The Synergy Way
From the beginning, we’ve wanted SynergyLabs to be different. Different in how we treat our customers, different in how we work with each other, and different in the results we achieve. Those differences are best captured in our 26 “fundamentals” – which are the building-blocks of our foundation and unique culture.
Do The Right Thing Always
Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make, even when no one’s looking. Integrity is not a part-time job.
Make Quality Personal
Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do. Always ask yourself “is this my best work?” Everything you touch has your signature and/or picture and makes a statement about you. Make sure it’s a statement of excellence.
Just Do It
Be resourceful and show initiative. Take personal responsibility for making things happen – somehow, someway. It’s never someone else’s job or someone else’s fault. Take ownership. Don’t make excuses.
Work With A Sense Of Urgency
Work as quickly as possible, without sacrificing quality. Don’t put off till tomorrow what can be completed today. Get stuff done.
Honor Commitments
Deliver on your commitments every time. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings, and promises. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others early and agree on a new commitment to be honored.
Get Clear On Expectations
Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing expectations upfront. Establish mutually understood objectives and deadlines for all projects, issues, and commitments.
Do It Right The First Time
Double-check your work. The goal is to get things “right,” not simply to get them “done.” While we always want to work with a sense of urgency, sometimes we need to slow down to speed up.
Use Your Brain, Not Your Brawn
Work smart. Be organized and plan your work for maximum efficiency. Think ahead. It’s always easier to prevent a problem than to fix one.
Think Safe. Work Safe
Know and practice the safety procedures for your job. Watch out for the safety of your teammates as well, for you are your brother’s keeper. Never take shortcuts that compromise your safety or that of your teammates.
Check Your Ego At The Door
It’s not about you. Don’t let your own ego or personal agenda get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Worrying about who gets credit or taking things personally is counterproductive. Make sure every decision is based solely on advancing team goals.
Speak Straight
Speak honestly in a way that moves the action forward. Make clear and direct requests. Say what you mean, and be willing to share ideas or raise issues that may cause conflict when it’s necessary for team success. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected.
Listen Generously
Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Give others your undivided attention. Quiet the noise in your head and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Listen with care and with empathy. Above all, listen to understand.
Continuously Improve Everything
Constantly reevaluate every aspect of your job to find ways to improve. “because we’ve always done it that way” is not a reason. Be curious. Ask questions. Take ownership for finding a better way.
Practice Blameless Problem-Solving
Fix mistakes by focusing on solutions. Then identify lessons learned and use those lessons to improve our processes so we don’t make the same mistake again. Get smarter with every mistake.
Bring It Every Day
Make the most of each day by approaching every task with energy, focus, purpose, and enthusiasm. Be fully engaged.
Follow-Up Everything
Record a follow-up date for every action and take responsibility to see that it gets completed. We get paid to complete things, not simply put them in motion.
Think Team
Nothing is done in isolation. Consider how your actions impact your teammates. Be willing to step into another role or help a co-worker when that’s what’s required for success. There’s no such thing as one person or one department succeeding and another falling short. We win and lose as a team.
Share Information
Learn to ask yourself, “who else needs to know this?” When in doubt, share more rather than less. No team ever failed because they shared too much information. Over communicate.
Come Clean
Own your mistakes. Surface issues and fix them rather than sweeping them under the rug. We can’t fix what we don’t know about.
Embrace Change
What got us here is not the same as what will get us to the next level. Be inspired by the opportunities that change brings, rather than stubbornly hanging onto old ways of doing things. Get outside your comfort zone. That’s where growth happens.
Make Our Appearance A Reflection Of Our Quality
Making sure your personal appearance, your work area, and our office are safe, neat, clean, and orderly inspires confidence in our quality. If you see it, take care of it. Take pride in being a synergy team member.
Think And Act Like An Owner
Make decisions by asking yourself, “what would I do if this were my company? What would I do if this were my own money? Will this help the company to succeed?”
Reduce Or Eliminate Waste
Look for opportunities to reduce or eliminate wasted time, money, materials, and effort. Our job is to do it right, and to do it fast, without sacrificing competitiveness, quality, or safety.
Celebrate Success
Catching people doing things right is more effective than catching them doing things wrong. Regularly give, receive, and ask for meaningful acknowledgment and appreciation – in all directions throughout our company.
Keep Things Fun
While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than how a dog smells or whether his teeth have plaque. Keep perspective. Don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day.
If It's Not in Writing, It Didn't Happen
It's all about the documentation. If something is not as it should be, get your facts straight, take clear notes, and communicate your written findings to those who can find a solution. Don't leave objective matters to the guess-work / subjectivity of others; document, document, document.