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Your Turn for Rory's Story Cubes

Here are some examples of stories based upon three rolls of the Story Cubes. You can comment on these stories or write your own by clicking .

Story Cubes, Roll Number One!

Sample Story:
Once upon a time, in fact, at the very beginning of time, the Great Spirit (eye) who brought health and prosperity to all the native people (teepee) decided she needed helpers to tend and care for the earth. So she cast a spell with her magic wand and created a sheep to live upon the land and tend it. She also created a fish to swim beneath the waters and care for the sea.

For many years the earth and sea were cared for and the Great Spirit thought she could finally grow old and retire (walking stick). But one day, the sheep noticed that the heavy rains had carried away her top soil so the land was no longer productive. At the same time, the fish noticed that waste and garbage from the land was filling up her rivers so that the sea had become polluted. The sheep and the fish blamed each other for the degraded state of the world. They made such a commotion that finally the Great Spirit commanded them to stop their arguing. She said (thought balloon), "Since you both have made a mess of things and won't take responsibility, I will make a new helper to keep you in line." She waved her wand again and created a great tortoise. With her gigantic flippers, the tortoise swam through the sea removing the debris that had washed there. And as she crawled across the land, her enormous body rebuilt the hills and mountains and made them productive again.

Lesson: If this story was a metaphor for your workplace (modern building), how might it represent some of the relationships and activities that affect your productivity?

Here is a story for Roll Number One from Alan Montgue of Chicago:

The e-mail came out at 4pm and everyone's eyes opened wide in shock. There we were at the top of the Sears Tower working away hard. It's been a tough year in the software business and at times we felt like we had been swimming upstream, never able to relax for fear of being swept back. The business was certainly taking a caning. Some of us felt like we were just plodding on slowly and steadily hoping that the Hares who we compete with would tire themselves out. Some just followed the current strategy, blindly like sheep being led who knows where. Most of us were afraid to speak up and when given the opportunity said nothing. After all this was our work home and it's better to be inside the tent peeing out than outside peeing in! But most of all we need a leader, someone who could help us succeed and work the Magic on the business. Was the new CEO that man? Only time will tell. BTW (Our new CEO was announced on Tuesday evening!)

--Thanks for your contribution, Alan, and congratulations for writing a story that's relevant to your own situation!

The following story using the same roll of the dice is from Nanette Helgager of Niagra Falls, NY:

I am feeling tired these days so I walk with a cane. So you ask why I feel tired.

As I take a look at the tasks before me, I am sure others may feel the same way; there are so many chiefs, so few Indians and even less sheep that are willing to blindly follow the leader when they hear that voice calling. I feel like a salmon swimming up stream to spawn and grow our numbers. But how can I just one person do this almost impossible task.

So I read the Thiagi newsletter and get an idea. I'll go to the big city and learn from the master and his protégé. They wave their magic wand (or Whistle) and the foundation is started. Just one small person moving along as sure as the turtle can make a big difference.

I no longer need the cane, our programs are growing. The master has created a new focus for our team.

Story Cubes, Roll Number Two!

Sample Story:
Hal was worried (face). With just a few days before his final report was due, he just couldn't pull all the pieces together. Even after running his calculations a forth time (abacus) things just didn't add up. His boss was breathing down his neck, watching his every move (eye). Hal needed help (hand) - desperately!

He paced (footprint) the halls of the lab searching (flashlight) for inspiration. Of course, there was little to inspire within the soft gray halls of the office. But when Hal stepped outside, the fresh air and warm sun cleared his mind.

Back at his desk, Hal had a sudden inspiration (lightening bolt)! By rebooting his old Windows 95 OS, his spreadsheet recalculated the data and his spell checker caught a misspelled word. He was saved (parachute)! He turned in his report early and went home to a well-deserved and restful (sleeping person) weekend.

Back to the December 2010 issue.

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