The buzzword “synergy” which was at one time a derogatory term applied to corporate entities, is now back to the table as companies are looking for ways to collaborate across departments in remote or hybrid environments for instance. It’s not being used as a corporate pejorative but rather to refer to a deep collaborative process that’s widely desired.
Synergy is the idea that a whole is greater than its components. This positive synergy helps teams to achieve more than they would have been in their on their own. It also gives team members the chance to work as a team with their unique perspectives, talents and communication styles.
On the other side, a negative synergy may bring teams down and lead to subpar deliverables despite each person’s particular strengths. This is typically because of miscommunications and conflicts that occur over roles, responsibilities, as well as schedules.
To avoid this kind of situation, it’s vital for teams to create an enduring foundation of trust and cooperation by clearly defining the goals of the project and laying out every team member’s part in the project. The easiest way to do this is through a process of role mapping that is collaborative that involves every team member collaborates with their counterparts to create clear documentation of who is responsible for what and when. This helps reduce confusion and saves time, energy and conflict for teams. It makes it easier for managers, when needed they can assist and coach.