Synergy is a phenomenon that breaks mathematical laws to the point that even Pythagoras would be shocked. It means that the result achieved through synergistic actions is not 2+2=4, but rather five or even six. In a behavioral context, it refers to teamwork results where the combined output of a team is significantly greater than the sum of individual efforts. It is crucial that the team is properly motivated, each member feels valued, has their own opinions, but at the same time respects the attitudes and behaviors of other team members. For this to happen, teams must operate at a very high level of openness, have a strategy and goal they are heading towards, constantly communicating with each other. When we add game mechanics to all of this, there is no other outcome than six — while still adding 2+2. Gamification has become very popular in recent years. It is used in companies and enterprises to motivate employees to work more efficiently and easily achieve set goals.

Competition is in our blood as humans — we constantly want to chase and surpass, to be better, chasing the rabbit called the “ideal” or simply annual goals derived from the company’s strategy and action plan. When we introduce an element of healthy competition aimed at two teams winning, success is guaranteed.

Synergistic gamification is about building a strong, cohesive, and open team whose results are always above average, based on elements or full game scenarios. The game acts as a kind of framework that defines the directions the team should move towards. By completing the chapters of the game, the group continuously moves forward, and the problems they encounter become merely challenges to overcome. This way, we get something we would never call “The Apollo Effect.” Everyone knows how important it is to have a stable, wise, thoughtful, and engaged team. By using synergistic gamification, we guide participants to realize through the implementation of goals that the most effective, wise, and successful way is working as a team, not through individual efforts. It’s always better to have five people who each come up with five ideas than one person who has to come up with 25 solutions alone.

Incentive is often a form of reward given to employees by their supervisors. Since it is a form of gratification for effort, work, and tasks performed throughout the year at a level greater than 100%, these trips are usually reserved for the best. The best salespeople, negotiators, trainers, programmers… the list can go on indefinitely. But that’s not what we want to talk about now. When we add a whole storyline to such a trip, give it deeper meaning, and involve completing certain tasks or missions, the effect can surprise anyone.

The trip itself starts a bit mysteriously; participants receive special invitations (in unusual forms, such as a message in a bottle or a letter delivered by a mysterious messenger from the 7th century), packing luggage, flight, accommodation… all this is just the beginning. The real fun starts afterwards…

Participants wake up in their rooms and find a message from the hotel bellboy telling them they must go to a place guided by a mysterious informant… The mission only ends when participants return to their locations after several days and step out of the roles they have played so far.

In this way, Incentive becomes not only an integration trip but a unifying, bonding experience that builds the group’s purpose and identity. It’s not about filling the participants’ time with water polo or fakir shows but about providing value to the organization — motivated and eager-to-act employees.

That’s why we want to change the approach. We give our trips different themes, including developmental work using gamification. We often add a pinch of coaching, mentoring, provocation, and creative work — all to give participants significant space for action. Besides discovering new interesting places, they can use the knowledge they have — not only organizational, sales, or managerial but also their personal knowledge related to hobbies, interests, talents, and senses.

All of this is seasoned with the purpose of building a more effective team that synergistically creates a dream team where problems disappear, and all that remains is to handle the challenges encountered.

Incentive and Synergistic Gamification are also, in our opinion, good tools for developing and improving elements of situational leadership. Managers experience different behavior types intensified by the scenario, situation, and circumstances, and they must respond under time pressure by making decisions and taking responsibility for them. But it’s not just about the bosses. Synergistic Incentive is also a good support tool for employees whom Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard call R4.

Scenarios, medals, rewards for completed chapters give this whole thing structure. Under the shared umbrella of Synergistic Gamification, we get a system that builds teams today and drives them to act. In the gamification process, participants must step out of their comfort zones they have built for themselves. Suddenly, they must start cooperating to achieve unanimous success. At first, we see people entrenched in their silos where they feel very safe, but soon they gladly take the “shovel” and bury that hole, eager to get out quickly.

All this makes it easier and more efficient for them to achieve the goal. To conclude, we want to quote Andy Andrews:

“Five seagulls are sitting on a pier. One decides to fly away. How many seagulls are left on the pier?

Still five — because deciding does not mean taking off.”