HR Management Lessons from the Story of “The Ant”

13/05/2026

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“The Elephant and the Ant” is a fable specifically for Human Resource Management. But in reality, it’s not just about the singular perspective of HR management, but also about System Operations Management. This is a classic story that everyone in HRM must read. Join 1Office in following this interesting fable and discover some fascinating HR lessons!

Every day, the Ant went to work very early and started working right away. The Ant was a great worker and was always happy. His boss, a Lion, was surprised to see the Ant working without any supervision. The Lion thought that if the Ant were supervised, he would surely be more productive.

So the Lion hired a Cockroach as a supervisor. After being hired, the Cockroach’s first decision was to install a wall clock to monitor punctuality. The Cockroach also needed a secretary to write notes and reports for him, so he hired a Spider to manage reports and answer calls. The Lion was very pleased with the Cockroach’s reports and asked him to create charts to track output and analyze market trends, so he could present them at the Board of Directors meeting. So, the Cockroach bought a new laptop and a laser printer, then hired a Fly to manage the IT department.

As for the Ant, who used to be a diligent and relaxed worker, he was now very annoyed by the paperwork and useless meetings that wasted all his time! Meanwhile, the boss Lion concluded that it was necessary to appoint a manager for the entire department where the Ant was working. This junior manager position was given to a Cicada. The Cicada’s first decision was to immediately buy a beautiful carpet and a very comfortable chair for his office.

This “boss” Cicada also needed a computer and a personal secretary, who was his former secretary, the one who had helped him prepare the Strategic Work & Budget Control Optimization Plan. The office where the Ant worked became a sad place, where no one laughed anymore and everyone became anxious and irritable. So the Cicada convinced the big boss, the Lion, of the need to conduct a thorough study of the work environment. After reviewing the financial reports from the Ant’s office, the Lion discovered that productivity had dropped significantly. So the Lion hired an Owl, a famous and reputable consultant, to investigate and propose necessary solutions. The Owl spent 3 months studying the office and wrote a huge, multi-volume report, concluding: “This office is overstaffed.”

Guess who the Lion fired first? And if you were the Lion, what would your choice be? The ant was fired for his “lack of motivation and pessimistic attitude at work.” The result is quite surprising, isn’t it!

So what is the human resource management lesson from the story above?

The mistake probably started when the Lion decided to hire a supervisor, hoping the Ant would become even more productive. Unfortunately, the Lion was wrong. From an employee’s perspective, everyone wants a comfortable, free work environment with as much autonomy as possible. No one wants to be constantly and excessively monitored and pushed. The proof is that after the “superiors” including the Cockroach, the Spider, and then the Cicada were appointed one by one, the Ant’s previous joy and comfort at work disappeared. Instead, he felt anxious and irritable. This, of course, had the direct consequence of reducing the Ant’s productivity. Not to mention, the management structure became increasingly cumbersome and complex, with multiple layers of management for only a single productive worker, the Ant. Every process slowed down, indirectly affecting labor productivity.

As a manager, you always need to focus on simplifying the human resource management structure as much as possible. The challenge is to have a simple management structure while achieving the highest level of performance. Ultimately, the final goal for any company is still revenue and profit, and it is none other than the Ants who are the key factor. Therefore, the lesson is to create the best environment for the Ants, helping them feel comfortable and happy, thereby achieving the most effective work productivity.