Beam us up, Scotty: What HR can learn from Star Trek

Think Star Trek is all about daring adventure and on-board drama? There may be plenty of both, but that’s not all the show had to offer – HR pros could learn a thing or two about managing a big, busy company.

1. Find the right leader
   From James T. Kirk to Jean-Luc Picard – any company could covet the leadership Starfleet found for its Enterprises. Kirk may have been hot-headed and a bit of a Lothario, but he was also known for his dedication to fairness, education and strategy. Picard was a gentler leader who focused on understanding and compassion, but who wasn’t afraid to draw a hard line when necessary.
    
2. Avoid groupthink by mixing up your team
   Kirk’s main advisers were Dr Leonard McCoy and Commander Spock, and according to Forbes writer Alex Knapp that gives him a major advantage over leaders who surround themselves with Yes Men.
   
   “However, the very fact that Kirk has advisors who have a different worldview not only from each other, but also from himself, is a clear demonstration of Kirk’s confidence in himself as a leader,” Knapp wrote. “Organisations that allow for differences of opinion are better at developing innovation, better at solving problems, and better at avoiding groupthink.”
    
3. Know your experts
   From Uhura’s language skills to Troi’s empathic abilities – every team member had their area of expertise and they took the lead in situations where they had the best chance of success. This can be a tough lesson for the micro-managers and control freaks among us, but sometimes stepping back and letting the experts in your organisation do their jobs will get you the best results.
    
4. Diversity matters
   For a show started in the 1960s, when TV wasn’t known for its diversity, the bridge team on the Enterprise hailed from all parts of the planet, and later from all parts of the universe. This diversity made it easier for the ship to connect with and understand different species they met on their journey – much like today’s companies who are serving an increasingly diverse client base.
    
5. Challenge employees to help them grow
   No one becomes a good leader simply by being promoted – it takes experience and obstacles to learn how to think strategically and to understand how to lead a team. Both captains frequently sent their employees on difficult and challenging missions to help them improve their skills and confidence.
   
   “When you have someone on your team whose doing their job, and doing it well, it can be hard to assign them new or more difficult tasks in a way that shakes up your organisation,” Knapp wrote. “But to be an effective leader, you need to shake them up, so that when your team faces harder crises, they’ll be more resilient and effective.”