Synergize - Habit #6 of Highly Effective People

Synergize - Habit #6

I love when 1+1=3!  No, it isn't a mistake.  It is the definition of Synergy - when the combined is greater than the sum of its parts.  As we continue this Summer Series on effectiveness, we are exploring how to Synergize - Habit #6 from Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
 

Synergy Takes Things to a Higher Level

The essence of synergy is to value differences - to respect them, to build on strengths, to compensate for weaknesses.  It requires both parties to trust and be willing to bring their ideas to new, unchartered territory.

When two people come together at work and share their respective views, it is an exchange of information.  When those two people start building off each other's ideas and create new, expansive ideas, they are creating synergy. 

Many (if not all) of the most successful leaders have some sort of mastermind group.  It is where they share their biggest challenges, ideas, and goals in a trusting environment.  As they continue to discuss and add their respective input, the ideas shift and start to build off each other.

This is such a wonderful habit to practice!  But as mentioned before, it takes trust and a psychologically safe environment.  If people are made to feel stupid for their ideas or feel they can't trust, they will stop sharing.  At that point, the interaction becomes information sharing, more of a 1+1=2 type of deal, with little-to-no synergy.

Synergy is so enriching in your personal relationships as well.  Relationships flourish when there is true empathic listening (Habit #5 - Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood) and a win/win mindset (Habit #4 - Think Win/Win).  When those things are present, you can explore dreams and desires and continue to build off each other, until the combined dream is better than each of you could have ever imagined on your own.

In order to synergize, you need to be willing to let go of the outcome and trust the messy part of the process.  This may seem counterintuitive to Habit #2 - Begin With The End In Mind, but it isn't. 

Beginning with the end in mind is more of your vision - a statement such as "I want to lead our team to our highest sales" or "I want to travel through Europe".  The synergy comes when you allow yourself and others to discuss those goals and all the many ways you can get there.

Valuing differences is the key.  Often times we like to work with or promote others similar to us.  It feels comfortable, and hey, we're pretty, cool so they must be too, right?

When I started my coaching business, I was coming from many years of being a CPA in corporate.  I was used to analytical, no-nonsense, fast-paced, efficient ways of doing business.  I thought I wanted to collaborate with others who embodied those traits within my new field.  

But coaching is an entirely different animal, and the benefits come from contemplation, intuition, and a less structured approach.  When I found coaches with similar backgrounds to myself, we would have conversations that were validating but rarely produced any new ideas of moving our business forward.  We were both great at slides, excel spreadsheets, certifications, and ways to measure our progress.  But none of that moved the needle.

Then I trusted my intuition and collaborated with a woman I met at a conference with an ENTIRELY different background, way of working, and way of being.  She is a Registered Nurse, a creative (musician, songwriter, and writer), takes her time exploring new thoughts and ideas, and deeply explores things that I would normally rush past.  She isn't terribly great at slides or excel, and at first that worried me.

I was fearing the differences between us instead of leveraging them.

Our combined skills and trust in one another has blossomed into some of the most meaningful work we've done.  It is by far greater than 1+1=2.  We build off each other's experiences and ideas, and are able to connect the dots to deliver deep, impactful work to organizations (with slides and workbooks too!)

We have found the intersections of corporate and wellbeing, of organized and free-flowing, of planning and being open - and created entirely new content that neither one of us would have been able to develop on our own.

This works because we each trust that what the other brings is valuable, even if we don't have that skill.  We have open conversations about everything from or own private practices to our joint work.  We established an understanding in the beginning that we wouldn't let things such as money or competition over a client get in the way - everything would be out in the open at all times.

We established trust, empathy, mutual respect, and space for us to each fully be ourselves.

The coolest part?  Work is more fun than it has ever been.  We enjoy each other's company and we leave each interaction feeling heard, valued, and that we contributed towards a product or idea that is so much better than we could have accomplished on our own (or with a clone of ourselves).

So give it a try!  Think about a person who typically sees things differently than you do.  Consider ways in which those differences might be used as stepping-stones to third alternative solutions.  Perhaps you could seek out his or her views on a current project or problem, valuing the different views you are likely to hear.  This creates solutions that are more than the sum of their parts - 1+1=5 type of synergy!

Or make a list of the people who irritate you.  Do they represent different views that could lead to synergy if you had greater intrinsic security and valued the difference?

Seek out the Gen Z with pink hair, the one who always wears a pressed suit, the close-to-retirement member who is quiet in meetings, the talkative teammate who overshares, the parent who does things entirely different than your family, the one who comes from a different set of beliefs or background.

Valuing differences and creating a trusting environment will lead to synergy in so many areas of your life.

The bottom line is this:  the world is full of people, ideas, and noise.  Everyone is busy.  Your time is best spent synergizing.  Not only to be effective, but to be fulfilled, happy, and successful.

Synergize and you will create the best life for you AND those around you.

Cheers to synergy,
Sharon

We are almost there!  Stick with me until we cover all 7 habits.
If you missed any of the previous habits, the links are below:
Habit #1 - Be Proactive
Habit #2 - Begin With The End In Mind
Habit #3 - Put First Things First
Habit #4 - Think Win/Win
Habit #5 - Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood

**Note - some of this text is directly from Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I've added context where I saw fit and condensed in other sections.  His publisher's website is worth a read for more reference and if you can find the time, read the book.  Website HERE.**

Want to create more synergy?

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This isn't high-level, vague information. These are deep dives into the nuances of how stress shows up, with practical, actionable solutions attendees can implement in the midst of their busy lives.

We've helped hundreds of employees find more purpose, more focus, and increase their wellbeing. We can help you and your teams too! Click HERE to schedule an exploratory call to learn more.