Learn people management from the animal kingdom

Move over Robin Sharma. According to a new book, you need look no further than the birds and the bees for management gyaan

The next time you reach a roadblock at work or need a new business strategy, observe a colony of ants in action, according to author of The Smart Swarm, Peter Miller.

In his book, Peter talks about how observing the swarm mentality of insects, birds, and animals, can provide valuable insights into communication, decision-making, and getting things done in the workplace.

The author, who is a senior writer at National Geographic, reasons that animals perform complex tasks daily, often with scarce resources and in an unstable environment.



Among the examples cited are that of a colony of desert ants that solve problems by figuring out how many workers need to be allocated to a specific task by 'bumping' into each other.

The process of 'bumping' in turn creates ripples of change, resulting in the modification of the ants' movement.

Another example is that of forest honeybees, who have a foolproof method of choosing the right tree for a new home.

Despite conflicting opinions, they will judge the merit of the tree based on how enthusiastic the waggle dance of the bee that proposes the idea is, and how many followers he gets.

As Miller explains in the book, 'a smart swarm is a group of individuals who respond to each other and their environment in ways that empower them to cope with uncertainty and change.'

The author goes on to provide examples of how animals have inspired the military, urban planners, intelligence agents, computer programmers, besides helping devise truck routes, how to operate telephone networks and even in developing a profitable business strategy for an airline.

According to Miller, groups can solve problems better, because they pool in different talents, backgrounds and experiences.

Corporate trainer Anita Shantaram agrees, "Often the way to solve complex problems is to go back to the basics. Animals readily learn from the environment and keep adapting.

These are qualities that every professional should have. If we can develop an innate ability to cope with work challenges by employing new ways of doing things, then it can work wonders for the workplace."

What an airline learned about its passengers through the behaviour of ants

US-based private airline Southwest Airlines were in a dilemma about abandoning their open seating policy on flights, in practice for 34 years.

As per the policy, passengers could choose where they would like to sit on the place.

The company, which has an annual turnover of $11 billion, created a computer simulation of passengers boarding a plane based on the behaviour of ants.
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Southwest found that assigned seating was faster, but only by a few seconds. It was found that people didn't like competing for a spot on the plane, so the airline assigned each passenger a seat on checking in.

Boarding, however, would still be on a first-come-first-served basis. Southwest went on to adopt the new system in 2007.

Which animal inspires you?
I am inspired by the lion as he teaches the value of delegating work. A good entrepreneur should lead by example, but not pile too many responsibilities on his plate as it's not possible to do everything. How will others in the company learn if you do everything for them?
Alok Mody, Owner, Magic-O-Meal

I have always sought inspiration from the eagle as it flies high, but knows what's happening on the ground. They also fly with a lot of speed and being fast-paced is a must in today's competitive times.
Vidhi Mehra, Owner, Vivinia Silver Jewellery

We have eagles imprinted on all our presentations, because it has a powerful vision and goes through tremendous pain to undergo change. When an eagle turns 30, it goes into seclusion, plucks its own feathers and sheds its beak and talons to make way for new ones, so that it can prolong its lifespan.
Pravin Shah, CEO, Six inches Communications