Antergy
Where synergy is defined as "combining of forces for greater productivity and mutual understanding" or "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts," antergy has the opposite effect: each additional team member that is added means the the project will take longer to complete.
- I could finish the spreadsheet in 30 minutes by myself, but Mr. Smith wants the intern to join in. With her help, I should be able to finish in an hour or two.
- Wow... sounds like you two have some great antergy.
- Wow... sounds like you two have some great antergy.
Antergy
The contribution lawyers make to any problem.
Together, Mike and John were more than competent to deal with a routine business problem but their boss wanted the lawyers involved to give the impression that things were in hand. Mike and John could have comfortably dealt with the problem in a week. However, their boss was adamant. Despite Mike and John's protests, a dozen lawyers were engaged who eventually resolved the problem in only 3 months, at great expense to the company. Enormous praise was heaped on the lawyers by all at the end of the exercise, except Mike and John who had watched on carefully as the lawyers argued amongst themselves, not about legal matters, but how a business should operate. The lawyers, had they been honest, would have admitted that they didn't have a clue; however, the lawyers weren't honest and were able to charge for their inefficient and wasteful time, regardless. It was a great example of antergy.