The Tail Section

At first glance you might not think that Lost has much in common with an office environment, but there are actually similarities to be found.  People form alliances, have special skill sets, and often have to work as a team whether they like it or not.  There’s a new list on HRWorld.com entitled "10 Things Every Manager Should Learn from Lost," and you may want to keep some of these things in mind if you’re ever in a leadership position.

Check out a couple entries from the list below, or read the entire article here.

Make alliances.

The survivors of "LOST" have found much help from outside sources by forming alliances.  Sayid’s relationship with Rousseau has been particularly helpful, as she’s been the group’s native guide to the island in many episodes.  Even Michael, in a bloody and roundabout way, has worked with Ben to help protect the people on the island.

These sort of relationships can be translated into a management setting in the form of knowledge-sharing between departments, such as cross training.  The bonds created by forming alliances between groups can prove useful when your team needs help.

Find success as a team.

Throughout "LOST," Jack has constantly reminded the survivors that on the island, you "live together, die alone."  In the days immediately following the crash, characters worked as individuals, fending for themselves unsuccessfully.  But when they started to collaborate, their lives began to flourish.  In a larger group as well as in small teams, the survivors have worked to find resources, overcome personal difficulties, protect themselves and solve some of the mysteries of the island.

As a manager, you should encourage your team to band together in this way so that they can achieve something greater than they’d be able to on their own.

Follow your instincts.

On the island as well as in business, it’s not always easy to see the truth behind the matter, so it’s important that you trust your instincts.  When Ben infiltrated the survivors under the guise of his own tragedy, many were easily swayed, but Sayid knew that Ben was not to be trusted.  Without Sayid’s good judgement, Ben could have caused much more harm than he actually did.

As a manager, it’s important that you trust your gut when making decisions for your team. If something doesn’t feel right to you, take a closer look.