cre8Buzz Blog

A study was done on some of my southern brethren Ants from Central and Southern America. What did it say? It said that my folk are the kind that know how to work well together. So well, that as we are marching two by two or four by four and we encounter a hole, those in front fill it with their bodies so those of us in the back can keep moving ahead without skipping a beat. If the hole is big, several of my brotha’s will fill it. Why am I tellin’ ya this? Cause I think human society, (organizations, communities, etc) can learn a bit from my kin folk.

The lesson, “. . . research demonstrates that a simple but highly specialized behavior performed by a minority of ant workers can improve the performance of the majority, resulting in a clear benefit for the society as a whole.”
Great observation, too bad for humanity. Humanity doesn’t do this minority for the masses thing too well. Too competitive!

Competition is at the root of our society, however like any strength it can be a weakness. Yup, competition is an achilles heel to far too many organizations and our society. The competitive nature that propels an organization to the front of the market can undermine its efforts internally, as folks create potholes for one another rather than fill them. Far too often folks are too busy with everyone else’s job to do their own well.

Ask yourself, how well does your organization promote team unity and shared accountability? No, I mean really. Don’t tell me about some outward bound trip or some all day seminar where folks fall back into each others arms to build trust, but I mean in the day to day. How are the reward systems set up? Who is celebrated, who is getting the promotions? Are those who play they game getting ahead or are those who “fill the potholes” getting the accolades? Companies that are truly focused on the overall value of the organization and those that are unselfishly committed to it’s success, are deliberate in creating an environment of teamwork. They are deliberate and focused in the values and behaviors they reward.

I find that both professionally and socially the country has fewer and fewer folks filling the holes so the rest of it can continue on through. There is a loss to an organization or/and society when this happens. As it continues, fewer and fewer people are filling the holes and it spirals out of control.

I wonder, with the exception of a crisis, is it human nature to fill the holes or is it an adopted social ideal?

If ya askin’ me . . . hell no it ain’t in human nature! It has to be taught, rewarded, cajoled, and glorified and then maybe 1/2 of the folks will get it. But, hey if it’s an ideal, at least they’ll feel good knowin it is right!

Are ya’ll humans as good as us Ants? Who is filling the holes? What do ya’ll think?