Symbiotic Synergy - Becoming a Global Citizen

Today I'm going to try and bring together a couple of very different topics:

1. Some highly disruptive neighbours
2. An education data analysis project I've been working on

Neighbours be Gone

I live in a fantastic neighbourhood. To the right of our house is a lovely park and playground, to our left is a genuine and caring family that would do anything for you and they often do. Directly across the road is a great bloke that we get along wonderfully with and like next door, we'd always be happy to help him out as he does for us. Most others are friendly and quiet, unassuming respectful people... until we go across the road and one house up to the left where we find a mother and 3 teenage-twenty something kids. These people drive us crazy... they're selfish, disrespectful, loud, obnoxious and filthy. I'm holding back there too. Despite every household surrounding them clearly spelling out what behaviour is and isn't acceptable, they continue to find new lows.

Every month without fail, sometimes on a weekly basis they hold parties where dozens of cars line the street belonging to drunken tweens that leave rubbish on everyone's lawn, they go till all hours of the morning yelling and screaming, smashing bottles and then tooting horns and laying down rubber as they leave at 3am. They've threatened neighbours who've asked them to turn it down, even physically. They've had police visit, they've had warnings from the local council... all to no avail, they simply don't care about anyone else.

Data Analysis

For many months I've been engaged in analysing countless amounts of school performance and education performance data, creating a snapshot overview of the region I work in and how this data will affect future education planning and reforms. Feedback is sought from every angle, from high ranking education officials who create policy down to the school principals that implement it. The process is highly educational on it's own. As each perspective is sought, each perspective is shared and married with the next. The understanding begins to build and a better picture is formed that is educated and intelligent.

I have been amazed not only at the insight of many talented individuals and teams, but also of the breakdown in information flow between highly related departments. To get simple information can often be a laborious task at times. I've become aware of glaring inadequacies in both the collection, but especially the sharing of this information. People that are experts fail to see how simple changes could create the most Everest style leaps in collaboration, not asking them to do anything impossible, usually just a common sense minor tweak.

Symbiotic Synergy

This is a term I coined many years back: Symbiosis, the cooperation of a partnership and Synergy, the sum of the whole being greater than it's individual parts. It reflects the need for us as individuals to realise that we require those around us, whether our family, our friends, our workmates... in order to accomplish our best. By working together as a united team we accomplish much more than individuals working towards a common goal. We need to both feed off the energy of others and supply energy and motivation back. This comes in many forms.

Both my Noisy Neighbours and the Data Analysis Snapshot have brought this to the forefront. The neighbours so blissfully either unaware or uncaring, showing complete disrespect and creating disharmony and disruption. Those around them wondering how they can't understand and act on the flashing neon signs of expectation of behaviour. The data project, such amazing progress made, so much more can be accomplished, yet it will take teamwork from people not even on the same team.

Global Citizenship

If we apply this to life, can we ask ourselves what it means to be a Global Citizen? How are we contributing to our immediate environment? Whether it's the physical environment and our little bit of climate change contribution or whether it's the mental, emotional and physical well being of those people closest to us. We need to regularly examine our actions and the ongoing effects these might have.

Yes that long shower will cost the environment and your hip pocket. Yes that bit of rubbish does need to be picked up. Yes that dish you put in the sink at work is your responsibility to clean up. Yes that harsh word spoken in frustration did have a dramatic, yet unseen affect on that person's day... and Yes, that compliment really made that person's day... and that hand you gave to that stranger really meant a lot... and the recycling effort you made and the energy saving efforts you made will drive climate change.


In life, who else will be affected by the decisions you make? Our decisions may need to be guided by examining how they might affect our 'colony'. We all make mistakes, sometimes we make selfish decisions that inevitably hurt others. Do we learn from these? Do we surround ourselves with friends and family that contribute well to our 'colony' citizenship?


In business do we make decisions that are best for our customer? They are the life blood after all. Do we make decisions in consultation with them, to ensure we know what they need rather than guess. Likewise, do we do the same when it comes to our employees and our team members... they're like the circulatory system. Do we consult them on change, or tell them how it's going to be?

It's about respect, it's about thoughtfulness, it's about a desire to learn, to strive, to improve!

Become a global citizen in everything you do. Appreciate the effect that something little is really part of something big.


A kind word or a cooperative act may build strong foundations of trust, respect, collaboration and improvement... an inconsiderate word or competitive act one could tear them down.