In the Small Group Discussion class, we frequently talk about how various issues and concepts affect group dynamics. One of the most easily recognizable influences is the idea of synergy--that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Everyone has those synergy moments, times when group chemistry just clicks and the end product is much better than anything any one person could have envisioned. But, like most everything, there is a downside to the idea of synergy, times when things go much, much worse in the group than they would have solo. That concept is referred to as negative synergy and it can take down sports teams, prom committees, think tanks and just about every other type of small group there is. You know there’s a group of people you get in more trouble with than any others, and you probably have the stories (and maybe tattoos and mug shots) to prove it. The comedian Jeff Foxworthy claims that your best friend can never bail you out of jail because, if they are truly your best friend, they are in there with you. And while negative synergy is often bad for a group’s productivity, it does seem to carry with it a chaos component that makes things a bit more exciting. In Richard Egielski’s 3 Magic Balls, a trio of rubber balls on the toy store shelf comes to life as three bouncy brothers bent on causing mayhem. They drive Rudy crazy, but he buys them anyway. Mischief managed.

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Magic-Balls-Richard-Egielski/dp/0060260327

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Egielski