Habit 6 in Seven Habits is synergy. Over the last two decades since its publication, synergy has become a bit of a… joke.
Synergy is the idea that The Sum is Greater Than The Individual Parts. It’s the idea that, in a safe and nurturing environment, creativity can soar and result in amazing breakthroughs.
The methods that synergy requires and the apparent spontaneity of the experience make it difficult to trust or believe in. Also, years of abuse by people unwilling to truly foster it has rendered it taboo. There is still merit in the idea, however. Synergy still exists.
Synergy happens whenever a 2 or more people sits in a room and create something new: new thought, new experience, new technology… or even a new being. Covey definitely chose the best and most salient metaphor when he referred to making babies as synergy. One and one makes three.
I am certain it exists because I feel it every time I joke around with my brothers, brainstorm with my best friend or run the Geek Girls Goal-Setting group. The results may be different – entertainment, vision and inspiration, respectively – but ultimately it is just creation. Making something out of seemingly nothing.
Make fun of it, poo-poo it, call it whatever you want… synergy still exists, just waiting to be reborn.
Discussion of the remaining habits can be found here.