Natural Wisdom

Here is a collection of examples and parallels that you may find useful as you navigate your own workplace or career path. Whether solo operator or boardroom champion, these natural analogues will help you to better understand the opportunities and challenges of your workplace.

Hummingbird: Frenetic Networkers Drive Fertility
Hummingbird: Frenetic Networkers Drive Fertility 1024 618 The Body Corporate

Do you work with somebody that moves so fast that you feel exhausted? You know, the kind of person that has their hands in everything, handles a thousand things at once, touching each lightly before darting onto the next. How do you best apply this personality on your team and in your organization?

Innovation Guidance from Mother Nature
Innovation Guidance from Mother Nature 1024 683 The Body Corporate

Google the words “innovation” and “crisis” and you will find thousands of articles that offer explanations and solutions. Opinion leaders provide insight into innovation crises that span the globe, that threaten national economies or blue chip corporations. You will read about crises in business, medicine, education and almost any field you choose to research. If…

Outsourcing Asymmetry or Parasitism?
Outsourcing Asymmetry or Parasitism? 720 449 The Body Corporate

My interest in the outsourcing vogue prompted me to explore nature for examples of similar behavior amongst natural species. The journey quickly led me to a family of birds that outsource entirely their child-raising responsibilities. Cuckoo birds in Europe, Africa and Asia trick other species into hatching their eggs and raising their young.

Outsourcing in Medicine; Lessons from Dialysis
Outsourcing in Medicine; Lessons from Dialysis 1024 568 The Body Corporate

I had dinner with Brian last week. He was quick to order a drink and looked stressed. He told me that he had been asked to outsource all legal services for his company. I understood the importance of this venture and wondered if Mother Nature had some guiding principals to help us?

Is Nature Handicapped by Stupid Rules?
Is Nature Handicapped by Stupid Rules? 1024 548 The Body Corporate

Few things rob me of motivation more than running up against stupid rules. If you walk the corridors of human organizational life, and listen carefully, you will hear both the complaints and consequences of needless bureaucracy. It made me wonder if Nature imposes these frustrations on its membership?

Constipation Rules: An Innovative Solution?
Constipation Rules: An Innovative Solution? 1024 768 The Body Corporate

Have you ever been in the restroom when somebody is speaking on his or her cellphone? It can be downright embarrassing. I’m probably breaching some corporate etiquette in sharing this story. “What happens behind the white door should stay behind the white door.” If you have a delicate constitution, do not read on ….