The Royal Fisherman

1. Once upon a time there lived a young boy named Alika in a large Castle overlooking the largest lake in the Kings territory. Every morning he would get up, have breakfast, brush his teeth and then kiss his mother good-bye as he left to go fishing.

Alika was the king’s very own Royal Fisherman…so named because he was the best at catching fish in the entire kingdom. Many people had tried to beat him, but they just never seemed able to do so. Alika’s fish were always the biggest and tastiest of any that was caught.

On this particular day, it was nice and warm as Alika took his shovel and went looking for worms in the back garden. He turned over the moist black earth and skillfully plucked the biggest, fattest worms out and placed them into a small wooden box. The box had a cover engraved with a picture of a fish and several small holes carved along the sides. Alika had made the box himself with the special knife that the High Lord Chamberlain Rhett had presented him in honor of his birthday. Alika sprinkled a handful of the moist dirt across the top of the worms so they would sleep comfortably on the way to the lake.

Next he went to ask Squire Spencer if assistance was needed in caring for their sister Hermione. Hermione had come down with a bad case of rutabaga – and although not serious – it did require she be carefully cared for each day. Squire Spencer informed Alika that his services would not be necessary that day – but to please check back as things could always change.

Finally, Alika was on his way to the lake with the sun warming the grass under his bare feet and a gentle breeze teasing his blonde hairs as it danced in and out of the trees along the path.



2. Alika settled into his favorite spot along the bank of the lake. From here he could see the rolling hills of fresh Heather and Blue Belles as they stretched over the land like a fuzzy blanket of blue and green. The sun reflected off the lake making the surface shimmer and an occasional fish would leap through as it caught a fly or water bug for breakfast. Alika carefully threaded his hook onto his line, placed a worm on the hook and with a mighty heave, cast his line far out into the lake where he knew the big fish lived.

His bobber floated lazily on the sunny waters and Alika tipped his hat to shield his eyes a bit from the reflection. Suddenly with a huge splash the bobber disappeared all at once and the fight was on. Alika reeled with all his might – his muscles straining against the fish trying to swim into the deepest part of the lake. He would reel in 20 or 30 feet of line – then the fish would fight back and swim 20 or 30 feet deeper into the lake. Back and forth they went for almost an hour until Alika was finally able to bring the fish to shore.




As he reeled the fish into the shallow water he could see his catch for the first time and he suddenly realized this was no ordinary fish. His scales were made of gold and covered in tiny rubies and emeralds, his fins made of the finest silver. Alika could barely belief his luck. Surely the King would be very pleased with such a beautiful fish and would reward him well. Just as Alika was about to put the fish in the net, it suddenly spoke to him.

“Kind Sir”…the fish started, “I am a prince from a far away land that was turned into a fish by an evil wizard. Although I could not stop the wizard from changing me, my royal blood resulted in me being the fish you see today. I have lived in fear that someone would catch me and keep me for my gold and jewels.” Alika listened intently as the fish told him all about the evil wizard, his home over the far away mountains and about Donna, the Queen of the good witches who was the only one with the power to turn him back. “Please, said the fish – would you travel to the mouth of the Fal River where her highness Queen Donna lives and ask her for a potion to change me back?


3. Alika sat down on the side of the lake and thought about the fish’s story. He had never known a fish that could talk – and so he decided the story must be true. How though, could he travel such a far distance to reach the Good Queen Donna and still provide the King with fish. Surely the King would not be pleased if Alika went on a journey of several days. Finally, he decided upon a plan and told the Fish Prince he would help him. He told the Prince to meet him back at this spot in 7 days and that he would have the potion. With that – Alika released the golden fish and set back about fishing.

All day Alika fished – catching the largest and finest trout and bass he had ever seen. He carefully took them and tied each one with a string and then released them back into the lake. Taking the last two he caught with him, he set off for the castle to deliver dinner for the King.

