FROM THE EDITOR.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha

Bees have long set the gold standard for "good workers." It's helpful that, in addition to flitting endlessly from flower to flower, they buzz as they go, satisfying two of our senses that they're the epitome of high energy and productivity. "Busy as a bee" is generally a positive simile, acknowledging that someone is putting in the work and setting the expectation for a sweet result.

But the comparison can run into issues in modern corporate workplaces. Prioritizing productivity over any other consideration is a great way to be profitable--until your workers burn out and abandon your hive in droves in search of more amenable workplaces. While bees are endlessly busy, anyone tracking one on a summer afternoon has seen it fly in endless circles or visit flowers long-since already harvested: just because someone looks busy doesn't mean they're actually producing anything. And of course, there's little to no diversity among worker bees; they may have specialized tasks, but they are all born from the same queen and happily participate in the hive mind.

Maybe all that's required is a shift in how bees inspire us. We could easily take a page from how they plan their day: various bees use body language, eye contact, vocal patterns, or odor to communicate about sources of food, signs of danger, or other hive business. Communication is constant, and no bee is an island. Bees...