Two horses can pull about 9,000 pounds. How many pounds can four horses pull? The arithmetical response is 18,000 pounds. Sounds reasonable – but its wrong! Four horses can actually pull over 30,000 pounds. It's synergy that makes the difference.
A key factor in any partnership is synergy. Synergy is the power behind business partnerships. In a business partnership, two parties leverage their assets (resources, capabilities, expertise, client base etc.) for the mutual benefit of both. Synergy in business is the benefit derived from combining two or more elements (or businesses) so that the performance of the combination is higher than that of the sum of the individual elements (or businesses).
Meaningful partnerships are the foundation for success. Partnerships are what enable many companies to make continuous improvements. By sharing with others, you can direct your resources and capabilities to projects you consider most important.
There is a growing role of partnerships in the new economy and the principles of business strategy are being transformed. Instead of a focus on physical assets and economies of scale, the drivers of success reside in connectivity and intangibles. Businesses increasingly need to develop and manage complex ecologies and organizations around themselves so as to succeed.
"It's not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survive; it is the one most adaptable to change" – Charles Darwin
– Director, Projects