Synergy

Two little people stand looking up at an apple tree. There are two apples left, just out of reach. They throw stones, sticks, and their shoes at these two elusive apples. The two little people then purchased two saws and tried their luck at cutting the tree down. This was a sturdy tree and it immediately broke both of their blades. This ordeal was frustrating to both of the little people. They sat for hours thinking of a way to get their little mitts on these glorious apples. All of the sudden one of the little people shouted out "I got it." He told his counterpart the plan and they stood up and walked to right below the apples. He then jumped on his friend shoulders, reached up and grabbed the apples. The combined efforts of these two people resulted an outcome that is not obtainable by either one of these people independently. This is a perfect example of synergy.

Synergy takes place non-stop in a fast paced kitchen environment. Every night working on the line you are combining with your coworkers to put out different dishes and meals. This cohesiveness is the reason a busy friday night goes smoothly. You may be in charge of making the sauces for a specific dish, so your coworkers prepare the protein, vegetables and starch. At the right moment you all come together with your portion of the total plate and like a rehearsed dance everything gets put in its specific place and the dish goes out with each employee taking a bit of pride in the final product. This ownership and this teamwork will transfer to the mood and attitude in the kitchen. Synergy builds teams. For synergy to work their must be a strong sense of being part of a team. You must combine with other people to solve or complete a task that none of the individuals could do by themselves. Synergy should be a focus for every management team trying to improve their establishment.