That night he told Squire Spencer all about the Fish Prince – and his plan to help him. He told Squire that he should go to the lake each day, pull in two of the fish he had tied up and to deliver these to the King. This way no one would suspect he was gone and the King would continuer to receive his dinner each day. Once he was certain that Squire Spencer knew what to do, Alika packed a warm coat and some food and set off for the River Fal on the other side of the mountains.

The sun was dropping slowly in the sky as Alika walked along the path that leads to the mountains. He had never been further than the lake before and as the scenery changed and become unfamiliar, he started to have second thoughts about his journey. He was not a very big boy, being still in school, but he knew he had to help the Fish Prince and so he continued on.

As the sun dipped below the hills and long shadows crept forth from the trees of the forest, Alika fastened his jacket about him to keep off the cold. He then pick out a glass jar and cover he had in his pack and waited quietly for the fireflies to start their evening courtship. He carefully caught five of the largest ones he could find and placed them in the jar. With their magic lights aglow, Alika could see the trail and was able to continue on throughout the night. Higher and higher into the mountains he went, the cold wind whipping through the night air and making his breath look like a tea kettle steaming over a hot fire. As he came to the top of the mountain pass he found a small cave protected from the wind and crawled inside to get some sleep. He covered the fireflies with a spare shirt so their light would not disturb him and fell fast asleep.



4. The first rays of the morning sun shone brightly into the cave, warming the interior and waking Alika from his deep sleep. He had trouble for a minute remembering where he was – and why he was not in his own bed. Then he remembered the Fish Prince and the promise he had made. Alika knew he had given his word and could not let the Prince down. He quickly packed away his things, ate a banana from his pack, and set off once again.

The trail now was narrower – twisting and winding down the mountainside. It rambled along over small boulders and tree roots, sometimes going up for a short distance before continuing its downward slope. In the distance Alika could see a beautiful blue river as it flowed along a forest of tall trees. Just at the horizon he could see where the river flowed into the ocean and that he guessed would be where the Good Witch lived. He walked along as the trail become flatter and he was able to go faster with the sun now overhead and warming his back as he moved along.

He walked for almost the entire day, pausing occasionally to drink some of the cold clear water that flowed along the streams he passed. He stopped to pick some flowers for the fireflies to eat and had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself. It was his last bit of food and he was glad that he could now clearly see the river mouth and knew he did not have far to travel. As he climbed over a hill that had stretched far along the path, he was suddenly standing on the banks of the great river Fal and in the distance was a small thatched cottage with just a wisp of smoke curling from its chimney. Alika decided he would stop there and ask if the owner knew of the Good Witch and where she might be found.

He knocked upon the large wooden door and could hear faint footsteps walking across the floor. The door slowly creaked open and Alika peered inside. He steeped back in awe as the most beautiful women he had ever seen stepped outside. She had long blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean and was dressed in a flowing white gown. Her smile was like sunshine and she carried a crystal wand that glowed like the moon on a cloudless night. He instantly knew this was the Good Witch and he knelt down on one knee and offered his greeting in a hushed voice. The Witch Queen smiled and laughed, and her voice was like a symphony as she invited Alika inside to rest and have something to eat after his long journey.



5. As Alika sat at the table, Queen Donna placed a plate carved from wood and a bowl made from pure turquoise in front of him. Next came a fork and spoon both carved from Jade. Then she placed a large bowl of fruit and a platter of cheese pizza in front of him. “Eat” the Good Queen said. Alika dove in and filled his stomach with the wonderful food. Then the Queen asked him if he wanted some dessert. “Yes please,” said Alika. The Queen told him to help himself. Alika looked into the bowl but did not see anything. “Go ahead said the Queen – your dessert is in the bowl. Not wanting to be rude, Alika placed his spoon in the bowl and pretended to eat. As his spoon touched the side, it suddenly was filled with Vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. “WOW” thought Alika, this is pretty cool. He had a bite of the ice cream and when he placed his spoon back, the ice cream changed to chocolate with chocolate sprinkles. Next it turned into cake and finally the bowl was filled with cookies. Alika could not believe his luck. Finally when Alika could eat no more, the bowl suddenly became empty and clean once again.

