Synergy

Author Stephen Covey lists Synergy as Habit 6 in his 1989 classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Synergy is what creates the win-win situation, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and one plus one equaling three. For some people, like Buckminster Fuller, it is a whole school of thought.

What is Synergy?

Synergy is defined as the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. It shows up in singing through the harmony of voices, in cooking through the combination of ingredients, in teamwork through the unique skills of team members, and in business through contributions of different organizations. Synergy is one of the best ways there is to create value.

Synergy as a Mindset

Approaching synergy as a mindset can help us to maximize our contributions by collaborating to offer up our strengths, while allowing others to let their strengths flow through us. It is a mindset of differences and specialization, but also of cooperation.

On an individual level, we can find synergy within ourselves. Many young people are unsure what they want, what their purpose is, or how they fit in. In many cases, they may not be taking a full inventory of their strengths and passions. The young woman who is strong in math, loves fashion, and is good with people, can merge those ingredients to start a clothing business. It is the combination of ingredients that makes it work, and not just a single factor. Such is the case in all of synergy.

At the SSC, creating synergy is part of who we are: for our team, for our partners, and for the community in which we move.