Habit 6: Synergize
Combine differences so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Key takeaways
- What it is: Combine differences so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
- Why it works: Synergy treats differences between people — in perspective, skill, and experience — as the raw material for solutions neither party would reach alone, rather than as obstacles. Valuing those differences and combining them creatively can produce a genuinely better "third alternative", because diverse inputs widen the solution space beyond any single viewpoint.
- Evidence: Backed by observational / correlational evidence.
- Avoid: Calling compromise "synergy" — settling for a watered-down middle, when synergy means a new, better option that transcends both starting positions.
Why it works
Synergy treats differences between people — in perspective, skill, and experience — as the raw material for solutions neither party would reach alone, rather than as obstacles. Valuing those differences and combining them creatively can produce a genuinely better "third alternative", because diverse inputs widen the solution space beyond any single viewpoint.
How to do it
- 1Approach a disagreement assuming the other view contains something yours lacks.
- 2Aim explicitly for a third alternative better than either original position.
- 3Value the difference itself as the source of the better solution, not a problem to suppress.
What the evidence says
ObservationalPartly supported: research on cognitive diversity shows diverse, well-managed teams can outperform homogeneous ones on complex problems. But diversity helps only under the right conditions; Covey’s "1+1=3" framing overstates a more conditional finding.
Honest caveat: Diversity does not automatically create synergy and can increase conflict without psychological safety and good process; the effect is conditional, not guaranteed.
Common mistake
Calling compromise "synergy" — settling for a watered-down middle, when synergy means a new, better option that transcends both starting positions.
IX Coach helps you reframe a disagreement as raw material for a third alternative, prompting you to look for what the other view offers rather than defending your own.
Practice this with IX Coach →