The New Small Business Revolution
Big or small, great things happen when business and individuals put the actions of The Company Cube® into practice. The latest experiences from around the world highlight the positive change taking place in work environments, colleagues and attitudes.
*These experiences are displayed in their native language. Google translation is available on each page.
Posted on in Share Expertise, Time, Yourself
(J.R. – Indiana, USA) – Last week I received an email, sent to a group of people that are contributors to a website. The email asked for feedback on a new design. A few people responded, and a few days later I looked at the emails, and the site, and decided I didn’t really have anything new to add. So I didn’t respond.
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!
Posted on in Share Expertise, Time, Yourself
(Belen Velasco – Cochabamba, Bolivia) We started living the Company Cube at my work place. Last week we were trying to live: Share expertise, time, yourself! So here it is what we shared:
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.
Posted on in Value Every Person, Every Idea
(J.M. – Indiana, USA) – Yes, I had an experience when I had rolled “Value Person, Every Idea!” We were having a problem on a particular project that didn’t seem to have an obvious solution. People were intent on offering what they thought could resolve it, but no one seemed to be listening to each other.
Finally, I recalled the cube, and asked the youngest most inexperienced member of the team what she thought, since she had been silent and was not given a chance to speak. The solution she offered was a combination of several of the ideas that had been suggested, plus a special twist of her own. When she had finished, there was a brief silence from everyone, a little in amazement. “I think she just nailed it!” said another senior manager.
I knew it was The Company Cube that had really offered the right solution – everyone has value!
Posted on in Share Expertise, Time, Yourself
(David Pinto – Mumbai, India) – In India, we have an initiative called Evol started by the youth of the Focolare Movement. It tries to bring the attitude of more development of the society starting in the family and taking it outwards in different spheres of our lives. We decided to plan an event where we could take this desire ahead and introduce it at the workplace where one of us worked. It is a PR firm.
We started working on Thursday evening as we were basically catering for lunch the next day. Here is when we first implemented The Company Cube. When we rolled it first we got the side of the cube which read: SUPPORT – With Actions Not Just Words. I personally just read it and didn’t think about it that much, when concretely there were various moments to do just this while working that evening together especially when we had to organize the work for the next morning. This effort to support each other continued the next day till we had finished preparing the meal for the Office.
Once we reached there we set up everything and were ready to share more about ourselves and introduce the company cube to them as well. When again we said its time to roll it! We read it and it said SHARE EXPERTISE, TIME, YOURSELF! Wow, so relevant considering we were going to do just that, plus it meant assurance to take the effort to live it further more. Especially for myself, since I was the one going to talk to everyone. Definitely I was nervous but this gave me a further push towards living it. We love the Cube because it really helps to change this style of working and make an impact wherever we might have to work as well. The response from the company was phenomenal as well. SO happy for what this can give back to society, it’s so valuable
