The Flight Of Harmony For Motivated Organizations
In nature, when
birds have to fly to a warmer climate to escape bitterly cold weather, they
flock together and start their journey as a group. The success of the journey
depends on the group: if an individual bird does not join the group, it cannot
reach the destination on its own.
When geese fly
together, each goose provides additional lift and reduces air resistance for
the goose flying behind it. Consequently, by flying together in
a v-formation, scientists estimate that the whole flock can fly about 70%
farther with the same amount of energy than if each goose flew alone. Geese have discovered that they can
reach their destination more quickly and with less energy expended when they
fly together in formation. When people work together harmoniously on teams,
sharing common values and a common destination, they all arrive at the
destination quicker and easier, because they are lifted up by the energy and
enthusiasm of one another.
Individual Viz Part of the whole
These birds fly in a
particular formation of 'V' shape, with an appropriate space between them as
they fly. If they fly too close to each other, their wings get entangled; they
lose their balance and fall. If they remain too far from each other, the formation
cannot be created properly, and they are not able to ride the currents of air,
which help to propel them in their flight. Furthermore, the leader of the
formation does not remain the leader throughout the whole flight, but moves
back and allows another to take its place. This repositioning continues
throughout the flight until the destination is reached, allowing individual
birds to contribute to the success of the journey.
The reality of life is that we are
individuals within a collective whole. Just like the birds, we are all a part
of an unlimited Flight of Harmony.
How to
achieve the perfect balance in Individual Space Viz Part of the whole?
Organizations which have people who have almost met
the bottom four of the "Hierarchy of Needs" in the maslow's motivation
theory, may well choose to develop a culture that leads their associate employees to meet their top most need i.e.
"Self-Actualization" and motivate their employees to develop spiritually towards
self-actualization (the top most 'need' in the maslow's theory of motivation ).
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs |
1. They feel a
personal sense of value.
2. They clearly
recognize their uniqueness and have the feeling that there is the freedom to be
whatever they choose to be.
3. At the same
time, their sense of personal independence allows them to come close to others
and work with them.
4. They do not
have selfish independence. They get close to others because they have found
fulfilment in their own self.
Someone who has truly found the value of the self
above and beyond labels, name, fame and approval can effectively cooperate
within the collective or group and interact appropriately. Such people not only
feel themselves to be a part of the whole but, even more importantly, the group
or collective feels them to be a part of the whole.