So, I decided to start eating in the office kitchen. I usually didn’t do that because I felt kid of silly eating there alone. I only work in the office 2 days a week, so I don’t have much opportunity to talk with my coworkers and my lunch hour varies, so I don’t make plans with other people.

The first day I sat there, three people stopped to talk to me! The next week, the same thing – people would come to wash their dishes or get their lunch and we had a chance to talk. After awhile I realized that even if I did feel silly this was a chance to build relationships with my coworkers. Now I know a little bit more about their lives and when we do see each other it is easier to talk.

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One day after making it to work and seeing the company cube sitting on my desk, I thought about her. She is really making an effort at her job, and even though we don’t share an ‘office’, in a way, she is part of my workday. What could I do to help her?

I thought about the Winter Olympics coming up, so next time I saw her asked if she had anything planned for the kids. She didn’t, but asked if I had any ideas. I found some and emailed them to her. I didn’t hear anything, but one day my daughter came home with one of the crafts I suggested.

She helped me too – as that particular craft was a lot of preparation!

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I thought about The Company Cube and also the owner of my company who is involved in the EoC. What should I do? I felt as if I needed to do something concrete for this person. «Share your time, expertise, and yourself» came into my head. I dediced to call my friend back and go through a concrete example of one of my work projects that might be helpful for the question.

She was very appreciative and our second phone call was shorter and seemed to help more. I also realized that sometimes I call her when I am in the office for professional expertise, while she is at work. So maybe I didn’t get everything done today, but we both learned something and kept our relationship strong for the next phone call!

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Then I remembered the cube I rolled that day, «Support with actions.» So I decided to make another booking. I found a KLM flight with and called the customer to offer him the cheapest fare. He knew that the KLM ticket was a very high price. He was very happy and told me that he would come back to pay the ticket.

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With this in mind, I scheduled a meeting with the Dean of Students at Faraday Elementary School located directly behind Marshall. We agreed to a partnership. Life Directions initiated groups with 8th graders on April 15th. Three (3) adult mentors helped to facilitate three groups with twenty-nine (29) students. We used the Focolare Cube of Peace at the beginning of each group activity to select a positive value to live that day, especially during group interactions.

Our first discovery was that 8th graders preferred The Company Cube over the Cube of Peace. This was interesting in itself since the Focolare developed the Cube of Peace for elementary school classrooms:

The Cube of Peace systematically teaches students and adults to focus on the positive: to respect differences, overcome difficulties and solve problems. Those who use the Cube build a sense of community within their educational setting that increases self-esteem and respect for others who are different from them. Incidents of bullying and behavior problems decrease, and students become more mindful and reflective of their behavior. It fosters an environment that maximizes learning and helps students become co-builders of peace.¹

For the 8th graders at Faraday, this felt a little contrived. Anti-bullying language is part of the discipline code, special non-academic programs, and hallway “advertising.” So when The Cube of Peace was rolled to “Treat each person with respect” our classroom comedian rose to the occasion, using his best “Euro-American therapist’s voice” he parroted the “right” response. “We need to respect ourselves then we will know how to respect others.” His classmates giggled since his answer was for the adults in the room and not for himself or his peers.

The next week I had an inspiration. I had been studying The Company Cube for a presentation to adults as a “new way of doing business.” The light bulb went off. What if I used The Company Cube with the 8th graders? Many were already interested in applying for “apprenticeships” with After School Matters. Others had been part of sports teams. Some were even interested in being entrepreneurs. The Company Cube may have been developed to ignite the “new small business revolution” but I could see it working equally as well with middle and high school students.

At the beginning of the next session I introduced The Company Cube. “I know you are interested in jobs. I also know that many of you have already learned to be team players. So what I brought something new for today. It’s The Company Cube designed by a businessman, and is used by companies that desire excellence in persons for the good of all. If each person can fulfil his or her potential the results ripple into the wider world, interweaving of interpersonal relationships that “see” the good in everyone. Its six values are simple. If you practice them they will help you to find a job and keep a job. The key values are (1) BUILD relationships every day (2) SHARE expertise, time, yourself (3) FIRST to help others (4) SUPPORT with actions, not just words (5) VALUE every person, every idea and (6) COMPETITORS can be friends too.”

