Synthesis: The uncharted path to brilliance

Hello again dot connectors!

This week I’m talking synthesis.

It’s a word you’ve heard of I’m sure, but whether you practise it or not is another question.?

I was introduced to it in 2001, during an interview for my first job out of uni.?

The interview was with a French logistics outfit and one of my inquisitors (a French chap) asked me,

“Do you prefer to do analysis or synthesis?”

A recollection of a fourth-grade biology class about plants popped into my head and I rambled something about being a jack of all trades.

It was a surreal moment, but to this day, I can count on one hand the times I’ve heard the word “synthesis” used in any context whatsoever.

And yet without it, innovation, development, and strategy building become like trying to clap with one hand.?

If you’ve ever found yourself in a meeting drowning in a sea of data, charts, or spreadsheets, desperately trying to figure out what on earth to do next, synthesis might have been what was missing.

It’s the not-so-mystical power that exists to rescue you from the clutches of analysis paralysis!

Go from cruncher to creator

You see, there's more to concocting a brilliant corporate strategy than endlessly crunching numbers and nodding sagely at your colleagues. Don't get me wrong, analysis plays a vital role – like the foundations of a building. But what about the walls and the roof? That's where synthesis comes into play.

So, what am I on about??

Well, imagine a master chef taking their ingredients and whipping them into an exquisite new dish - that’s synthesis! Like “Ready, Steady, Cook” but for business!?

Bloom's Taxonomy describes it as creating “new ideas or concepts by combining existing information in novel ways.”

It’s one of several frameworks suggesting there's more to life than simply analysing every pixel of a puzzle.?

But in my experience, we're conditioned to fixate on breaking things apart – analysing, scrutinizing, and inspecting every number – and in doing so, neglecting the beautiful art of connecting those dots.

“Have you run your numbers?” “Have you done your deep dive?”

Western businesses are so besotted by analysis they often seem to view synthesis as the renegade cousin you invite to your party, worrying they’ll get out of hand and smash things up.?

Even "evaluation" – the climax of Bloom's Taxonomy – sometimes gets more attention, which is bizarre.

What is there to evaluate if you didn’t produce anything new in the first place?

In general, people I speak to say they have more information available to them than they can realistically handle, whether in a professional or personal context.

Yet on goes the seemingly endless search for the killer stat - that one piece of information that will trump all others and bring “the answer” into crystal-clear focus.

Our rational minds know this search is doomed to failure.

In a world saturated with information, standing out is rarely a question of finding more data points. It's about creatively connecting the ones you already have.?

Synthesis is a higher-order activity that brings your dots to life like a Seurat masterpiece!

Three ideas for synthesis success

So where do you start when you come to sprinkle “synthesis spice" over your projects?

Here’s ideas you can try in any situation today where you need to move from data and information to progress and solutions.

#1: Shift your perspective from pieces to puzzle

Imagine you're staring at a puzzle with a hundred scattered pieces. Step back and try to envisage what the whole picture could look like. Instead of obsessing over individual facts, picture them as plot twists to weave together. Start connecting these "story dots" to reveal a bigger picture.

#2: Find the thread that weaves it all together

Like a detective cracking a case, sift through your data and hunt for connections. Look beyond the surface for threads that bind disparate elements. Imagine you're the storyteller unveiling twists and revealing how the pieces fit snugly into your narrative.

#3: think of your narrative journey

Hold on to this notion that you’re building a gripping tale. Synthesis is about creating something new that resonates with your audience (aka stakeholders). Think less about data points and more about your strategy's journey, highlighting challenges, solutions, and finally, the resolution.

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In real life, of course, gathering information, analysing it, and synthesising it into new concepts don’t always occur in a linear fashion, one after the other. They’re continuous, interwoven activities. Or at least, they should be.

Synthesis isn't just about strategy either; it's a mindset that can transform how you approach problems, both in the boardroom and in your daily life.?

But you might find the synthesis muscle needs a bit of training, especially if, like me, you’ve spent many years thrashing about in the analytical weeds.

So, fellow dot connectors, embrace the potential, add some critical thinking to your mental workout, and let synthesis create something wonderful for you.

May your ideas be daring, your connections be bold, and your strategies be legendary!