Synergy – Two heads are better than one.

Synergy is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s a process, and through that process, people bring all of their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us jointly discover things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty–you name it.

When people begin to genuinely interact together and they’re open to each other’s influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.

To grow a business in today’s challenging economy, management needs to be flexible, have good planning and organizational skills as well as synergy among employees. To grow a business, it’s important to keep continued focus on some of the solid practices that made the company what it is today.

1. Maintain the Company’s Mission
When synergy begins to take place within an organization, it is really easy to get sidetracked and lose sight of the company’s real mission. Make sure to maintain the strategic direction of the business. Keep changes to a minimum in order to stay focused on the good planning and ideas that got it where it is today.

2. Build Solid Business Processes
As synergy evolves, and processes begin to change, it is important to stop and take the time to define the working processes in an appropriate level of detail. Don’t let the new ideas overtake the processes that are working well. It is a must to outline business processes and practices.

3. People Work for People, Not Companies
Don’t forget that true loyalty comes when employees believe that the organization and its leadership team care about them personally and professionally. A loyal and well-trained workforce will help the business grow and stand up strong against the competition. Don’t let the synergy allow management to forget about its people.

4. Hold Employees Accountable
While synergy is taking place, you have to hold employees accountable for their individual tasks and responsibilities. In the short run this can be painful as processes change. In the long run, the process allows them to become better employees. But don’t forget recognition and awards for those who go over and above expectations.

5. Never Lose Focus on Quality
In our current challenging economy, synergy sometimes leads us to think about cutting corners. However, customers will recognize a quality decrease and possibly consider your competition. Keep in mind the difficulty of acquiring loyal customers. It is very easy to lose one quickly if you’re not meeting their quality expectations.

In today’s challenging business climate, developing synergy among your employees is essential. It is a habit of creative cooperation – finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s a process, and it is important not to lose solid practices that helped your company grow in the first place.