Before the groups started, a student would roll The Company Cube. Another volunteered to read it from the worksheet². In turn, facilitators encouraged their students to live it in the present moment, and challenged those not keeping the value in their interactions. Repetition and examples helped to learn the values. When one group rolled “FIRST to help others” and reported back “Some of us might not have jobs this summer. But each of us can be the ‘FIRST to help others.’ So our group named two people we could help and how we could help them” I knew we were on to something. The groups were listening and answering for themselves!

On the last day of our program, Paulina Sennett of Safety Communications, an Economy of Communion company, joined us. She shared how The Company Cube had helped her company and made a presentation on the importance of job safety for teens. Her experiences gave life to the discussion. Near the end of our time together, Paulina asked, ”What can you do to make sure you are never fired from your job.”

“Work hard.”

“Be on time”

“Do what you’re told!” they said in rapid succession.

In the back of the room, ever so slowly, one of Chicago’s best basketball prospects raised his hand. “We can start our own businesses” he said softly, not quite sure of his answer.

Paulina beamed, “You’re exactly right!” Now it was his turn to beam so pleased to have the right answer that was his.

^[1] The Cube of Peace: A Teaching Tool that Reduces Bullying and Promotes Unity, p. 3.

^[2] The Company Cube: The New Small Business Revolution, pp. 3-4, 2013.

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Again we contacted the contractor with this information, but they were very elusive and we could tell they were trying to avoid us and avoid paying. We tried our best not to be angry with the receptionists and accountants we spoke to, but it was difficult because we were not given a straight answer.

In the middle of all this, the accountant for the contractor called us asking for our tax information. We were tempted not to respond and give them the same run-around they had given us. But remembering the values of The Company Cube, we sent it right away.

Finally we were able to reach the contractor, who agreed to sign off and allow the owner to pay us directly (which they did). The contractor even asked my colleague if we would consider working with them again. That was another hard question! After all they put us through to receive our payment, it was hard to believe they would ask that. Instead of saying no, my colleague agreed that if we could make better payment arrangements next time, we would be interested in continuing the working relationship.

In the end we felt that we had failed sometimes with this client by loosing our cool. But instead of everyone leaving the relationship in anger, we were given the chance to keep building a relationship with the contractor and their staff.

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This week was no exception! Today, at our wrap up meeting with the client, it went very well. At the end, the client asked: «do you have any other comments?» We shook our head «no» and thought that was the end. Suddenly, our competitor spoke up: «We would like to say something….we have never been part of a project with such a great team, and a textbook example of how a project should be managed successfully.» It was the highest compliment that we could have received, and it was the fruit of all of our attempts to build relationships with them.

If you ever wondered about this side of The Cube and if it is possible, wonder no more. It is possible! And living it brings one of the most meaningful levels of satisfaction you can ever imagine.

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Another teammate was asked form a member of the team to help him out. She didn’t want to because she feels that every time she asks him a hand he always says no, but she remembered the cube, and helped him out. She told me, I saw you helped him, so I want to help him too.

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This morning I rolled the cube, and got «Share Expertise, Time, Yourself!» I remember the email from last week, and also thought of the person who wrote the email. She also took time to ask us, and very often only gets a few responses. I decided out of respect for her, and to also share of myself and contribute, I would provide some thoughts. As I started writing the email, I even had some new ideas that I didn’t last week.

Maybe not many read my email either, but even a simple gesture lets the organizer know I am still willing to share!

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One of my teammates said that every time he found a useful link he shared with the team, and he helped me out by sharing his expertise and experience to understand people from here since I am not Bolivian. Also he tried to help by giving examples, or tips to the teammates.

One in the group was sick last week, so another one jumped in to take over all the tests she was supposed to give that week. He was inspired by the cube: to share his time and himself. He also offered himself to check out all the computers of the lab.

Someone else realized that sharing herself meant also to ask if she has questions, so she asked the other person of the group for some information and his expertise in some topics. She felt how much we can benefit from others, and how much we can help each other.

Someone else organized the English material that we have in the drawer, so we can all take advantage of them, and we know what is in there. He also tried to make himself available to help others, and to explained things when asked.

I saw as an opportunity to share expertise and time, when the team was asked to check some English translations from the marketing team. I did this as a priority since it was a short deadline.

By asking someone else for help, I realized that also by sharing my questions about Bolivian culture I learned a lot. One day taking my dirty cup to the kitchen, I looked around for the other dirty cups in the office, and took all of them thinking that doesn’t need to be a big thing, we can always share ourselves even in the small actions.

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