Parent Resources

This week the 7 Habits focus is Habit 6: Synergize. Synergize is when two or more people work together to create a better solution that neither would have thought of alone. It’s not your way or my way, but a better way. Talk about the equation 1 + 1 = 3 (or more). How is that possible? One person + another person = 2 ideas + many more than either of them would have thought of alone. Synergy is taking good ideas and making them better by working together. Discussions can focus on other examples of synergy in nature, history, literature, and personal experiences. For example, synergy happens in nature when a flock of geese heads south for the winter. They fly in a V formation because due to the updraft, the entire flock can fly farther than if each bird flew alone.

Activities that Support Habit 6 That Work for All Ages

• Institute a “15-minute program” where everyone drops what they are doing and pitches in to work as a team to clean the kitchen, pull weeds in the garden, wash the dishes, sweep the front porch, etc. Cutting out a small block of time where everyone helps makes the work go quicker.
• If your child has siblings, ask each to identify what they think their brother or sister is really good at, then share the lists with each other and discuss how they could Synergize on homework, chores, playing games, sports, etc. If your child does not have siblings, you can do the same exercise using his or her best friends — or you.
• Learn how Leader in Me (7 Habits) can help parents and guardians establish a powerful framework to nurture and develop life-ready leadership skills at home. The excerpt above is from The Leader in Me Parent’s Guide. This link will give you access to the entire resource.