The Hive Mind at Work: Harnessing the Power of Group Intelligence to Create Meaningful and Lasting Change

by Siobhan McHale

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Bharath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow Siobhan McHale on LinkedIn and have found her posts & comments on organization culture and change management to be insightful. This book packs some good concepts in simple language with many real-life business examples.

Her concept of ‘The Hive’ is inspired by how bees work together. They segregate themselves by roles focused on objectives and have a good group understanding and collaborate well. Austrian scientist Karl Von Frisch even discovered a waggle dance of bees to communicate location of food (for which he got the Nobel prize in 1973). The 9 laws of group dynamics outlined are - Patterns, Connectedness, Role, Multiple perspectives, Context, Embeddedness, Pattern blindness, Unintended consequences, Tipping point. Each of these is explained in detailed, and bees’ behaviours are used for analogies.

Siobhan points out that a scary state of flux has replaced a slower and more comfortable rate of change, obliterating any sense of the certainty, stability, and familiarity that characterized earlier eras. Yet these threats to organizational success serve as a mere wake-up call for what lies ahead. The future will bring more complexity, instability, uncertainty, unpredictability, and unexpected consequences to our change efforts.”

The earlier operating models for companies included either Top-down or Social network based (with influencers propagating the way). We are now looking at organizations as ecosystems. There are a number of examples which are covered (both successes and failures in navigating change) - Dasani in UK, Airbus, Revlon, Fire Phone, Spotify, Ford, Crystal Pepsi, Samsung Galaxy Fold, Alitalia, Dyson hair dryer, Qatar 2019 World Athletics Championship, Queensland Health, Equifax, Volkswagen, Purdue Pharma, Toys R Us, Lego, ConvertKit, Shopify, Nike, SpaceX, Starbucks & others. There are a few examples of companies crafting specific initiatives – eg: Amazon "Two Pizza Operating model", 6-page proposals, instead of presentations, Day 1 philosophy; Apple "Experts Rule Operating Model"; Microsoft "Partnering Operating Model".

This book is conceptually sound. I liked the hive analogy, ecosystems operating model, the four step process for change, the need for group intelligence (other than IQ and EQ), change roles, and how companies need to plan for the long-term like marathons but in short sprints. The business stories are too sketchy and basic though. As a result, the inferences are simplistic – attributable to either following the hive philosophy or not. It feels like the complexity of marketplace dynamics is poorly understood or elaborated in the examples. Though the initial sections claim radical new thought, a lot of this has been in practice in many enterprises since some time. I would have also liked to see how coverage for innovation mindsets.

Overall, a good primer on navigating change with a lot of examples which should be studied in more detail.

My rating: 3.75 / 5.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher HarperCollins Leadership and the author for a free electronic review copy.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hive Mind at Work: Harnessing the Power of Group Intelligence to Create Meaningful and Lasting Change by Siobhan McHale explores how organizations can adapt and thrive by leveraging group intelligence. Creating a fascinating analogy, McHale demonstrates how the collaborative and adaptive behaviors of bees paralells steps taken by organizations to achieve meaningful change and growth.

While McHale is based in Australia, her analysis includes compelling examples from global organizations like Amazon, Ford, and SpaceX, illustrating how various businesses have embraced and managed change.

The book’s structure is thoughtful, with key takeaways summarized as bullet points at the end of each chapter. This helps reinforce the main concepts and provides readers with actionable insights to apply to their own organizations. The use of figures throughout the book also helps further comprehension, making complex ideas easier to understand.

Several quotes highlight the book’s central themes and capture the essence of McHale’s message, including:
• “Nothing paralyzes innovation more than the fear of failure.”
• “Feelings drive all great movements. And good stories fuel feelings.”
• “Simplicity is the best antidote for complexity.”
• “Remember, successful change comes not from those who never fail but from those who never quit.”

As someone not currently in a leadership role, I found the content digestible. However, at times, the material felt somewhat surface-level, especially regarding resistance to change. While McHale emphasizes that change is difficult without transparency or buy-in, the book could have delved deeper into the barriers to change and provided more strategies to address them.

Overall, The Hive Mind at Work is a thought-provoking and engaging read that blends theory and practical advice to inspire organizational change. I recommend it to anyone who is looking to foster change within their organization, whether they are an existing leader or aspire to make a difference.

Thank you to HarperCollins Leadership and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so tired of reading business and management books that are driven by an illustration. Some parts of this book don't even make sense e.g. chapter 4's Pepsi's launch of Crystal Cola starts out saying the exec should have performed a more convincing (bee) dance, and then demonstrates that he really should have done anything but. Most of the book is examples chosen to "prove" the premise(s) of the author, but come together to demonstrate that it is impossible to foresee everything that could go wrong. Is there a point to stepping back and looking at the big picture? Of course! Getting as much data as possible? Yep! Respecting the input of all employees? Sure (except where "experts rule" is cited positively by the author). Careful planning? Duh! Staying flexible? Absolutely! Treating employees well? "Sigh." So, nothing new here, and it's pedantic and frankly about as immature and gimmicky as "Rich Dad Poor Dad." The only strength is that the author pulls together numerous examples of things gone wrong and things gone right. One does well to follow the author's methodology and get out there and talk to all the classes involved.
That is the biggest takeaway. Hopefully this book won't be the next management fad. Wait, maybe multilevel marketing will save our company...

[Paul Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be immersed in the insights shared from McHale on the power of group intelligence and its importance for impact was deeply meaningful. To give naming conventions to the actions being taken within our company that run parallel with these findings further enhanced my own personal conviction of those aligned anchored in wisdom of the heart can created lasting impact. I am a firm believer in the power of those who lead with empathy and compassionate exchange can elevate others. It is then further enhanced by the collective movement of others contributing to go further as the African Proverb mentions. This was a read I was waiting for release, and it did not disappoint. This is a bookshelf copy for me and found myself revisiting points of the book. Appreciated the actionable knowledge for the how in this read. Entrepreneurship is a perpetual pruning process and seeking the good to embrace to empower others for more would be prudent to take residence with. Group intelligence and research shared to support it is one I feel others who delve into this read may benefit in the application within their organizations. I highly recommend this read. 5 Star review for me.

[Phillip Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for leaders of any sized organisation from small start-up to gigantic international behemoths. Using lessons from the beehive and her years of study and experience with organisational change, McHale presents a simple yet profound 4 step process for ensuring change happens and sticks. The LENS guides leaders along a path to lasting change and also captures and utilises the 9 Laws of group Dynamics.
Look Beyond, Experiment, Nudge and Strengthen are powerful tools for ensuring change initiatives are embedded in your organisation. A book well worth reading.

[Brigitta O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not find any novelty in this approach and I would have expected more examples from the author's work , cobsidering the hubdreds of organizations and vontinents she worked in/on. Overall i missed the uniwue perspective driven from experience not to say I did not enjoy the examples , however thos are everywhere while a unique perspective can be more enriching for the reader and it's learning journey

[Srinivasan Tatachari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book to read. After a long time, I got to see a new perspective on the aspect of teams and leadership. Siobhan used lovely analogy of bees and their behaviour to inform us about teams ans leadership in organizations.

Would be very useful to leaders and team members alike.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book for a leader managing change (that’s everyone) pragmatic with new insights about how to work with the collective intelligence of the team to deliver results- together.

[Eglė R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend it to those working in larger organizations. I wonder how to apply the theory to the little ones. In any case, this approach is worth familiarizing yourself with.