What is synergy and why 1+1=11?

Synergy is a complex concept made up of the Greek words sun (together) and ergon (work). It can be translated as 'joint action'. We use the term synergy when we want to refer to situations in which the impact of two factors at the same time is higher than the sum of them individually. In other words, the whole is more than just the sum of its parts. Synergy is everywhere: in science, nature, philosophy and religion, and society and business.

Let's look at some examples from physics. Although a natural magnet in a mild-iron frame shows much more free magnetism than one without the frame, it has a very small free magnetism — hardly higher than zero — if taken on its own. 

And then there are the quarks — elementary particles that don't exist on their own but only with two more of the same 'neighbours'. Together they form another elementary particle, the hadron. Inside the hadron, the quark interaction is really strong; in fact, the energy of their interaction is many times higher than the energy inside the quarks. As a result, the mass of a hadron is much greater than the mass of the quarks that it comprises. That is synergy, isn't' it?

An interaction of two drugs can produce an immeasurably greater effect than when each one is used alone. This is about the chemistry.

Business has also a potential for synergy. Companies would create a pool of their resources to achieve an explosive growth in profits that is not otherwise achievable if doing business on their own. Example: Sony, Matsushita, and Toshiba have been acquiring shares in US entertainment companies in order to create synergies between the production of electronics and developing audio and video products.

By interacting with each other, people also create a unique system in which the parties are mutually empowering each other as they work on a project, no matter whether it is in a corporate office or in a school laboratory. Brainstorming is a perfect example of such interaction. The collaborative creative approach where each member of the team can bring ideas and others acknowledge them can produce a greater effect. The point is, if one of the members of the team puts forward an idea the others can immediately adopt, develop, and enhance it. As a result, interesting ideas can emerge, that are further developed and implemented.

Synergy is not just about combining things. It is about the right combination of elements that results in an added output value. And if you look really closely you'll see that it is universal.

In fact, we can create an environment that encourages synergies. Getting different people together to solve a problem, being open to different views, learning from others, and generously sharing knowledge and experiences is the key to a synergistic partnership in any area.

And what about the Amazon caterpillars? Interesting caterpillars living the Amazonian rainforests move in a unique way — they crawl on top of each other, which is how they get around. Summing up their speeds allows a team of caterpillars to travel faster than each caterpillar can move individually. That is it, the 'magic'.