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Mastering the team dynamics of mystical murmurations 

At dusk, as the skies turn shadowy, you could be treated to the most amazing spectacle imaginable this autumn, as flocks of birds perform shapeshifting sky art.

We’ve explored these stunning starling-filled spectacles and looked at some of the ways that self-forming functions can build on their brilliant behaviours…

According to the RSPB, magical murmurations happen when,

‘hundreds or even thousands of starlings come together in a breathtaking improvised aerial dance. They swoop, ascend, dive, and lift in a cloud of orchestrated patterns that once led scientists to theorise that starlings must have physic powers.’

These days, it’s believed that starlings murmurate for many reasons, including warmth and safety, but most importantly, for information exchange. Rather than replicating a bunch of boisterous bumper cars, starlings in murmuration exhibit coordinated, synchronised movements to communicate with one another – all without a supervisor in sight!

It’s like Mother Nature’s very own version of a self-organising team or impact network – a free-flowing, problem-solving, solution-generating group with decision-making distributed evenly and communication working in harmony. And the result? Genuine collaboration, inclusivity, trust, psychological safety and a sense of warmth and wellbeing that leads to stronger, safer teams.

What can we learn from these magnificent murmurations and their living-systems approach to forming and functioning? And how can we simulate some of the ways in which they bring people together to build relationships, leverage skills and strengths and shun silos?

Enabling the free flow of information and ideas

Starlings are really good at being able to understand what’s happening around them – and they have strong motor responses to adjust to it and communicate it. These magical murmurations create the right conditions to pass on diverse information like the presence of danger lurking in the skies or updates on the best feeding sites to visit. By listening to their direct neighbours and then alerting the rest of the flock, the entire group benefits from the passing on of information based on the shortest possible communication circuit that makes sense for the team. 

How can we replicate this? It all comes down to establishing clear, open channels of communication where team members are perfectly in tune with one another and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. What works well for one team may not be the best approach for another, so ask people about their preferences. A basic review of comms channels can reveal hidden surprises, help to streamline those channels that aren’t serving you well and introduce simpler methods that allow for seamless information sharing.

Looking out for one another

The way these birds gather for warmth is a beautiful example of collective support and unity for mutual benefit. The natural tendency is to demonstrate care and courtesy – avoiding crowding one another and building harmonious buddy-systems, all to keep each other safe and well. Much like starling murmurations, self-forming teams will exhibit qualities such as cooperation, trust, and mutual support. Teams that prioritise collective wellbeing can achieve remarkable results through respect, synergy and consistent collaboration. 

How can we replicate this? Any successful team that prioritises the wellbeing of its members will display a high degree of mutual trust and respect, common values and principles are shared and members enjoy healthy, positive relationships with their peers.

Some other key factors include continuous learning opportunities being promoted and encouraged, open conversations around common wellbeing challenges being normalised, differences being valued and celebrated and positive boundaries being maintained with the setting of clear work life balance standards.

Promoting inclusivity and respect 

Murmurations happen with no leader and follow no plan. Instead, scientists believe a murmuration is a visual invitation to attract other starlings to join a group, achieving communal benefits through a sort of unspoken collaboration. These ‘autonomous vehicles’ travel in tight formation yet are made up of many individual contributors, each bringing their own strengths to the party, as individual birds are quietly given the space they need to move and manoeuvre. Nobody is questioned over the value they offer, but all are respected for the collective power they bring about.  

How can we replicate this? In workplace settings, we can recognise and appreciate the diverse skills and strengths of team members by allocating tasks and responsibilities that reflect each individual’s unique abilities. Everyone adds value! One way to do this is by recording and promoting those strengths for all to see. The Manual of Me is a great example of this, where learning more about each other’s strengths and styles can help groups cultivate and perfect their approach to working together. Follow a similar template to the one shared here by Future London Academy, adapt it to suit your team’s needs and take advantage of the benefits created!

See for yourself

Autumn roosts generally start to form in November, you can explore roost sites and find a murmuration map here: https://www.starlingsintheuk.co.uk.

And while you watch in wonderment, take a moment to reflect on the broad benefits of these glorious aerial gatherings and how they could be ingrained beyond these magical murmuration moments. 

 

By Caroline Roodhouse for Alive!

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Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

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Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

“We went to ‘Alive’ for ideas on how to run a specific employee program in Europe. Alan and his team were brilliant in coming up with fresh, creative and practical approaches. The team took charge and executed brilliantly. We are pleased with the progress made so far and hope to have the same level of partnership and commitment going forward.”

Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

“Alive helped us create a video of our response to the floods of winter 2019. Our Chief Officer received messages from all round the country praising us for it and was really pleased with both the video and the response to it.”

Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“We had the privilege to work with the Alive team. It was our first time to be involved in creating an animation for our patients within paediatrics. The team were approachable, friendly, creative and very accommodating. Your vision for what you want to create, is at all times acknowledged, appreciated and accommodated by the team. They worked effectively and with great passion towards our project and worked not only alongside health professionals but also our patients who really enjoyed the experience of working with the Alive team. It has given our team the confidence and inspiration to do further projects in the future. We highly recommend Alive and their exceptional team.”

DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

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Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
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