“Synergy is a difficult word to understand, and even more challenging to implement. It implies a belief that we can learn from others and other can learn from us” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p.266). This is hard for many people as they feel that they know what is best and find it hard to admit that someone may know a subject better and that they can learn from them. Throw into the mix not only different people, but different cultures and it brings an additional set of problems into the situation.
“Cultural synergy builds on common ground, transcending mere awareness of difference, to form multifaceted strategic alliances and partnerships. In this manner, people who represent disparate perspectives and needs find ways through working together to seek a solution where all parties are content with the outcome and therefore together succeed” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p.266). This can easily cause problems in business. Culture though takes many faces. It can be more then just what country is an individual from or what their heritage is. It can also be based on how an individual was raised or even what part of the country they were raised in.
Take where I work for example. We all have different backgrounds not only from where we are from, but from past work experiences also. We have individuals from the Midwest, East Coast, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Texas. We all have different ideas and backgrounds and all think we know how situations are supposed to be handled and what needs to be done to make the operation run more efficient and effectively. What we all have to remember is, “synergy is a cooperative or combined action, and occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause. The object is to increase effectiveness by sharing perceptions and experiences, insights, and knowledge” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p.266). This is a challenge sometimes because cultures clash based on how they have been taught. To better collaborate and understand each other, we now have weekly meetings to discuss important matters and operational concerns. It is no longer each person doing what they think is best, but a team effort to come up with an agreed upon best solution and common answer as a group. We have come to learn from each other and our different backgrounds. Each person brings their own set of skills that can then be combined to cover for an area that another person may not be as strong in.
References
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.