This commonly misused buzzword takes inspiration from the Ancient Greek philosophy that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In fact, the word synergy comes from the Latin synergia, which was derived from the Greek word, synergos. Synergy is when two or more things-organizations, departments, or even teams-work together to produce something of value. In this article, we’ll dig into the true definition of synergy, and how to use this term-not as a buzzword-but as a driver for team growth and impact. But every word has a purpose behind its creation-and synergy is no exception.
Like so many other business buzzwords, synergy has been used so frequently that it doesn’t always pack the punch it used to. A quick Google search yields list upon list of “the top 100 worst business buzzwords”-and nearly all of the lists include synergy. From freemium to hyper local, these terms are used so often that they essentially lose all meaning. Buzzwords get a bad rap-especially business buzzwords.
