GHOST STORY
A Modern Business Fable

Lying untapped within the workforce is a source of power that resides in the ideas and experiences of individuals. Once combined, this "cumulative wisdom" has the potential to become an organization's strongest competitive advantage.

Ghost Story is a business fable about the power of collaboration. The story begins when the heroine, Dot (short for Dorothy), becomes the newest member of a cross-functional team formed to solve a major corporate problem.  Intimidated by other members, and overwhelmed by the fact that the rotating leadership position will be hers the following Monday, Dot sits alone in the team's conference room Friday evening, commiserating with "her only friend in the place," a bonsai tree. When the tree starts talking back, the reader and Dot are swept into a fantasy world where Dot is again asked to lead a team. Although her team members are unique - this time they include a magpie who hoards information, a 5-and-a-half-foot tall index finger who blames her mistakes on others, a pig in an Admiral's costume who "protects" staff by keeping them uninformed, the 3-year old head of IT who speaks only "dribble", and a Martian who is afraid to contribute because he's an outsider - their reasons for refusing to collaborate are all too familiar. Dot's adventures in this parallel universe mirror her real-life challenges. By the end of the book, Dot learns why team members aren't telling each other what they know and is able to help them see the advantages of open collaboration.

"Captivating story with lots a characters that people will recognize and relate to. The messages are clear and powerful for everyone working in our networked society."
Nigel Oxbrow, Founder and Chief Executive, TFPL Ltd, London


"I am struck by how easy this method is to teach individuals what is not appropriate for effective team performance without offending them. At the same time, you insert the how they should be thinking and adjusting their approaches. I think that is the key value of this story."
Robert H. Buckman, Chairman of the Executive Committee - Board of Directors, Bulab Holdings, Inc., holding company of Buckman Labs

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For a closer look at "Ghost Story" please view the downloadable PDF file here.