“Now my dear, why did you come visit me” asked the Queen. Alika told the story of the Fish Prince and how he had promised to help. The Witch Queen listened carefully and when Alika was done with his story she went to a large cupboard where she stored her magic potions and took down a bottle filled with red liquid. Take this said the queen and pour it on top of the Fish Prince. Make sure he is not in the water when you do for his change back into a human must be done on dry land. Alika nodded that he understood. The queen then helped him pack his sack with fruit and sandwiches for the return trip. She gave him a kiss on the check and Alika set off once again for the trip back to his home.

The trail this time did not seem so bad as Alika skipped along, He was anxious to get home but was still careful not to go too fast. It was nighttime and the fireflies were burning brightly to help him see. There was full moon that hung lazily amid the stars and Alika thought he saw the Old Man of the Moon wink at him as he went. Alika finally reached the cave where he had spent his first night and decided that he would spend the rest of the night there sleeping. He crawled in making sure to place his pack in a safe place and then drifted off to sleep.



6. The sound of birds softly chirping stirred Alika awake. In the distance he could hear the tumble of water as it coursed over rocks and plummeted off a waterfall. He stretched – then slowly got up as the sleep wore off. He was excited now – only a day’s walk back to his home and he was anxious to get moving. He took an apple from his sack that the Good Queen had given him and bit into it. Little apple juice drops splattered across his face as he ate.

The sun was just peeking over the mountains as Alika started down the other side of the trail. Squirrels and chipmunks froze along the edges of the forest as he walked – looking at him with curiosity. Slowly the day became brighter and Alika walked a little faster as the warm wind chased the chill of the evening away. Hour after hour he walked, the scenery becoming more familiar as he went. He recognized the hills in the distance and knew that his journey would be over soon. As he rounded a bend, he could see his lake off in the distance and his heart was filled with joy at the sight.

The next two hours went by quickly and suddenly Alika found himself walking up the path to his house. “Squire Spencer” he yelled out and the door to his cottage was flung open and Spencer came running out. How happy they both were to see each other. “Come inside” said Spencer – “and tell me all about your trip”.

Spencer listened intently as Alika told his tales – about his long walk, the Queen, the magic dessert bowl and the red potion. Alika remembered that that he had a meeting with the Fish Prince in just a few days and carefully took out the magic potion and hid it in the cupboard. Finally he finished telling all his stories and it was time for bed. First, Alika took the fireflies and set them free in the front garden, thanking them for their help and promising to always be kind to fireflies in the future. Then he gave his teeth a good long brushing and crawled into his own bed, in his own cottage, and fell fast asleep.



7. Finally the big day arrived and Alika was up early. The roosters were still sleeping as he slipped out of bed and went in to take a bath. Soon he was having breakfast and afterwards removed the magic potion from the cupboard and placed it in his pack. He quietly let himself out of the house so as not disturb anyone and walked along in the crisp morning air to the lake.

There was a thin cover of mist above the water as Alika stood on the shore and called out to the Fish Prince. Suddenly there was a great churning of the water and the Prince lifted his head out and stared into Alika’s eyes. “I was not sure you would come back,” said the Prince. Alika told him he always kept his promises and not to worry. He explained how he would need to take the Prince out of the water for the potion to work and then lifted the fish and carried him to shore.

Alika laid the fish on a bed of pine needles and then reached into his pack for the magic potion. He took the cover off and just as he started to pour the liquid he heard a noise. Looking up he saw the king sitting on his horse staring straight at him. Alika was scared but it was too late to stop the potion and it splashed over the prince. Suddenly the fish started to change shape and grew and grew. He watched as the fish changed into a human and then looked up to see the King walking toward him. Alika fell to his knees and begged the king to spare him. He tried to explain what had happened so the King would not mad about loosing a golden fish – but the King put out his hand and motioned for Alika to be quiet.

