Collaboration, or team building, is essential to the achievement of any company’s vision and mission. Companies strive to attract and retain workers who are enthusiastic about collaborating. For that, they need to build synergy in the team.
If the subject seems serious, that’s because it is. Collaborative efforts lead to expansion, increased employee involvement, and the fostering of new ideas and approaches that can lead to significant advances in a field. Leaders must understand that they may encourage teamwork by fostering a culture of synergy in their workplace. So what, exactly, is team synergy, and how can management successfully reproduce it across the organization?
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Build Synergy In The Team
Synergy can be defined as the energy or force that is produced when multiple processes or components are brought together to act in unison. Diverse people in a team, each with their own unique set of skills, experiences, and points of view, come together to form a synergized whole. It is essential for there to be synergy among the members of the team in order for them to work in an efficient and effective manner and to be productive.
The concept of “team synergy” applies the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” adage to collaborative efforts. This productive chemistry encourages workers to bring their whole selves to the job, including their individual backgrounds, worldviews, skill sets, and ways of expressing themselves. In reality, it is precisely the diversity of opinion held by a team’s members that allows them to produce their finest results. The team may accomplish far more than the sum of its parts by playing to the skills of each individual member and providing them with opportunities to learn from one another.
Let us examine the impact that synergy has on the situation. Take the analogy of a mechanical system, which, in order to perform the task for which it was designed, requires a number of different-sized gear wheels, all of which must rotate. Even though these gear wheels may be in fine shape, if they are unable to rotate smoothly with one another the system’s efficiency may suffer and there is a possibility that it will fail entirely. Now take into consideration groups that are made up of people. Suppose that every member of the team possesses the necessary qualifications and experience. Everyone on the team is responsible for either a major or a minor responsibility. But, if they are unable to work together cohesively, then the team will not be as productive and successful as it otherwise may have been. It’s possible they won’t even be able to produce a quality product within the constraints. When synergy is present, a team of four people will not deliver the same amount of work as four people working alone, but rather up to sixteen times as much as the sum of the four people working alone. It is safe to assume that the performance of the combination is superior to that of the simple addition of the performance of the component parts.
Team Building Through Team Synergy Effect
It is not easy to build synergy in the team. It requires time and effort, just like developing any other interpersonal skill. You could, however, explore the following three approaches for developing synergy within your team:
Effective Communication
Communication is the key to the success of any team. A diverse team is strong because its members bring different ideas and experiences to the table, but everyone must feel safe enough to say what they think. Team members who can talk about their thoughts and ideas with each other openly and in the right way at work are more likely to find common ground and work well together.
To start making it easier for people to communicate with each other while they work:
- Pick a central place to meet and the things you want to talk about. If everyone on the team knows where to talk to each other, it’s much easier for them to do so. If you haven’t already, make sure you have a plan for how you’ll communicate with your team.
- Don’t forget how important it is to understand each other. Team members who work well together, especially in a diverse group, know how important it is to listen to each other instead of trying to force their own ideas on the conversation. Active listening is a way for team members to improve their listening skills.
- Figure out the difference between facts and stories. Focusing on facts instead of stories is a deliberate way to lead. “Facts” are things that can be checked, like how many people went to a meeting. Your “narrative,” on the other hand, is just how you see things. You shouldn’t do anything based on what other people say until you can be sure.
Working Sequentially Towards A Goal
Everyone on a team needs to be on the same page in terms of the aims and objectives being pursued before they can effectively collaborate. Because every member of the team will be responsible for their own unique responsibilities, the absence of a shared objective will lead to individuals developing their own independent objectives, which may result in friction within the group or force it to deviate from its intended path. Each individual is able to prioritize their own work in relation to a shared end when goals are set in a clear and concise manner. In addition to helping to encourage team members, objectives and goals also give the group a shared vision and lend the work that is being done on the team a more profound significance.
After a group has been assembled and its objectives defined, the members of that group must remain in constant contact with one another and share information regarding their discoveries, problems, and progress. An agile team is one that works together on a regular cadence. This type of team has the authority and the support necessary to pivot, alter, or otherwise update its goals and objectives whenever problems arise or when new information prompts the need for such a change.
Build Synergy In the Team Through Collaboration
The author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey, includes “synergized” on the list of habits that successful people follow. A synergized team, it says, is the result of team members working together. Help your team reach its full potential by equipping them with resources that enable them to capitalize on their differences and complement each other.
Members of the team need not only to be knowledgeable about how to communicate effectively but also to be at ease when doing so. By serving as an example of effective methods of team collaboration, you should make sure that you create an environment in which team members feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to the workplace.
- Invite participation from multiple parties in order to encourage collaboration. The process of working on things together as a team to produce results that each individual member of the team would not be able to accomplish on their own is an essential component of team synergy. To achieve this goal, it is not enough to simply instruct the members of the team to collaborate on the project. Instead, hold sessions for brainstorming, encourage discussion, and be open to the possibility of disagreement. Taking part in the co-creation of something entails working together to develop an idea rather than working in isolation towards a common objective.
- Encourage open communication. It is important for members of a team to feel comfortable expressing what they are thinking and feeling, offering their perspectives on various projects, and voicing their disagreements with other team members. We have a tendency to view healthy disagreement as a negative experience, but it is actually an essential component of productive team collaboration.
- Set an example and follow it yourself. Although it’s not an overnight process, the best way to start encouraging teamwork is to demonstrate it yourself. You can’t expect your team to work together effectively if you don’t. If you make it a point to ensure that you are always inviting co-creation and that you are welcoming new opinions, you will start to see the rest of your team do the same thing.
Team Synergy Rule Guide
The unspoken rules that govern the behavior of team members towards one another are referred to as group norms. Even if you don’t take the time to establish group norms, they will emerge on their own as your team collaborates. If they are allowed to continue unchecked, group norms have the potential to lead to some undesirable practices that make team members feel uneasy and, ultimately, result in negative group dynamics.
However, if you take the initiative to establish group norms, you will make it much simpler for your team to work together. When these “unspoken rules” are brought out into the open, it reduces the amount of guesswork and uncertainty, allowing the members of the team to spend less time worrying and more time getting their high-impact, collaborative work done.
Management Role In Team Building
The management of each team also plays an important part in the creation of synergy within that team. Not only should managers track and monitor the work that team members are doing, but they should also follow team members personally. They should take care of other errands while they are at work so that members can contribute to what has been assigned to them in an effective and efficient manner. When a colleague was so engrossed in his work that he neglected to keep a promise he had made to his family, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam stepped in to fulfill the obligation. He took the family of his colleague to a movie. Managers ought to learn something from this situation. This concept was beautifully articulated by Robin Sharma as “Manage by Mind, Lead by Heart.”
Consistently and persistently recognizing and rewarding the efforts of team members should be a priority for management. Synergy can develop in response to any expression of appreciation. The management of the company has a responsibility to create a stimulating and exciting workplace in which ideas can freely exchange places and synergy can thrive. A place of business in which an employee can look forward to going to work each day. At the same time, management needs to be aware that excessive systematization results in increased bureaucracy and leads to lost potential in their workforce.
Takeaway For Team Synergy
To summarize, it can be said that both individuals and management should strive towards team building. The core competencies of individual players help to build synergy in the team. The members of the team will be more productive working together than if they worked independently.
Team synergy allows a group of people with different backgrounds and perspectives to work together naturally, resulting in effective teamwork with the greatest possible impact.