. O N T H E W E B » www.northernphotographyco.com » www.miron-construction.com » www.floydconsulting.com