Be a BEE (Better, Effective, Engaged)!

After being attacked by a group of honeybees while plucking flowers in my garden- I rushed inside my home. Soon I realized that a battle with the bees isn’t a good idea. Now, Bees may have tiny brains, but they are surprisingly intelligent. Research has shown that bees can learn from their environment to gain a reward, and then teach other bees to do the same. The way they support fellow bees is commendable & it made me think of our workplace environment, culture and businesses.

I did some exploration & found several amazing facts about bees, some which we can learn from and adapt I already knew one point, that bees produce honey, which is a cure to many diseases. But their most important feature is their contribution in pollination to which accounts for 70% of the food we eat!  Without honeybees, we’ll literally cease to exist.

Bees are not only important to the environment, I learned how they work as a group to achieve their common goal is awe-inspiring. I believe we can easily draw a parallel on how organizations function nowadays &can learn about co-operation, hard work and decision-making from these bees.

Better @ Teamwork, Loyalty and Respect:

Bees are tiny, yet the most diligent creatures on this planet. They exhibit an exemplary team spirit, where every bee serves a role in the ecosystem. A colony consists of different kinds of adult bee workers: Drones, scouts, nurses and a queen, all of which cannot survive without the support of the colony. Their collaborative efforts help in creating a new hive. For example, the scout bee hops from flower to flower in search of the shortest route and assesses the quality of food. From nursing to collecting nectar, every bee goes through different stages and plays the vital role. This means we should learn from honeybees that Teamwork can do wonders for a company.

Another Job these tiny bees have is to protect the hive from. When a Honeybee stings a person, it cannot pull the spikey stinger back out. Not only the stinger, but also part of its abdomen and digestive tract including muscles and nerves, which is why in most cases a honeybee dies when it stings a mammal. The bee dies, but it can keep pumping venom which makes it a great anti-mammal defense. Their stinging is instinctive and does not harm their evolutionary fitness because they are better off saving their colleagues than themselves. This is how they die, protecting their family, with honor and dignity.

Every thriving organization is functional because of actions of its work force. US Marine shares the risk just like bees do. They risk and sacrifice their lives for the country as well as for other team. When asked, they say, it gives them a feeling of fulfilment.

When companies value their employees, they go the extra mile to comfort them and this where, they earn your loyalty.

Investing in its employees is the smarted decision a business can make. It’s a two-way partnership and association. People need to be respected, trusted, empowered and recognized & be given ample opportunities to not only uplift their skillset but also their behavioral competencies. Along with this, empowerment brings more accountability. It’s the Employees that define an organization & it’s culture, and once they are aligned, they become true ambassadors of the company. 

Effective @ Focus and Communication: 

Bees do one thing at a time and perform that task with great precision and effectiveness. When they come back from pollination to their hives, they perform a waggle dance in the pattern of eight. It’s the worker’s way of informing the others where it has found nectar. Every member of the family pays full attention to the dance so they can pave its way to the flower to get nectar themselves. It clearly explains to follow the minimum viable path, in order to collect nectar and in fact makes their lives job easier.

Similarly in an organization, from support staff to C Level executives, every member of the company holds a specific role which is aligned to the organization goals. The people in the company need to believe in the company’s vision and goal -in order to make an impact. Without impact, the company can’t deliver the real value, that the client is expecting.  If the members aren’t doing exactly, what they are assigned to do, it will create chaos. The business will suffer and ultimately the people within it too. The trickledown effect is more than what we assume. 

 Another concept that should be grasped here is open communication, whether in the form of verbal, surveys or feedbacks. Survey reports say that 84% of the new generation prefers working for an organization where open communication is being practiced. If the employees are happy that means they will be giving 100% to the company which is beneficial for the growth of an organization. Clear communication amongst employees and hierarchy fills the gaps which has positive impact on the work environment and helps the company to prosper. Similarly, effective communication involves both verbal and non-verbal interactions in personal as well as professional life. Since communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts and information between people or groups. Sometimes, you know your audience, while other times you don’t. It is important for the communicator to convey the message in a way that the receiver understands.

Engaged @ Leadership: The most significant trait of a bee is its adamant protection of the Queen. It’s as if the bees understand the vitality of role the Queen plays because if it stops producing eggs, the whole hive will face consequences. Organizations suffer the same consequences if the management stops making the decisions or leave. Once the CEO or Queen bee is completely satisfied, the team could go off to do their primary job – producing honey. 

Successful leadership accounts for all the different viewpoints and divergent perspectives and arrive at the right decision. Employers/Managers must empathize with employees. Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are in fact being reached. It allows you to predict the effect your decisions and actions will have on core audiences and strategize accordingly. With a focus on positive energy, the work environment will bring a valuable change overall. 

Engaged @ Opportunity and Optimization: Bees are opportunists, so should be a company. For instance, even if there is ample food supply, bees would keep stocking more taking full advantage of favorable conditions. The bees are also known as best architects, as they store honey in an hexagonal shape- that’s the best way for maximum storage. For an insightful worker, this could be a great lesson, because even if a company has significant number of projects, there are always more opportunities to take on which can be beneficial to the business. In this economical weather and business-minded world, a company should adapt from its surroundings for effective survival and which in the long run could protect the organization from competitors. To help prepare to prosper in this competitive market, an organization must first work on increasing productivity from within. This includes a good working structure in place

Just like bees, organization endorse values and loyalty. Forming a community around your enterprise is just as important as social bonds, as it stems loyalty, focus, optimism and the endurance to take on risk. A community needs to understand its core values and be driven by them. People are attracted to what you're offering.

Your workplace is an eco-system/ structure that you have established as per your need. This eco system embodies aesthetics, space, lighting, temperature, workstation, amenities all collaboratively adding up to your work ambiance. The environment accounts for 70% of in your employee’s tasks, which plays a vital role in lifting your people’s mood which then reflects in their morale and well-being. It’s a common fact that a lively workplace has a buzz and vibe to it. Right environment prevents employees from distractions and eventually enhances productivity. 

A good workplace is like good energy, IT’S CONTAGIOUS!

#engaged #better #effective #leadership #loyalty #respect #trust