Discover what drives silo mentality – get both sides of this story

Good fences can make good neighbours because they let everyone know where they stand (and where they don’t), and when they mutually benefit both parties, can foster good relations.

And yet those who erect (physical or cultural) walls within the workplace get accused of creating ‘silos’. And architects seem intent on breaking down the actual walls of offices to create spaces so vast they could accommodate herds of wildebeest.

So, are walls within organisations a good thing or a bad thing? The answer might surprise you.

On the one hand, walls give structure. Organisations don’t have to grow much before they start needing boundaries such as job descriptions, sales territories, and delegated authority limits – all proven to provide good governance. Without boundaries, anybody could do anything, which might sound like a fun party, but one with a hell of a hangover.

So we need walls.

But on the other hand, silo mentality prevents collaborative working, stems the flow of information, and limits the freedom of people to think, speak, and act.

Silos are largely a creation in our minds, driven by many factors, including our fear of losing control, the anxiety of not understanding the bigger picture, and doubting we have the courage to change.

‘Silo’ stands for:

Selfish people in silos are not focused on the big picture, which prevents big results

Isolated people in silos are introspective, and fail to give and receive support

Lethal Silos kill a positive corporate culture

Obstructive Silos are roadblocks to high performance

So we need to break down the walls.

Here’s the bottom line:

Having structure is essential for growth. There’s a reason that the blue whale is the largest living thing on earth and the amoeba isn’t. But when most people encounter a wall, they default to seeing it as a line of segregation. But what if instead, we saw a boundary as the point at which we meet each other?

Instead of seeing something 30 feet high and covered in razor wire, we need to realize it’s almost always a low wall – one we can communicate across, or even step over in order to collaborate with our neighbour.

So for those with the imagination to think, and the courage to act, go break down the walls so your organisation can act as one organism. Just make sure it’s a controlled demolition that leaves enough structure to keep growing.