How do you stop silos from forming? How do you break silos down when they are already formed? What effect do you think they have on the accuracy of information that gets to you in order to make good business decisions?
One thing we’ve noticed in our travels, is the devastating effects that silo working has on productivity, morale and results. When silos form they make problems much more difficult to solve. They muddy communications, increase error and foster attitudes of them vs us.
The problem is that silos form under the radar and are a natural consequence of focus and good intention. No one ever sets out to form a silo – they just happen. It’s a classic example of good intention gone wrong. And when silos form, they are notoriously difficult to break down. They almost seem to have a life of their own and drive undesirable behaviours and attitudes in employees.
One organisation we worked with commented that each silo seemed to have its own unique culture, so much so, that when they sent out corporate messaging, they felt they almost had to do a segmentation exercise – the result an unnecessary amount of unwanted organisational politics and emotional energy expended into combatting the effects of the silo.
To break these silos down takes a conscious co-ordinated effort. It means identifying some of the drivers and elements that keep these structures in place and it’s about helping your managers and key personnel adopt a wider focus rather than a narrow functional one. Here are a couple of things to think about:
- One thing we’ve found helpful is the adoption of a role and mind-set for people in management positions: that of “guardians of the system.” If we use the analogy of Formula 1, too many managers spend too much time playing the role of drivers; they drive the car, set the pace and take the glory. They don’t spend enough time in the role of the pit crew. The pit crew meticulously monitor the vehicle and the systems and environment surrounding it. It is they, that allow the chance of victory. Managers should be continually making it easier and easier for others to play their roles by understanding how the organisation ticks. In our experience, it’s more the exception than the rule that managers really understand how the business knits together as a whole. How much time do your managers build into their schedules to keep a track of inter-relationships, inter-dependencies and the way the systems connect as a whole. How much time do they spend continually tweaking and adjusting that system? When they begin to understand this, a weight is often lifted from their shoulders and they are often able to sort issues which produce extra amounts of work and energy resulting from the effects of silos.
- Another critical factor that needs to be addressed is this: How do you as a senior leadership team inadvertently keep propping up the silo mentality with what you message in your decisions, actions and communications? Are you as an individual in the senior management team in the habit of constantly putting yourself into other functional perspectives? Can you argue their case almost as well as you can argue your own? Are you a student of consequence, continually observing when and why things happen when they are not the norm? Do you reward people even when they display behaviours and attitudes that further cement the silo mentality?
One thing’s for sure, silos don’t go away on their own. What’s your plan for dismantling for them?