The perfect shape

Adjustment, teamwork and energy efficiency to create perfect models. How much can we learn from nature? Let’s have look at how we can take a cue from a community of insects on working better and more efficiently. 

We always hear saying that nature is wise. Mother Nature teaches us a lesson almost every day on the ability to adapt, transform and seize the opportunity from everything that happens, to always get the best out of it and, if possible, also save resources.

And so, animals, plants and elements adapt themselves, live with each other creating a unique symbiosis that turns into something different built together. They know how to join individual forces to create an even stronger one. Water is the clear example of this strength created from adaptation: drops of water in a stream are the same that can turn into a devastating tsunami.

Seizing the change

How is this connected to us? It is connected indeed, as when we look carefully, there is change in every situation, and nature takes advantage of this opportunity. For us humans, on the other hand, changes are most of the time scary and so, we reject them. Nature teaches us that these changes can be an expression of birth, growth or renewal, at a personal but also a professional level.

Let’s look at a group of bees. Together they give life to something new, precious. This is for them a very important change, to which they adapt to give the best. And we are talking about a group of insects, this way nature teaches us some situations we can apply to our own lives:

With the swarm they start from scratch, adapting itself to the new situation. They need to create their hive, but before they begin the set up, they are able to understand which is the best way and place for the hive to have a future and protect their queen.

They all work together towards the same goal. They join their individual forces to create together something bigger, that had they been alone they would have not been able to create. And thanks to this instinct, they create the perfect shape, which is the hexagon.

Why the hexagon?

Because the hexagon is the geometric shape that can fill best a specific area compared to other shapes, such as the triangle or the square. This way, bees are able to get the best result with the least energy and resources spent! This was also confirmed by Darwin, who stated that the hexagonal honeycomb is “absolutely perfect to economise labour and wax”.

Taking cue from the hive

Hence, we find ourselves in front of little insects that are implementing a process to optimise labour of all and cut the necessary times to create this one complex artefact: the hive.

Not bad as the moral of the story, right?

Good thing someone has realised how nature can be productive and tried to take cue from its shapes and adapt them to digital working: SweetHive. Sweethive creates digital hives that adapt themselves to their surroundings and is internally organised in contexts, thanks to virtual cells that act as containers for information. Exactly like the hive in nature acts with its honey.

This is the platform at the base of BusinessRM (and more solutions).

This means that each person that works in the organisation knows that they need to work together to reach a common goal. Joining forces to create something bigger.

This way efficiency and cooperation are guaranteed. Key elements to create something perfect. A big thanks to the bees for the lesson they were able to teach us.