Amazing HR message of large blue butterfly and red ant

The difficult to explain relationship between the ‘large blue and red ants’ reveals nothing but the existence of one of the most complicated ‘symbiotic’ types of relationship between some employees with the corporate they work. Unless the relationship between the above two species of invertebrates (large blue and red ants) are clearly understood, the existence of such relationship or people in the corporate system cannot be either cognized or corrected.

Large blue is a blue butterfly, prevalent in some parts of United Kingdom. The life cycle of this butter fly is very complicated. The butterfly lays its eggs in the buds of thyme and other plants. The caterpillars that emerge from the eggs eat the buds and grow.

After reaching considerable growth, the caterpillar secrets a chemical substance and that attract the red ants. Further, the caterpillar also secretes honey like substance for the ants to eat. The red ants safely carry the caterpillar to their nest.

The caterpillar, after reaching the nest of red ants, slowly starts eating all the eggs and larva of the ant. The caterpillar also produces some sounds exactly mimicking the sounds of the ants. Besides that, the caterpillar also conceals its odour with the scent of the ant. Through such smart disguise, they progressively destroy the ant colony by eating all its eggs and larva but the ants seldom notice or recognize the acts of the caterpillar.

After a short hibernation inside the red ant nest, the fully grown blue butterfly emerges. The red ants innocently escort the butterfly to a safe place and defend them from predators.

If the caterpillar or the butterfly ever failed to conceal its identity and mimic the ant in every respect, it would have got killed by the red ants.

Many employees in the corporate do behave like caterpillar of ‘Large blue’, and will be destroying the corporate resource and culture. But the corporate may not notice or recognize such acts or people. In every act, they mimic as they are the true well wishers of the ‘corporate’. Most of the ‘corporate leaders’ and the HR function never understand these people.

Like how the butter fly is being escorted innocently by the red ants, the corporate also may be providing all supports, autonomy and power to these ‘large blue caterpillar people’ and allow them to destroy the corporate fully and completely. These people often create ‘vicious’ circle, lack vision and leadership qualities and are selfish.

Like how the red ants easily get fooled by the honey like substance produced by the caterpillar, the high sounding ideas, false promises and impractical possibilities of these people easily fool the corporate leadership. Usually the single man driven corporate is the ideal roosting sites of these people.

The HR function must learn several things from nature to check whether they have large blue caterpillars in the corporate.

Dr S Ranganathan