Predictions for Employee Synergy in 2024

Have you heard about the epidemic of loneliness happening in the workplace right now? Throughout 2023, the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has been warning Americans that isolation is impacting our mental and physical health. 

Unfortunately, companies and workplaces play a big part in that problem. According to the government data, “84% of respondents said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge,” and loneliness is a massive part of the negative work conditions. 

Employees feel disconnected, isolated, and lonely. So, how in the world is there supposed to be any type of positive synergy when that’s an underlying problem? 

Synergy predictions in the new year 

The whole vibe behind the word “synergy” suggests a melding of minds — a collaborative environment of like-minded people who work together toward a shared goal. Their ideas, hopes, excitement for the work, and results seem to match up to an ultimately positive end. It’s the goal of most organizations, but employee synergy isn’t something that simply happens organically, let alone when there are already headwinds like employee loneliness.  

Going into the new year with questions about the stability of remote teams, returning to the office, and the stability of the labor pool in question, intentional leaders will be making “synergy” a goal for their organization. Whether they plan to stay remote, go hybrid, return to the office, or stay completely in-person, a robust plan to increase collaboration and connection between employees can help improve the outcomes an organization is driving towards. 

Synergy itself began as corporate jargon to describe the goal of collaboration and team bonding following a corporate merger or acquisition, though now the term is used more often to describe a collaborative team environment. These days, it’s used to describe any collaborative team environment, but it’s no easier to accomplish than when the concept first appeared on the scene. Synergy is challenging because it requires alignment between differing personalities, skill levels, and people across different physical locations.

If you approach it correctly and intentionally, synergy and teamwork can be achieved — no matter the makeup of your team. Perhaps the best way to approach it is to reflect on the question: “How can I create community and connection between my team members?” The answer will almost always lead to positive synergies. 

Working toward synergy in 2024

With all this talk about collaboration and teamwork, you might feel like it’s counterproductive or hypocritical to examine the impact of each team member. But asking questions like “What are their individual skills and potential contributions?” is a solid foundation to start from when considering improved teamwork.

Each team member brings something unique to the table — you hired them because of certain strengths and skills. Those attributes will contribute to effective teamwork if they are acknowledged, cultivated, and rewarded. 

So, how do leaders find ways to acknowledge individuals and encourage them to share their particular skill sets with the team? When your team members feel your encouragement and support, they are going to increase their efforts. The visibility associated with recognition leads to better work and happier employees who are more likely to bring their best to each team interaction. 

If improved collaboration and synergy are a focus for you going into the new year (and it should be), be sure to prioritize a positive company culture. You’re unlikely to have the environment you want if it’s contradictory to the existing culture. That might mean a culture reset if that foundation doesn’t exist or is currently unhealthy. You can create that “reset” by being clear about company visions and goals, supporting team members and their leaders, and valuing the various skills that team members bring to the table. When those actions take place a collaborative team culture is more likely to grow. 

There’s another crucial way to drive synergy within a team: shared goals and shared wins. Make sure your company has a way to celebrate team wins. Whether you have a remote, in-office, or hybrid approach, this should be a focus for every leader. Maybe you celebrate successes with monetary bonuses, or maybe it’s simply a shout-out that has broad visibility. 

The most powerful recognition efforts have a peer-to-peer element, since leaders can’t possibly be aware of all the wins throughout a company. However you do it, don’t underestimate the power of recognition when it comes to creating a connected and synergistic team.

Synergy is so much more than a corporate buzzword — it’s an objective that, once you’ve created it, can change everything about your environment and productivity. It will bring remote teams more closely together. It will make more people excited to come to the office each day. While it won’t happen overnight, once a team finds that synergy and connection, they can become unstoppable. 

Logan Mallory is the Vice President of Marketing at the leading employee engagement and recognition software, Motivosity. Mallory is a public speaker, professor, and thought leader on culture and leadership in the workplace to achieve employee retention.