The King then looked at the Prince that had been transformed and tears started to run down his face. “My brother” he said, “How long I have wondered what happened to you – and how long I have wished for your return”. Then turning to Alika he told him that from this day forward – he would become a Knight and would serve with the bravest of his men. Then the king bowed to Alika and thanked him.

Alika could not believe his luck. He had saved the Prince, become a Knight and received a royal thank you. It had been a perfect day.

After the King and the Prince left, Alika went for a swim in the lake and then decided to return home to share his good news. He reached into his pack to pull out a spare shirt, as the one he was wearing was wet. As he pulled it out, a bowl made from pure turquoise and a spoon carved from jade tumbled gently onto the pine needles.

Spencer and the Dragon

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there lived a young boy named Spencer in a house on the edge of the Great Forest. And in front of that house was a big field and in that field there lived a dragon. And Spencer and the dragon were friends.

One day Spencer was at home coloring when a knock came at the window. He looked up to see Mr. Crow sitting on the ledge and looking very nervous. Spencer went over to the window and opened it up.

“Good afternoon Mr. Crow: said Spencer. What brings you to my house today?

Mr. Crow took a deep breath and started to talk. “Mr. Spencer” he said, “some careless humans were camping in the Great Forest and allowed a fire to start in the woods. It is starting to burn the trees and the animals of the forest are getting scared. We need your help right away to put the fire out and save our homes.”

Spencer knew what to do. He went to the closet and put on his boots. He put on his coat and put on his hat. He then went outside and walked into the big field and called out “MR DRAGON”.

Spencer waited for a minute. “MR DRAGON” he called again – just a little louder than the first time. Finally Spencer called out in his loudest voice “MR DRAGON!” Suddenly there was movement in the tall grass and Spencer could see the dragon’s tail as it arched up and the dragon took a big stretch. Mr. Dragon stood up and looked at Spencer.

“Good afternoon Spencer” said the dragon. “What brings you to my field today?” Spencer told him the story about Mr. Crow and the animals in the woods and the burning fire. He told Mr. Dragon that only he could help save the animals now.

Mr. Dragon stretched out his neck and lowered it to the ground. Spencer climbed up among the large scales and held on tight and Mr. Dragon stretched his giant wings and slowly started to lift off the ground.

Higher and higher they flew until Mr. Dragon and Spencer soared over the trees and they could see the smoke in the distance.

Mr. Dragon circled around the fire to get a good view. He had a plan and hoped it would work. He told Spencer to hold on tight and then he started to fly lower. Closer and closer the dragon got to the fire. Spencer could already feel the heat and was started to get a little scared himself.

Just before the reached the fire Mr. Dragon suddenly took an enormous breath. Flying low over the trees he started to blow on the fire with all his might. His breath was more powerful than a hurricane and he blew the flames all out and the fire was gone.


All the animals of the woods cheered as Mr. Dragon flew away and headed back to the house. When they landed, Spencer thanked Mr. Dragon for all of his help and told him what a brave dragon he was.

Then Spencer went inside and hung up his coat and hat and put his boots in the closet. Then he went back to his coloring book and started to color a picture of all his animal friends in the forest.

The end.

Thoughts on management

Remember you are the boss. You are the one employees will be proud of. You embody the reasons people work for your company. People will start off respecting you for the position you hold. Don’t minimize your position or act like their buddy.

Set standards that are fair and understandable. Remember that “fair” is a standard that evolves over time. People need to be reminded of this. You may give someone extra time off or the ability to work from home to meet a personal crisis. Make sure you can apply the standard to everyone in the same situation – but have them understand that they may not need this flexibility for years. Fight the temptation to do too much for one person (even if their situation deserves it) if you cannot do the same for others when they are in need.

