Michael O’Malley’s intriguing analogy between business organizations and beehives provides delightful entertainment and clear instruction, which can be appreciated by businesspeople and laymen alike. In twenty-five brief chapters, the reader will come to understand how and why an enterprise succeeds or fails using the imagery and science of bees at work for guidance.
As a businesswoman and former beekeeper, I can attest to the usefulness of this comparative model. O’Malley outlines a practical interpretation of bee productivity, division of labor, and the important role played by the queen bee (CEO). Free of personal agendas, each individual bee works closely and smoothly without cult of personality, jealousy, or infighting. Each has a role to play, including the natural leadership role of the queen-mother of the hive. In our business world, the female CEO is still a rarity, but I hope the day will come when we follow the example of the beehive and create opportunities for female leadership in a genderless business environment.
The reader will take great pleasure in O’Malley’s readable metaphorical account in which he describes best practices in business based on his thoughtful analysis of the bee world—and his twenty-five-plus years as an organizational consultant. After you read this book, I assure you that you will never think about your organization in quite the same way. For me, as chief executive, the hives were an inspirational, ever-present reminder of the natural possibilities of organizational excellence. This wonderful book brings the world of the honeybee to life and, in so doing, shows what great organizations are capable of doing.
Consider this book an encore performance by the great masters of efficiency, the honeybees, who through the author’s pen will showcase what makes organizations effective. L.L. Langstroth, the man who invented the modern beehive, may have said it best in his Langstroth’s Hive and the Honey-Bee: “The Creator may be seen in all the works of his hands; but in few more directly than in the wise economy of the honey-bee.”
The Wisdom of Bees is charming, humorous, and above all, unforgettably informative.
Enjoy!