Like most collective groups from nature, honeybees effectively model team behaviour and communicate incredibly well by simply doing what they were put on this planet to do.
In our latest infographic we explore the lessons these happy honeybees can teach us all about communicating, working together and using their strengths to survive and thrive …
By Ally Taylor for Alive!
Honeybees are some of nature’s most patient and impressive communicators.
Many people have written books on the strength, healing powers and vital contributions of bees. They are industrious, collaborative team players that create a powerful and purposeful community to support them in getting the job done and ensuring their colony thrives. Independently they may be small, but they display great leadership and together they make a mighty team.
With this in mind, we’ve identified six sweet lessons to be learned from these harmonious honeybees…
- They are team players
Accord comes from within the positive setup of the hive. Honeybees don’t compete, they work together, agree their roles and do their best and support one another. This makes the colony happy, effective and efficient.
- They have each other’s back
If a ‘worker’ bee is in need of grooming it may impinge their ability to fulfil their task. So, it will dance or vibrate to signal it needs help. Whether you wish to dance or simply speak up, alerting others that you need support will ensure the best outcome.
- They know how to communicate well
They communicate continuously and in the most efficient way. They share information about suitable flowers or fauna with a form of ‘waggle dance’ that sends out the scent of the flower to the hive and offers other bees useful knowledge and a clear direction.
- They identify their roles
Bees work independently in the main, but they understand what’s needed collectively. They’re also known to switch and grow their roles in the colony as they mature and have more demands to meet – development opportunities matter!
- They create the right buzz
Bees are so hardworking… Some say they even sound industrious! Go into a busy, happy office that has the right culture in place and there is a similar buzz, it’s an energy that we all want to achieve within our workplaces.
- They make a lasting impact
As comms professionals, the impact of what we are working on should be positive and long lasting. Bees leave a positive legacy too because thanks to their brilliant communication with the flowers and fauna, we get to enjoy a wide choice of produce.
Beehives continually transform. They may even leave behind their work and swarm off to protect the Queen. But everywhere they go they take their invaluable skills with them.
When you next see one, whisper a little thank you to our friend H-Bee.
Inspired by:
The busy bees in my back garden and my beekeeping friend Lorraine
Leadership lessons we can learn from the bees – Paul Rigby
Book: Jacqueline Freeman, author of Song of Increase
