What exactly is synergy?
I simply define it as:
Two singles that when combined, produce three (or more).
A worthwhile goal, especially in the context of producing your team’s business objectives…
Goals like: output, sales and profit!
I’m sure there’ll be no argument that having your team performing synergistically is great for business.
So let’s dig a little deeper into this concept to understand it on an actionable level.
Syn·ergy.
Is actually formed by combining two root concepts:
Do you see the clue here?
When a team is operating with synergy, they’re:
Collaborating rather than competing.
If you observe the way many teams work, you’ll notice that significant time and energy is spent dealing with conflicting interests and in-team competition.
This is the friction that hurts the performance of your business.
Today we’re going to look at 7 techniques to remove friction, and have your team working at their synergistic, high-performing best!
When you remove team friction, it’s like taking the handbrake off your car. You’ll see a rapid acceleration towards your goals. 7 techniques to fight team friction:
1. Let Go This can be a tough one, but you have to let go! Give team members the freedom to perform their job without being micro-managed. Only with freedom and empowerment do people have the space to express their creativity. Yes, you should set goals and directions. But let them find their own way.
2. Get Everyone Involved Whenever you can, include everyone in the decision making process. Get into a habit of regularly asking for feedback and ideas. Each team member is a potentially powerful creative resource (if treated that way). What you don’t want to do as the manager, is compete against the team, instead of collaborate with them.
3. Hear All Voices Everyone wants their voice to be heard. If conflicts are arising in your team, the best thing you can do is encourage sharing and LISTEN. Give team members the space to share what they know (for example, a weekly feedback meeting). Knowledge is power. You want to discourage the holding onto knowledge to monopolise power.
4. Make Changes Don’t be afraid to change what’s not working. Ask your team: “What’s not working now?” and “What are the biggest problems we need to solve?” Focus on one shift at a time. Give all team members the responsibility to identify what’s not working and develop solutions.
5. Clearly Aligned Goals You want the whole team working towards the same goals! How can a team move forward if individuals or factions are pushing in opposing directions? Ensure everyone knows their roles, and how they contribute to the success of the team.
6. Recognise & Celebrate Success Make sure everyone is recognised for their contribution to the team. Don’t let anyone feel resentment for their hard work going unappreciated. When you achieve targets, celebrate the success. Thank everyone and ask for their insights: “What did we do right to succeed this quarter / project?” and “What will we do differently next time?”.
7. Use Each Individual’s Strengths Each team member has a personal tool box of skills, talents, resources and ideas. When individual’s skills and talents are shared with the group, they combine to create a cohesive unit. Only by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team members can you discover effective ways of working together. Get your team to take the Team Dynamics quiz now to find out what’s in their toolbox!
By taking these 7 steps to remove the friction within your team, you’ll create a space where team members can work together with synergy, and truly become more than the sum of their individual parts.
To support you in June’s Team Building theme we’ve developed a D.I.S.C. based Team Dynamics Personality Quiz.
The purpose of the Quiz is to help you identify the dominant personality types of your team. Take the quiz yourself. Then forward it onto your employees to learn more about the make-up of your team:
If you have questions on this topic or any others, feel free to reach me by email or set up a free one-on-one consultation session, or drop me a comment below.
Thanks for sharing!
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