Overcoming Silos (Part 1)

We recently received an offer from our bank to refinance our mortgage at a lower interest rate with no closing costs. Saving money on our monthly payments sounded great, so I called the bank. I explained that I was interested in refinancing, but that I preferred a 15-year term rather than the 30-year mortgage in their offer. The bank’s representative told me that my request would have to be handled by a different department, and the call ended. It’s a classic example of the problem of “silos” in organizations. As I work with different churches, ministries and non-profits, I often hear leaders express frustration with silos. Silos occur when different departments (or people) do their work with little or no concern for the other parts of the organization. People rarely come together for anything more than coordinating calendars. At times, they even work against each other. Wherever you find silos, you find an organization that is falling short of its full potential. While leaders readily point out the existence of silos, they often exhibit fuzzy thinking about how to address these barriers. So what does it mean to overcome silos? Let me suggest four levels of silo deconstruction, each of which builds on the previous ones:

• Do no harm. In the worst cases, intense competition may exist between individuals or departments. This may be seen in a subtle smirk when a colleague is struggling or in withholding information or resources. Silo-breaking behavior starts with a “do no harm” attitude. It recognizes that the organization cannot succeed when there is internal strife. Rather than undermining peers, individuals learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others.
• Seek to understand. Misunderstanding is a major contributor to silos. When I assume that you were inconsiderate or self-serving, we both start building defensive walls. If your action caused my department to look bad or to do extra work, then my natural reaction is to withdraw or try to get even. But what if you weren’t aware of how your actions affected me? Seeking to understand assumes the best, rather than the worst, of others. It leads with “why?” and “help me understand” rather than assumptions. It extends trust to others, just as you want to be trusted yourself.

The first two types of silo-busting are the easy steps. They fall under the broad heading of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The next blog will examine the more difficult – and more powerful – levels of silo removal. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>