The Thriving Hive: How People-Centric Workplaces Ignite Engagement and Fuel Results

by Mari Ryan

Mari Ryan, a workplace well-being strategist, tells a simple, yet insightful story in The Thriving How People-Centric Workplaces Ignite Engagement and Fuel Results. A first-time CEO realizes her organization is no longer attracting and retaining the kinds of employees they need to remain competitive and keep their customers happy. She seeks help from a mentor, the retired former CEO. With his unconventional insights, he introduces her to two very different beehive workplace cultures and how they deal with adversity. Replete with interesting characters, the parable takes you on a journey as the bees experience hive-threatening situations. The story looks at the organizational behavior, how leadership and their management teams can create workplace cultures that diminish or support the well-being of their employees. You'll meet the management teams and worker bees that represent typical employees in any business. Readers join the CEO in learning o Putting employee wellness first to revitalize a company o The economic benefits of a people-centric workplace o Creating a workplace culture with organizational behaviors that encourage organizational well-being o Implementing structural adjustments that support employee engagement o Strategic viewpoints and tactical practices for enhancing employee well-being This is a quick read for anyone who wants guidance for creating a culture of well-being, purpose, vitality, and satisfaction, for an all-encompassing employee experience.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2018

Reviews

[Eilonwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy, CEO of a large company, goes to visit her old boss and mentor, Bob, who has retired to the countryside and taken up gardening and beekeeping. When Nancy asks for some management guidance, Bob takes her to visit his hives and watch the interactions occurring between management and workers in the “Dive Hive,” run by Queen Cruella, and the “Alive Hive,” overseen by Queen Leddy. Both hives have the same aim — make honey! — but they are approaching the goal from two very different angles. The workers in the Dive Hive are exhausted, disengaged, unmotivated, and looking to join a swarm and get out. The workers in the Alive Hive are energetic, enthusiastic, and excited to work together to solve problems and create a quality product. What can Nancy learn from them and either avoid or apply to her human employees?

This was pretty entertaining for a business book, as it’s presented in the form of stories, showing the bees speaking with each other and sharing their experiences, reactions, and observations of what’s happening to themselves and to the bees around them. If you’re wondering whether you work in a Dive Hive, which focuses only on profit at the expense of everything else, or an Alive Hive, which also likes profit but recognizes that happy, motivated workers turn out a high-quality product that the entire company can take pride in, this book will show you pretty quickly. (I laughed at the summary description of the Dive Hive atmosphere, as it sounds just like the company I’m currently at — apparently unhappy workplaces are very much the same.)

This book is primarily aimed at management, the people who can actually implement changes to how employees are treated. But it seems to me that if you work at an Alive Hive, management might be open to accepting suggestions from this book. And if you work at a Dive Hive, this will help you recognize what to look for in a swarm/new hive, so you don’t find yourself in another miserable work environment just like the one you left.

I appreciate that this book confirmed my instincts about how bad my current employer has become under its new management, and gave me ideas not only about what to look for at my next job, but also about how to be both a better leader and team player at my next job, whatever level I come in at.

Full disclosure: I picked this book because I’ve known Mari for years because we did competitive racewalking on the same team. But I didn’t really know what she did in her work life until I read this!

[Dennis Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriving Hive

People, and motivating people, is the key to any organization. Mari’s book provides an interesting story about making this happen and growing your company from within with your greatest asset.