Habit 6: Synergize

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.

How to do it

1. Approach a disagreement assuming the other view contains something yours lacks.
2. Aim explicitly for a third alternative better than either original position.
3. Value the difference itself as the source of the better solution, not a problem to suppress.

Evidence

Partly 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. (observational)

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.