Integritus Prime

Recently Dr. Margaret and I visited the Fiji museum, and learned a lot about Fiji’s multi-ethnic history via artifacts. I was fascinated to learn about the transfer of knowledge through various trades and cultural exchanges.

The exhibit that retained my attention the longest was the coral section, in particular brain coral. I was riveted by the design of the polyps and the formation of the coral. The design is so intricate, as you can see in the photograph below.

I began researching brain coral, seeking to learn more about its structure and the rationale behind it. Brain coral polyps are close together, and this enables them to share nutrients and oxygen, and communicate well. This tissue integration is thought to be a signal that the coral is a more advanced species. This same feature is also a source of vulnerability, because disease can spread quickly, affecting the whole organism. Of course, they are threatened by climate change induced thermal bleaching as well, but in general, brain coral live for hundreds of years, demonstrating their general resilience.

What I found really helped me think through some of the work I’m doing with teams, for instance, how to build team cohesion. Let me outline three lessons I’ve learned from brain coral, as applied to team dynamics:

1. Understand that closeness is key: while the brain coral demonstrates this through the physical proximity of its polyps, teams can practice closeness through strong relationships and clear, frequent communication. Indeed, a well-known biomimicry principle is relationship before task: once team relationships are robust and well-maintained, work flows more smoothly.
2. Share resources: Strong relationships mean we don’t hoard resources, we share with the team openly. Sharing means avoiding negative leadership and management styles that lead to behaviors that are undermining, controlling, territorial, or manipulative. Resources to be shared include information, context, credit, and hardships too, which brings me to my next point.
3. Embrace vulnerability: Being a true team means caring for one another and sharing the ups and downs. This means that when a team member is hurting (think lay off or personal loss), the team will feel it. This is not a weakness; it can be a tremendous strength because the team bond will carry any disheartened member through their difficult time (think networking assistance, help with funeral arrangements, and so much more). Being vulnerable is being human, and a team that understands and practices being vulnerable without judgment can face just about anything, and persevere through rough patches, much like the resilient brain coral.

There are many more lessons to be learned from nature through the science of biomimicry – check out these 50, plus the amazing tool, Ask Nature, and share with me your own fascinations with nature.