Generous Business Lessons from Kangaroos (and more)

I spent a month in Australia and it wasn't a vacation.

In fact, it was all about business - just in a different way.

I went down under for a few meetings and to help Trisha DePasquale gather content for her Passport Adventures lesson series.

Travel has always been a passion of mine because you learn so much about different people and their cultures.

There are over 27 million people in Australia. I learned a lot about the various groups but the unexpected lessons I learned came from the animals.

Marsupials

Marsupials are a type of animal mostly found in Australia. Their most distinguishing characteristic is the pouch in which mothers hold and nourish their young. This is particularly interesting to me because of the extra effort it takes to make sure they are safe.

Joeys (the name for kangaroo and other marsupial babies) are able to poke their head out and see the light of day - even leave the pouch if needed. This is far different than say humans, whose babies wouldn't survive outside of the womb.

Not that humans aren't protective of their young, but marsupials have an extra responsibility. I liken this to a generous leader who allows his or her people to experience challenges (real business situations) but with an extra watchful eye to make sure they are safe.

There are many marsupials and while I don't have enough knowledge or digital space to share information on all of them, I have a few that provide great metaphors for a generous workplace culture.

Let's call it the "Generosity is Good Business Zoo." ??

Kangaroos ??

Kangaroos are the most popular of the marsupials. There are so many of them roaming Australia. Interestingly, you'll never find one alone unless there is something wrong. They travel in packs (mobs) and there is normally at least 10 together.

If traveling and working together doesn't indicate a collaboration and a generous workplace culture than I've failed in my efforts.

I'm not sure you should call your team a mob but it would be great if your people acted like kangaroos in this manner.

Wallabies

Wallabies are very similar to kangaroos. They are smaller and even more mobile. They are specifically known for being very agile and this is a key characteristic to for them to avoid dangerous encounters.

How important is it to be agile in your business?

Power and credibility come to mind when thinking of an innovative business, but agility makes me think of the risky times. Great businesses will find themselves in times when there is potential for bad results. You must be agile in those scenarios and avoiding the biggest perils is paramount.

Perhaps the agility of a wallaby will allow you to take calculated risks and avoid the catastrophic.

Wombats

Wombats are known for the ability and need to burrow intricate underground tunnels. This is where it is most safe for them to dwell. They typically only venture out at night.

Are you providing a safe place for your people to work?

If the wallaby's agility allows you to make adjustments to avoid unexpected perils, the wombat is a great reminder that the safest environment should always be available. You can't expect people to do their best work when they don't have the best place to execute.

The office, whether virtual, or brick and mortar, should be the ideal place for people to use their talents to advance the mission of your company.

Tasmanian Devils

You may not have heard of this animal if it wasn't the cartoon, Looney Tunes.

*Bonus points if you can name the Tasmanian Devil's archnemesis (or #1 prey) - answer below

Ironically, real Tasmanian devils aren't as crazy and high strung as the animated one. They are carnivorous but nearly blind and rely mostly on dead prey.

The thing that sticks out the most about these devils is their power in their bite despite their size.

They are born at about the size of a grain of rice and grow to max of 12kg (about 26 lbs). They may be small but you don't want to mess with one.

A generous workplace culture always has those unsung champions for giving.

Who are the underrated people in your business whose personality is small, but their influence is as powerful as it comes?

Bandicoots

Bandicoots are cute little animals. Don't call them a rat. That's an insult!

They are very short lived (2-5 years) omnivores that survive by scavenging for worms, insects, roots, and even some tubers. They are great diggers like wombats but..

Their special characteristics are their hearing and vision.

They need to be some of the most aware animals because of their small stature and vulnerability to larger predators.

Bandicoots represent those people in a generous workplace culture that are acutely aware of things that don't belong. You have to be careful on how you support these types. They can be helpful to keeping the culture clean while they can also cause division amongst team members if they are too accusatory.

It's best to encourage your bandicoots to lead with their actions and leave commentary to a minimum.

Koalas??

Koalas are famously attractive looking animals. I had the pleasure of holding one named Connery (see this post). They are endangered and many are being rehabilitated at various zoos throughout Australia.

Koalas sleep for up to 22 hours day.

Now, why would you want 22 hours of sleep to be part of your generous workplace culture? It seems relaxing but not very productive. The reason for their extended sleep is much because of digestion. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves and are very picky as to which ones they will ingest. It's a tough food source because of all the natural toxins in the plant.

Humans would incur incredible digestive distress if they ate eucalyptus leaves but given the needed time and rest, koalas can handle it. In fact, there's nothing they won't do to acquire the best quality leaves.

Who are those people in your company that won't settle for anything less than the highest quality. When specific to a generous culture, these people are the ones that remind top talent and loyal customers why they like partnering with your company.

The koalas of your business will go above and beyond, even given a short period of time, to make other people's experience tremendous.

You can use the example of these types of people to show other people the standards of working for and with your company.

Quokkas

I saved quokkas for last because if you've made it this far you deserve to learn about the happiest animal in the world!

These little guys and girls are so friendly and are completely non-territorial. They look like they are just walking around with a smile on their face.

Quokkas love to share space.

Every generous workplace culture is full of people who are friendly, inviting, collaborative, and hard working. Don't confuse friendly with harmless. Quokkas will do whatever they need to survive and defend themself just while leading with kindness.

It's a great practice in your business to acknowledge and celebrate your quokkas.

Learning From Down Under

I hope you've found some lessons or personnel profiles to help you build a generous workplace culture. Regardless of your stage of business, you can benefit from the above items. It's never too early to start building a giving environment in your business and always consider the culture when hiring employees, choosing partners, and accepting customers.

*For the bonus points:

The Tasmanian Devil's archnemesis is Bugs Bunny

A generous workplace culture is not a requirement to run a business, but I believe it's a requirement to achieve sustainable growth.

I had a blast traveling through Australia but there are lessons all around us of how to build a culture where everyone is valued and feels capable of contributing to the greater good. Always keep your eye out for ways you can do this as the leader.

Others will follow. Trust me. It's contagious. ??

There are many more marsupials by the way. Did I miss your favorite? Let me know ??

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