Ants are tiny insects that live in huge colonies of up to 10 million.
Just like bees they live in teams consist of a queen (sometimes more than one), female workers and male ants which are known as drones.
One exciting characteristic of ants which is similar to a hive of honey bees is that every ant plays a vital role in the survival of the team.
The queens do not hunt and they have female worker ants to do the hunting for them.
Because the worker ants cannot reproduce, they need a queen to take up that role.
The males play an important job in scouting out new locations to start a colony.
Ants are well-known for their ability to carry objects much larger than themselves.
It is reported that a single ant is capable of lifting up to 20 times its own body weight.
To illustrate the point, this put into picture yourself lifting an entire giraffe above your head.
Quite amazing isn’t it?
What is encouraging is, despite their immense strength, ants still rely on each other to transport food back to the nest.
They know there is power in collaboration.
When a worker ant encounters a nutritious meal, she will carry a piece of it back to the colony, leaving a potent scent trail in her wake.
Once she has alerted her fellow workers, more ants follow the scent trail and set about transporting the food source back to the nest in preparation for winter.
Army ants are capable of building bridges with their bodies when they encounter a gap that must be crossed.
The lead ant stops when it encounters the gap, and the other ants commence building a bridge with their bodies until the gap is closed.
What a strategy to take advantage of the power of numbers in overcoming challenges.
What lesson do we learn from ants which we can adopt in fostering team building for teams?
λ Clear definition of roles: Defining roles clearly allows employees to develop expertise in their field of work. By breaking jobs down into repeatable task lists, teams can move quickly and efficiently. More is achieved as each one in the team is aware of their role.
λ Planning for the future: Planning and preparation are vital for the long-term viability of any business. Instead of relaxing, there is need to be constantly aware of any changes in the industry and emerging technology.
Indeed there is much to learn from tiny animals which as organizations we can leverage on.
Paul Nyausaru is an OD Practitioner and leadership coach. For all your OD interventions and leadership development training you can get in touch with him on whatsapp/call +263774062756 or Email pnyausaru@gmail.com
Chiedza Kadare is an OD Practitioner. You can get in touch with her on whatsapp/call +263 77 283 0986 or Email chiedza.kadare@gmail.com
