Beware of Superchickens
In our discussion post last week, we watched an incredible video with Margaret Heffernan discussing the pecking order at work. She begins her TedTalk by discussing productivity in chickens. In an experiment on egg production, they took a regular group of chickens and then a group of superchickens (super star egg producers) to see how they behaved over time. At the end of the experiment, the average group were fine and egg production had actually increased. However, there were only three superchickens left alive as they pecked each other to death. This was incredibly eye-opening for me. I've seen examples of times when "superstars" were given extra privileges and opportunities. I've seen groups of teammates alienated if they weren't in the favored group. I've seen superchickens peck each other to death.
There are a few important lessons from the video:
Success cannot come from suppressing productivity of those around you.
Competition can cause more harm than good.
High degrees of social sensitivity and social capital are important.
Teams that feel connected work together longer.
What happens between people matters....whether work related or not.
My hope is that I am able to lead in a way that doesn't shine a light on my own ability, but rather builds up those around me and encourages growth. My prayer is that when given the opportunity, I make sure members of our team feel valued and connected to the group.
