One of the great natural wonders of North America is the Giant Sequoia tree. These are the earth’s largest trees, growing over 300 feet tall and up to 30 feet in diameter. The bark of sequoia’s can be up to three feet thick which protects it from insects and birds. Sequoias can live over 3,000 years.
And yet for all its mightiness, the sequoia has no taproot. The roots themselves go no deeper than three feet.
How do sequoias not get uprooted in storms when smaller oaks and hickory trees on my property get blown over in high winds?
Synergy. The roots of sequoias go down three feet but can stretch out up to 50 feet around it. These roots intertwine with roots from other sequoias. If you try and pull one out, you find it’s anchored firmly with the roots of others. None of them are going anywhere. Their survival is built on their interdependence.
That’s what synergy is. I am strong only if you are. We depend on each other for our success.
With this dramatic example of synergy, I often find the “buzzword” synergy rather laughable.
I’m not sure that “synergy” between stakeholders, stockholders, executives, and customers is enough to inspire the workers who generate the revenue, but it sounds good in a board meeting.
On the other hand, I’ve personally worked on a synergistic team and experienced the importance of everyone doing their best job.
My wife Barb and I worked as oral surgery technicians back in the early 1990s while in the Navy. From 1989-1991, we had the privilege of working with an oral surgeon by the name of Todd Graef. Dr. Graef had Barb and I trained to the point that if he dropped dead in the O.R., we would be able to finish the case (theoretically of course) but we certainly felt that level of confidence. He depended on us and treated us as such. And of course our goal was to help him help the patient. We needed each other to make it happen. Synergy in action.
Interestingly though, the previous surgeon was a paranoid screamer. He did nothing but yell at us and throw instruments when he got frustrated. We did the best we could, but nothing was ever in sync. The patients had no idea, but I never felt good about working in the O.R. and most of the time even dreaded it.
But the synergy with Todd Graef was energizing. I no longer dreaded the O.R. When Todd left shortly before we did, the new oral surgeon was much like the old one. We were grateful to be transferring.
True synergy builds strength and durability on your team (see the sequoias above) and comradery and teamwork like we had with Todd Graef.
That said, why not work to BUILD synergy, not just drop the word in meetings with the big wigs? Synergy won’t happen on its own. What will you to do to make it part of your team’s culture? What about your volunteer teams? Your family?