“Silos Are Only Good for Farms!”

Growing up in an area with many farms, I always loved silos. They dotted the picturesque landscape like towers of strength. But as a leader and consultant to leaders, I’ve learned that organizational silos are not towers of strength, but signs of weakness.

Far too many leaders tolerate or even (unintentionally) encourage silo-building in their organizations. Their functional teams become territorial and resist collaborating to solve problems that cut across departmental lines. Tensions build and leaders spend much of their time resolving internal bickering and blaming rather than accomplishing their mission. In the worst examples, the organizational culture becomes toxic.

Meanwhile, the most successful leadership teams require clear individual accountability while simultaneously working together across departments to achieve organization-wide goals. There’s no doubt that organizations make better decisions and deliver better results when there is healthy cross-functional debate and collaboration. That doesn’t mean there’s no tension or conflict. Rather, it means they establish a culture of managing tensions and resolving conflicts in healthy ways because the success of the overall organization is more important than that of any of its departments.

5 Ways to Prevent Departmental Silos

So how can you prevent departmental silos? Here are a few ways we’ve found to be effective:

1. Set clear organizational goals.

Some organizations only set objectives for individuals, or worse, they don’t set goals at all. Focusing on achieving common goals encourages cross-departmental collaboration.

2. Plan and lead regular cross-functional leadership team meetings.

Some leaders only hold 1:1’s with their direct reports, or they tolerate inefficient or dysfunctional leadership meetings. Effective leadership meetings that focus on shared challenges and opportunities, on the other hand, encourage cross-functional problem-solving. As Patrick Lencioni states in The Advantage, “Bad [leadership] meetings are the birthplace of unhealthy organizations, and good meetings are the origin of cohesion, clarity and communication.”

3. Celebrate team successes.

While it’s important to recognize individual accomplishments and strong performance, celebrating team successes reinforces the value of collaboration. The military has this figured out. They not only award individual medals, but they also regularly recognize superior unit performance and work tirelessly to promote esprit de corps.

4. Implement incentives that encourage collaboration.

In addition to ad hoc celebrations, leaders should be systematically rewarded for shared success. Leaders (and ideally all levels of the organization) should know, in advance, that if the organization achieves its annual goals, they will benefit. That’s why I’m a fan of bonus plans. They create additional incentives for cross-functional cooperation and focus on common goals.

5. Create opportunities for effective cross-department communication.

One of the reasons silos perpetuate is due to a lack of understanding of the organization’s mission, objectives, context, and the important role of other departments in achieving organizational success. In-person or virtual town hall meetings, newsletters, videos, and other organization-wide communications tools can overcome some of these gaps. When employees understand the challenges and opportunities an organization faces, it’s easier for them to see why they need their teammates to be successful.

But, the most important element, by far, is this: A leader who values and promotes cross-functional teamwork and doesn’t tolerate silos! Be a role model in the area of collaboration and participative decision-making. And don’t reward or promote leaders who aren’t.

If you could use some outside perspective on ways to build a collaborative culture, we’re here to help. Contact us.

Gray Wirth has served more than 30 years as a leader in corporate, nonprofit, small business, and military contexts. He has successfully led organizations ranging from 100 to 3,100 employees. Gray has lived and worked in five different countries, been a CEO, and accumulated more than 25 years of experience on nonprofit and for-profit boards. He brings experience in executive coaching, strategic planning, and advising boards of directors and business owners. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), Gray helps business owners plan in advance for future transitions to ensure that their business, personal, and financial objectives will be achieved. Gray is a U.S. Army veteran and holds a B.S. from Cornell University, an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and an M.A.R. from Westminster Theological Seminary.