I often ask participants at my workshops if they know the meaning of the word "synergy". Depending on the make up of the group, I get a variety of answers. Invariably, most people will say they know the term, they've heard the term, and it's got something to do with teams and team work. But trying to coax a more detailed definition is a waste of time. You see, most people understand that synergy is something that teams need. It somehow makes them better teams. But what it is and how it helps to improve teams is often a mystery. Just one of those things that is.

A definition of synergy

The best definition I've ever heard (and it was so long ago that the source has now been lost in the mists of time) is this one - "synergy is when one plus one equals three". No, I am not a mathematically challenged dummy! But when you add the following definition it starts to make a little more sense, "it is when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". In other words, when a team produces more than the sum of each individual's efforts could produce if they worked on their own.

I read somewhere (again, so long ago it's lost in etc etc) a wonderful article on a scientists approach to testing synergy. I'm not entirely sure if the article was a fact-based one, but what the heck. It's a great story and illustrates my point perfectly. By the way, if anyone knows where this comes from originally, please send me the information. I would love to acknowledge the source of such a great story.

A team of Clydesdale horses (those wonderfully big animals with the huge hooves and flowing manes) was used to test the theory of synergy somewhere in the British Isles. They were each tethered to a number of barrels and tested on how much weight they could pull. Their individual totals were duly recorded as well as the overall total weight. The team was then tethered together, and the same process repeated. The weight of the barrels the team pulled was also recorded. Now comes the synergistic result. The weight the team pulled was 25% more than the total weight the individual horses pulled earlier (surprise, surprise). Knowing this is all about the one plus one equals three theory, you must have had an inkling that the result would be something like this!

It must be an intact team

The really interesting thing to note is that the team of horses that were used was an "in tact" team. That means they had pulled things together for a long time. They knew each other. They trusted each other. They were used to working with each other. They were, in short, a team - not just a group of horses tethered together.

This is a vital point. In fact, it is the point. A team is more than just a group of individuals. A team has gone through a number of processes or stages which have built it into a well functioning, synergistic unit. I have not heard of other tests like the Clydesdale one above, but I'd bet my bottom dollar, that if a group of strangers (ie horses not used to working together) was used, the results would not be as impressive.

Applying this to work teams

The same applies to human teams. In fact, synergy is the vital ingredient that turns a group into a "team". Sports coaches know this. They spend as much time building team trust, respect, co-dependency and positive relationships as they do on sports skills. And we've all heard about the team of champions being beaten by the underdog champion team (it's the quintessential Aussie story).

So next time you take a look at your team, ask yourself this question. "Do we achieve more as a team than we would as individuals?" If the answer is no, then the team has not yet reached the stage of synergy so vital to turn it into a champion team.

Jo Gibney is seminar leader, group facilitator, professional speaker, writer and HR Consultant. Her commitment to adult learning is a life long passion, and much of Jo’s work focuses on developing not just work skills but also personal competencies and strengths. Check out Jo's websites at http://www.organisenow.com and http://www.dragonslayers.com.au

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