ALTRUISTIC SELF-INTEREST IS NATURE'S WORK ETHIC

Late one summer, I watched beavers at work to learn directly from the source how and why they do what they do. They'll transform an entire ecosystem - from a forest into a wetland and then into a rich and fertile meadow - by working dawn to dusk. I learned that they prosper from Nature management rule - altruistic self-interest - by working for their own benefit and the good of the whole geography.

The large group of beavers I settled in to observe had already transformed a small stream into a very large pond that summer. I'm not sure how many there were but I saw mature adults, young adults and kids working together.

Their lodge was huge and while it was mainly underwater, it was quite visible from my vantage point atop a small hill across the pond. It was a massive fortress sealed off from all predators. Its several entrances were underwater but one cool morning I saw water vapour escaping near the top so I know that it was well ventilated.

Below me in every direction, the forest floor was underwater for a fair distance and they maintained deeper channels where they could drag the bigger pieces they needed.

I watched those beavers for almost a week and took a good many notes. My first impression was the sense of urgency and importance they gave their work. Winter was still several months away but for them it would arrive soon enough. They were busy before I got there in the morning and still at when I left at night. I also noted that they seemed to consult with a couple of elders who directed the efforts of the whole team with slaps of their tail and other, sometimes quite insistent, directives.

Beavers will easily cut through trees 60 cm (2 ft) in diameter and chew them down to the desired size. They grasp branches, heavy stones and clumps of mud in their hands or carry them in their mouth, even underwater, as they can shut the back of their throat. Powerful webbed feet propel them along below the water, often with heavy loads. Their oar-like tail hold them into position while they place the larger pieces into position, and they'll show amazing dexterity when doing more delicate work.

I saw that beavers don't quit just because they face a little adversity. I don't know if they had a meadow in mind when they started, but if they did, they cut that huge job down to size. The team was well managed and everyone was always busy doing something: Digging a channel, floating a log into place, building a retainer wall to shore up the bank, redirecting the stream so it would drown a particular tree they could then easily uproot. Others selected the juiciest branches to store in the larder of the ever-growing home.


I'm still amazed at how well that team was organized. I checked and found that experts agree -
successful teams benefit from understanding altruism.

In self-interest, they'll also benefit from 8 other ideas:
  1. Establish a sense of urgency;
  2. Form a powerful steering committee;
  3. Create a clear vision of what is required;
  4. Communicate that vision effectively;
  5. Empower others to act on your vision;
  6. Plan for successive « visible » short term gains;
  7. Consolidate improvements and build on your successes;
  8. Integrate your successes throughout the organization.

Most importantly, I learned Nature's work ethic and came back to town ready to tackle my dreams. Using the "
busy as a beaver" example, I started to work on a project that would profit from my effort. I wrote my first book.