Chimps and Bees

Written By Brian Tarallo

Brian Tarallo

In his book “The Righteous Mind,” Jonathan Haidt posits that human beings are 90% chimp (individual-minded) and 10% bee (society-minded.) 

It’s not a new idea. 

Plato talked about individuals’ capacities while society was structured toward justice. Hobbes talked about how individuals compete while society limits competition; Rousseau said almost the opposite, that individuals are naturally good while society enables and corrupts civilization. Nietzsche said to create your own values and to beware of herd mentality. Durkheim said individuals are shaped by society, and society exists in its own right. Ayn Rand advocated for rational self-interest and against the danger of collectivism. Hannah Arendt said individuals act and judge while politics are the shared public realm. 

The 90/10 split Haidt observed isn’t constant, or even average: it depends on the individual, team, and organization. An individualist person on a collectivist team feels stifled by politics; a collectivist person on an individualist team feels cutthroat competition and like their identity is being dismissed. 

In a facilitation, the facilitator can use individual preferences (chimps) and social conformity (bees) as centers of gravity to sway the group’s dynamics.  

Is the group pulling toward quick closure, politics, artificial harmony, groupthink, or uninspired, status quo decisions? Bring out the chimps: emphasize individual preference with these methods:

  • Think / write / share

  • Think / draw / share

  • If you really knew me, you would know…

  • Brainwriting

  • Brainstorming

  • Mindmapping

  • 25/10 crowdsourcing

  • 90 second serial share

Is the group arguing over details, over-advocating their own individual positions, rehashing the same pros and cons, or showing off their knowledge and experience? Bring out the bees: emphasize collective action with these methods:

  • Straw polls

  • Gladiator polls

  • Dot votes

  • Fist of five

  • Gradients of agreement

  • Asking, “Who agrees with this idea?”

  • Asking, “Who disagrees with this idea?”

  • Asking, “Is there anyone that won’t be able to sleep at night if we move forward with this?”

If you’re interested in other ways you can use group dynamics to make better decisions, let’s talk. https://calendly.com/brian-lizardbrain/45-min-discovery-call

Brian Tarallo https://www.lizardbrain.com
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