1. http://www.bioteams.com/
Bioteams:
Learning from Nature to improve Project Management
December 28, 2012 | article by Ken Thompson in Bioteams Features (104)
Fabio Padilla from Brazil has written a very
interesting review of Bioteams for his MBA thesis at the
Universidade Católica de Brasilia - Universa. Fabio has
very kindly allowed me to republish a summary of his
conclusions which he has translated from the original
Portuguese.
You can download a PDF of the full thesis (Portuguese)
from Fabio's website here:
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present the
specific case of Bioteaming, a discipline developed in the
United Kingdom and based on social animals behavior, that means, those organized on societies that operate
in swarms, herds or groups. When studying this topic, new ideas and solutions are introduced and explained,
applied to one of the main projects management areas, which is the human resources management, with a
structure, teamwork and leadership scheme that may represent the success factor in a given project.
Taking this discipline as the basis, the research exposed on this paper intends to answer the following
question: May projects management be benefited from application of new theories and tools of software and
communications based on animal behavior?
Keywords: Biomimicry, Bioteams, Management, Organizational change, work teams, Virtual enterprise
networks
CONCLUSIONS
Bioteaming is a new discipline that, despite on a development process, already offers a set of tools; cases of
success; techniques; rules; and recommendations that are easily applicable to projects, organizations and
work teams. It is evident that not every process or methodology is applicable, but it is clear that technology
will help to explore many more possibilities for teams optimization with work goals. Meanwhile, having
modern technology devices is useless if mental and business models are still based on old-fashioned
concepts.
Based on the study presented in this paper, it is possible to conclude that Bioteams offer very interesting
possibilities to evaluate and implement in several organizational and Project Management's aspects,
especially in terms of: team collaboration and teamwork flows; leadership; communications; basic rules and
conflict resolution; and about the intrinsic philosophy of work as a team.
The audio visual resources along with the learning and diagnostic tools made available by the Bioteams are
very practical and relatively easy to use. Event though, it is good to mention the tip that Thompson remarks
about not to start the process with trainings of specific software or communications systems lessons; "there

2. is no a standard roadmap to apply Bioteams, the best way to use the techniques is the "Just-in-time", in the
context of current problems and opportunities of the organization". Ideally, a diagnostic is the starting point
from a company to know its vision, current business and work teams characteristics. Only after this initial
evaluation it is possible to know if the Bioteams model is recommended and if the structure and resources
are appropriate to apply it without disruptions. The successful application of Bioteams is not purely
organizational and technological; it must have a strategic and projects management vision supporting its
implementation.
Case studies and practical experience show, so far, that the three areas or projects types where Bioteams
perform better are: business networks -with remarkable performance on Virtual Enterprise Networks (VEN),
briefly described in this paper also- fans/supporters communities and virtual or mobile teams.
Nature is an endless source of ideas, however, not of resources, which are finite and, in several cases, closer
to depletion. New disciplines like Biomimicry are a warning call to understand that we cohabit in a planet
with limited resources, so we must use our intelligence without arrogance. Human subsistence could be at
serious risk if development vision is not changed radically, along with design, products' life cycles and
material's sources.
Even if we were able to emulate the smart and unbelievably effective organizational structures of nature,
human being has interests and freedom of choice, which is commonly blended with personal desires and
beliefs. Hence the importance to develop new models, or at least, to increase the number of tools available
for human resources management, beyond the traditional "Command and Control", to create truly
commitment among the members of our team, with the projects, the work to be done and the organizations
we all belong to.
The world and the current projects, in the midst of knowledge era and information revolution, increasingly
require that collective leadership is developing within the organizations. Rigid models, with strong hierarchy
and processes hindered by bottlenecks or excessively dependent on a single leader, are not able to survive
anymore in the modern times of quick adaptation because additional costs related with those old practices
would end up turning unviable, or at least highly inefficient, both the organization and its managers.
The Virtual Enterprise Networks (VEN) represent an example of Bioteam, with a proven success as a
business model for small and medium enterprises, giving them virtual scale and operational capabilities
similar to those that large companies and multinationals have, but without losing its unique characteristics of
quick response; flexibility; and operational low costs.
The study of the Virtual Enterprise Networks is a challenge to take advantage of technology and
communications and to effectively implement them in a business area or project. Whether with customers,
suppliers, the entire supply chain, a prospect strategic partner or even a competitor, there are many ways to
create synergies with all of them and also schemes of collaboration within a win-win frame. The key is the
mind-set and the strategic use of resources that, in most cases, have been available for years.
Fabio Padilla is an Engineer, keynote speaker and wheelchair tennis player living in Brasilia, Brazil's
Capital. Training and Consulting services on Leadership, Work Safety and Sustainability. Currently enrolled
in the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program at HARVARD UNIVERSITY Extension
School. Fabio can be contacted at http://fabiopadilla.com/