I have just spent the last two weeks observing a team, which was full of resilience, oozed motivation and was full of pride. They faced change on an hourly basis and worked tirelessly for no pay or reward.
For those observant ones amongst you will have no doubt guess that it wasn’t the England football team I was watching from afar. Oh no … It was (and this is where it gets good)… A simple group of ants… Yes! …. You heard right … Ants!!
Now go with me on this one, however I watched and observed them in awe as they worked tirelessly in the heat of the day without checking their “smart” phones once. And it got me thinking, whist enjoying my solero … Why can’t we have the same work ethics as ants?
Apart from grabbing a crumb from my croissant (you know the real soft buttery type?), what did I notice and what has this to do with resilience and teamwork?
1. Ants aren’t intimidated by the Size of Their Workload
Ants aren’t intimidated by the sheer size of the objects that they need to carry, so why should we?
Remember that the human potential cannot be taken lightly. No matter how seemingly impossible your goals are, I want to remind you of the saying “When there’s a will, there’s a way”. Think about how ants tackle their seemingly impossible tasks and make it possible
2. Ants Value Teamwork
A single ant can only do so much, but when they work as a team, they are able to achieve greater heights. I noticed that ants don’t just leave their “fellow ants“ alone when carrying huge objects; they help each other making it possible for them to achieve their goals. When we apply this kind of teamwork and leadership, processes and procedures work like clockwork!
3. Ants are Organised
Isn’t it amazing how even when there are so many ants carrying a single object, they seem to be moving the same direction? They are so organised in how they carry out their tasks that they are able to accomplish it no matter how big the task is.Can you image your processes having the same level of organisation? Can you imagine how much you can accomplish if your team are working towards the same goal?
Ants are awesome but when humans get organised and work towards achieving one goal, they can move mountains! You should make it a point to get your team organised and working towards the same goals. If you can make this happen, it’ll just be a matter of time before you’ll start experiencing the success that you’ve been yearning for!
4. Ants get the Job Done
From my sun bed, I never saw a group of ants leave what they’re carrying and just call it a day! They persevered and made sure that they get the job done! Whether they work in shifts or they have some magical way of transporting huge objects, that’s just minor details. The main point is they get the job done in the end… End of!
Can you imagine if your team had that kind of commitment? Can you imagine just how much your team could accomplish if you all have the same mindset as the ants have towards finishing their job. In essence the more things we finish, the faster we can move on to other things that will help you reach those goals.
In healthcare there is a wonderful saying that is ” When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘We’, even ‘illness’ becomes ’wellness’… This so true. Without teamwork we become isolated and ultimately deliver a below par service to Service Users and Patients.
Have a great summer and keep smiling…. It’s infectious!!!
Medical Exam Prep would like to thank Richard Ellis for contributing this blog post.
About Richard Ellis
Richard Ellis is a People Development Practitioner at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. He is passionate about life and the characters that play in it. You can follow him on twitter @Rickjellis
