Day 1: The Singing Cicada vs. The Working Ant

Every workplace has its jungle. Some make noise, some make progress, some put on a show, and others get the job done before the show even starts.

Welcome to The Zoo at Work, a 30-day safari through the wild instincts that shape our professional lives. Each day, two animals step into the spotlight—not to be judged but to help us see more clearly ourselves, our teammates, our habits.

Let’s begin with two classics: one with a microphone, the other with a mission.

🦗 The Singing Cicada

You hear them before you see them.

The Singing Cicada enters the Zoom room like a keynote speaker — background blurred, voice crisp, energy at 110%. Every sentence is a quote. Every slide is a performance. They dominate discussions with ease, tossing around phrases like “low-hanging fruit,” “blue-sky thinking,” and “let’s just pivot and ideate.” If confidence had wings, they’d be flying.

They thrive on visibility. Their updates are epic. Their storytelling is sharp. You might catch them saying things like, “As I said in the leadership offsite…” (even if no one remembers them speaking). They bring the vibe, create the mood, and spark momentum.

But when the deadline looms, when the document needs finishing, when the numbers have to add up, they fade.

Suddenly, they’re “looping in others,” “waiting on inputs,” or “working on the narrative.” The buzz dies down. The deliverables get... quiet.

Still, it would be wrong to call them useless. Cicadas bring energy, ignite conversations, and often unblock stuck teams with their optimism and presence. But without action to follow the anthem, it’s just a catchy chorus on repeat.

🐜 The Working Ant

Now, meet the Ant. You might miss them at first — they rarely speak unless something really needs saying. But they’ve been here since 8:04 am, quietly building what others talk about.

While the Cicada opens their third brainstorm session of the week, the Ant is already uploading version two of the final product.

They don’t jump into every thread or try to impress the boss. They’re too busy replying to the client, fixing the spreadsheet, and checking the facts. They take notes that no one has asked them to. They update dashboards unprompted. They’re the reason things get delivered on time — even if someone else takes the credit.

You won’t find them chasing recognition. They don’t need the spotlight. But take them away, and suddenly the whole system starts to creak.

They may not charm the room, but they hold it up.

🔍 The Reflection

Here’s the truth: most of us aren’t purely one or the other. We move between roles depending on the task, the pressure, or even how much sleep we got last night.

But the danger starts when volume is mistaken for value and consistency is overlooked because it doesn’t shout. Some teams reward visibility over contribution, and some leaders only notice the buzz, not the bricks.

That’s where the work begins — recognising both styles, valuing both energies. Because a song without structure fades, and a structure without spark gathers dust.

So ask yourself:
Are you singing or building?
And who’s really holding up the hive?

📌 Did You Know?

The fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper was meant to teach us that hard work beats showboating. But the real-world cicada flips the script.

Cicadas spend most of their lives underground — 13 to 17 years, depending on the species — before emerging in full voice for just a few intense weeks. That concert? It’s the final act of a very long rehearsal.

Meanwhile, ants are masters of coordination. Without a single boss, they build colonies, relocate food, and protect their queen — all through instinct, not instruction. They don’t talk about teamwork. They are teamwork.

Maybe the trick isn’t choosing sides. Maybe it’s learning when to sing — and when to lift.

📚 References

• Aesop’s Fables – The Ant and the Grasshopper

• Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. (1995). “The Ecology, Behavior and Evolution of Periodical Cicadas.” Annual Review of Entomology

• Gordon, D.M. (2010). Ant Encounters: Interaction Networks and Colony Behaviour

• Harvard Business Review (2022). “The Quiet Power of Invisible Work”