Thank three people for something every day. Leave a voice mail for them on your way home from work if you don’t see them before leave.

Thank at least one person at every staff meeting.

At least once a month tell your boss that someone that works for you did a great job and encourage him or her to send a note to that person.

Get to know the people below your direct reports.

Have an extended management staff meeting (your direct reports and the supervisors/managers that report to them each quarter. Start to know them and work with them directly when appropriate. Your bench can be as important as your starters when crunch time comes.

When someone does something worth remembering, write it down and put it in their
1 x 1 file. This will enable you to provide positive feedback, and also is very helpful at review time (it is hard to remember what people had done 10 months earlier). Do the same with areas that need improvement.

Know that every decision you make will be reviewed ad nauseum among all your employees. Get used to this.

Listen twice as much (or more) as you talk. You can never learn when your mouth is engaged.

You do not run a democracy. Voting is a poor way to make important decisions (although can be very useful for minor decisions where the outcome is not really important).

Always solicit input – but make decisions that you are comfortable with. Expect you will have to justify every decision to the President. Just thinking that way will help steer you in the right direction.

Set performance standards that are easy to understand, controllable by the employee and easy to measure.

Have every person in your organization develop a list of 4 process improvements (one a quarter) they will own and implement in the coming year. If you do this consistently, you will improve hundreds of processes each year. Hold people accountable for meeting these goals. Your job here is to clear obstacles – not do the work.

Be known as an astute financial manager. Spend less money than you can.

When doing compensation increases, review total comp with the employee before getting to their raise. This includes current salary, benefit load, 401K contributions, training and development, bonuses, options and other forms of comp. Someone who makes $60K may be surprised to learn that it costs the company a $100K to pay them that. It helps put it all in perspective.

Find a way to benchmark efficiency (ex. Total payroll divided by total claims processed). Keep track of this and improve. It is helpful to have several measures to work against. Have your people understand these measures and set goals to improve results.

Try to visit people in their offices whenever possible.

The first few times you have to have a discipline conversation, write the whole thing out. Answer the main questions (what was done, why is was inappropriate, corrections needed now, actions required going forward, time line to check back with that ee and confirm that good progress is being made). Writing it out really clarifies your thinking.

Don’t soften the blow when having a performance related discussion. Nothing is worse than leaving an ee unsure of what he/she did wrong and what is needed to correct it. Deliver the news straight up and concisely. Then ask if there are questions. Make sure they really understand how their action impacts the company negatively (remember – this is not personal, invoking the company makes it more of a third person discussion). . End on a positive note (I want us to move beyond this situation…).

Performance plans should all build toward a goal. If you want to save $1,000,000 – then every single person from the admin to you needs to have this in his or her annual plan. Make every person accountable for results – in writing.

Be totally focused during 1 x1’s. Don’t take phone calls, eat, talk to others, read or do anything except listen and take notes. Nothing screams respect and understanding more than a focused boss.

Learn to recognize when you are jealous of your ee’s and deal with it before you open your mouth. Moving from an individual contributor to manager can be one of he most frustrating transitions there is. Things may seem to move slowly, other people may not perform as well as you did. Be patient with this transition and learn to gain satisfaction from your ee's success as well as your own.

Find a peer or two in other companies (non-competitors) that you can ask questions of. Go to a professional conference with just this goal in mind.

Prepare an agenda with action items when you meet with your boss. Send pre-work on issues that are larger or complicated.

Remember that every employee is hired to generate profit for the company. There is no other reason to hire or keep someone. Get everyone to understand how his or her role contributes to profitability.

People work for people – not for a company. Your people work for you. Make an environment where they can see the positive results and they will stay and flourish. Take the time to explain how comp increases, stock price increases, bonus checks and other recognition items are directly connected to their results.

Every situation has a solution. Make sure you know what it is before you act.

Remember that success is not guaranteed, hard work is no substitute for good thinking, acting impulsively will always come back to bite you and everyone is watching and evaluating you all the time.