Synergy is one of the most overused terminologies in motivational corporate meetings, where most attendees are secretly scrolling through their social feeds looking for something mildly interesting to make the present moment seem a little less grey. Synergy is indeed a key success factor for every task that is performed by a group of people, but forcing it on a company culture that’s not ready for it is counterproductive.
To cultivate fertile soil for a collaborative effort like business synergy, the reform should start at the individual level. A somewhat cliché adage offers up that we should “look within yourself, not at the fault of others,” and it is pretty accurate. Reform is a simple process of adopting new (easy) habits that will help you grow individuallywithin your work environment. I’ve done it, and I’m the least likely person to respond to hierarchies and companyspeak. Brainwashing jargon doesn’t have to be part of your new outlook, and here are four aspects that work for me.
1. Knowledge
One of the greatest things about living in this day and age is that you can access the collective knowledge of all humans that walked this earth before you with a simple swipe of the thumb. You can learn more than you did in years of college via free online courses. Free courses are all over the Internet on interactive userfriendly platforms that teach everything from the basics of entrepreneurship to corporate finance, programming to quantum physics, and even how to write a proper article. Brains are like any other muscle in the body- if you don’t use it, you lose it.
2. Attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude at the office is crucial for you, your colleagues and your company. The office environment becomes a haven for stress if all you hear and feel are feedback loops of negative attitude. However, sometimes staying a positive ray of sunshine is tricky business under the enormous pressure of everyday tasks and communications. That’s when you need to hack your energy flow for maximum endorphins following a simple and healthy morning ritual. Have a green breakfast, do a 10 minute workout, set one important goal for the day and get to it. Also, play smooth, beautiful music.
3. Performance
Upholding a high performance rate is what you are paid to do. The single most important aspect of your career is to be consistently productive without letting your standards slide. If you do a quick Google search, you’ll find thousands of 10-step articles detailing the process of how to hack productivity, all with one thing in common: work in short bursts of strong, uninterrupted focus, with frequent short breaks. Use a timer, work for one hour straight, then take a five minute break and repeat. It’s a simple (but life-changing) habit.
4. Reliability and Accountability
Employers know that everybody has their limits and their bad days. No one is expecting you to give 100% effort 100% of the time. However, making missed deadlines and sub-standard deliverables a habit is career suicide. Ensure that you are reliable in submitting tasks on time with a decent quality- by decent I mean one that you are proud to present as your work. In case you do mess up, admit your failures before pointing fingers, no one likes a snitch and the positive way forward entails taking responsibility for your actions.
Once you have reinforced these habits within yourself, you can begin to lead by example. The gears of synergy will soon start spinning, and whoever doesn’t ride the wave will be left behind. Adoption of good habit says a lot about who is behind your business agenda, and that doesn’t just mean tossing about a few brandfriendly words.
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