You probably know this, but bees apparently do a little dance to communicate to other bees where they will find a sugar source. They have been doing this for many years: even before anyone thought of Waze.
The dance, called the waggle, is a particular figure-eight dance of the honeybee. By performing this dance, successful foragers can share information about the direction and distance to patches of flowers yielding nectar and pollen, to water sources, or to new nest-site locations with other members of the colony.
What you might not know, is that whereas 80% of bees follow the instructions to the letter (or to the movement), about 20% of them don’t. They fly off in all directions and do their own thing. They are the ones who either find it hard to listen to instructions, forget the instructions or choose not to listen to them. These are the bees who will not win any of the “bee leadership” awards, will unlikely become bee prefects and most certainly will not be the first choice when looking for employment.
Evolution, discipline and basic common sense might have us believe that these bees would either die out or learn to conform. We would think that after all this time, there would be a higher level of compliance and that more than 80% would have learned to follow the instructions. I would have imagined that considering how disciplined these workers are, there would be 100% compliance rate.
And yet, 20% remain stubbornly resistant. For good reason.
What has been learned is that these “renegades” play a critical role in the longevity and the success of the colony. Because they fly off in all directions, they discover new areas, new sources and a new supply of energy. They are the ones who risk failure, who put themselves at risk and who shun the safety of conformity. If 100% listened to the dance, there would be perfect order and compliance, but little creativity and almost no discovery. Without them, the colony would be placed at risk.
According to business strategist Rory Sutherland, we need to learn from bees. Eighty percent of our focus should be on systems and protocol and twenty percent devoted to risk, creativity and free flight. Both are critical for the functionality and for the future.
The ratio is also relevant as it is clear that they would not achieve the success if those numbers were to be reversed. Eighty percent of the group needs to be disciplined, needs to conform and needs to follow directions.
Now, buzz off.
