We had to write again about the experience we had with the amazing Strategic Planning Committee at Griffin School. We worked together for two days to build a framework for their Strategic Plan.
We had worked with them before, so we were well aware of their passion, creativity and dedication. During our zealous discussions about the direction of the school, we witnessed true synergy.
One of the best examples of this was our discussion around finalizing the plan goals. We started with drafts for four goals. The room dynamically buzzed as group members offered suggestions, volleyed around ideas, respectfully disagreed, focused on achieving the greater good and had fun while doing it.
What was impressive is that this group had come together for the first time at this retreat. They had been pulled from various sectors of the school community and while familiar with one another, had never worked together in this type of high stakes situation. It was indicative of Griffin’s wonderfully supportive culture and why we always feel so honored and energized to work with them.
In the business world, synergy is the gold standard for companies. It is something beyond teamwork. Teamwork refers to the cooperative efforts of individuals as they work toward a common goal. When teams work well together they are efficient, effective and productive.
Synergy builds upon the foundation of teamwork, but it optimizes the talents of the individual contributors. To go back to our goal setting example, the members of the group had incredibly varied ways of looking at these goals. Rather than just focusing on a few voices or rushing to get the work done, they advocated for each person to express their unique way of looking at the situation. At the end of the process, the whole group agreed that the result exceeded their expectations.
This highlights the deeper level of understanding that is the hallmark of synergy. Building synergy in teams means leveraging each person’s strengths. The end result is truly greater than the sum of the parts.
The energy that is produced from this process promotes a high level of cohesion which results in better communication and conflict resolution. This makes teams more responsive and adaptable as they tackle problems. The ability to move through difficult processes together, also fosters incredible levels of trust that benefit all aspects of functioning.
Synergistic teams demonstrate greater innovation due to highly effective collaboration. Team members advocate and encourage one another despite their differing viewpoints. The outcome is highly engaged employees that exhibit greater commitment to the organization.
The long term ramifications are highly successful, sustainable organizations that retain passionate employees. Sounds good, right?
The more you understand synergy, the better you can cultivate it. Check out next week’s blog where we outline the key elements of organizational synergy.
Photo by Robert Collins
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