Image retrieved from Synergy Capital Management, LLC. http://www.synergycapitalmanagement.com/
What the heck is “synergy”? The dictionary defines synergy as, “the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.” (Dictionary, 2017) Moran and Moran explain that, “it implies a belief that we can learn from each other and others can learn from us.” “On global teams, it means the collective contribution of the team far exceeds the adding up of the individual contribution of each team member.” (Moran and Moran, 2011) Essentially, our actions, our attitudes and our words play a monumental part in the process of obtaining synergy. No pressure at all, right? At least it shouldn’t be but I do believe that it requires consistent and cognizant effort. In my opinion, the very essence of leadership is about leading in a proper direction. When there is consistent opposition in the workplace, synergy is seldom found. This is certainly not a new concept as even the “good book” or Bible says, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Nelson, 1982) The question that comes to mind is, “how”?
“Synergy comes from the Greek word meaning working together.” (Moran and Moran, 2011) As I believe some of us have experienced, this can be a little trickier in reality than it appears in black and white. As I mentioned, I believe that in order for this to work, one must be consistent and cognizant in their efforts to achieve synergy. One of the most important things an individual can do in any interaction is to make a conscious effort to objectively consider different perspectives. When someone has a different point of view, they’re not attacking our grandma or smacking our dog, taking it to a personal level is rarely ever necessary. It is however, a great opportunity to expand our own mindset. Explore their idea, hear them out, ask them to expand on the possibilities they’re thinking about. Ideally, we would be able to brainstorm; “a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc., by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion.” (Dictionary, 2017) Then we would either decide that this new idea is fantastic and move towards it or in the wonderment that is brainstorming, a vast array of options would come out of the mix of several ideas thus making way for an awesome and effective compromise.
Working as a team means that you are on the same team and working toward a common goal; “The objective is to increase effectiveness by sharing perceptions and experiences, insights and knowledge.” (Moran and Moran, 2011) One of the most difficult spots to be in, is when you must work with an unmotivated individual. Typically, unmotivated people aren’t concerned with the bigger picture; how their attitude impacts the group or business, whether or not anyone or anything succeeds or fails. This can be very taxing or draining on so many levels including but certainly not limited to, the synergy that everyone else is working to maintain. In this case, I think it is a good leader that will step in to build these people up. Compliment them on the good work they’re doing and if possible, find a way to challenge them in a proactive manner like asking them to step away from their usual tasks to assist someone on a separate task. This gives that person a change of scenery thus helping to fire up creative stimulation which can reset the motivation needed for synergy to thrive. I believe that this is what effective leadership is about.
“Synergy”, looks like it is a word to describe a universe saving liquid that is encapsulated and sitting at the core of the Earth and can only be obtained by sending teams of scientists down a very long and narrow tunnel while braving unthinkable temperatures, monsters or even worse, uncomfortably tight spaces with others; making this fancy “synergy” nearly impossible to obtain. Notice I said, “nearly”, meaning it only looks impossible. Being an effective and efficient leader means keeping the right mindset, one of optimism and openness, being willing to see and hear from other perspectives; with this, synergy is absolutely achievable.
Resources:
- Dictionary (2017) Dictionary.com, LLC. Definitions. Synergy. Retrieved on February 19, 2017 from
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/synergy
- Moran, R. T., Ph. D., Remington Abramson, N., Ph. D., & Moran, S. V., MA. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Chapter 9. London: Routledge.
- Nelson, T. (1982) Bible Gateway. Matthew 12:22-28. New King James Version (NKJV) A House Divided Cannot Stand. Retrieved on February 19, 2017 from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+12%3A22-28&version=NKJV
- Dictionary (2017) Dictionary.com, LLC. Definitions. Brainstorming. Retrieved on February 19, 2017 from
The ability of one to work synergistically is a large component of one’s ability to be a dynamic leader. In my region there is a large organization where its leadership completely denies that cultural diversity is a large component of the organization. Legally, it is compliant with federal and state regulations; yet, when speaking to associates they are disengaged. Upon probing, it has been found the leadership of the organization makes very little efforts to ensure that its culturally diverse associates are supported. At high level meetings and events there tends to exist a homogeneous group of persons that attend. Further, the organization has low ratings in service and medical outcomes. In this case, the organization has been a source of controversy as those that are high skilled and diverse do not seek this organization for employment and once hired do not stay long as they seek employment where they are more supported.