Breaking down the barriers of departmental silos

I still see companies working in silos. Despite strong efforts to coordinate, organisations tend to revert to old habits after a few months. Teams drift apart, communication breaks down, and everyone quickly starts heading in different directions again. In this article, I share my thoughts on why and how to dismantle your departmental silos. 

What does it mean to work in silos?

School taught me that a business’s structural makeup can be a blessing until it becomes a burden. Then, the idea of organisational silos emerges as a necessary evil, often marred by the complications they unintentionally create. Silos, although sometimes viewed negatively, serve a vital purpose. They form the backbone of organisations by dividing the company into distinct units, such as sales, technology, and finance.

This structure encourages specialisation and expertise, creating areas within the company where information, focus, and control circulate vertically. However, the same infrastructure can restrict the dissemination of information, focus, and control. For a company to function effectively, decisions must extend beyond these silos to promote a collaborative approach. The triad of challenges arising from organisational silos includes misaligned priorities, hindered information flow, and the lack of synchronised decision-making across silos.

Organisational structuring naturally creates silos, where each segment of the enterprise reports to a manager with a limited scope. However, no part operates in isolation. Each depends on the others to carry out its role, with the company’s overall success reliant on seamless interaction among these units.

Why it’s a challenge for companies.

Since founding Zooma in 2001, I have attended many meetings where sales, marketing, and customer support have presented their separate reports, objectives, and visions.

The impact of organisational silos is evident at every level of the company. When working within a silo, each manager likely feels frustrated if their priorities clash with those of another department. When silos are disjointed, it’s not only frustrating for teams and managers but also poses a significant risk that is often overlooked—how it affects your customers.

Poor communication between departments has led to many buyer journeys collapsing over the years. As a customer, I've had to explain the same problem to every department numerous times.

Have you experienced the same?

Today, your customers expect a seamless experience, and to deliver it, you need to address your current silos. 

When we help companies break down departmental silos, our ambition is always to create truly connected departments with no gaps in customer information. 

How to reduce silos. 

Effectively addressing the issues that organisational silos breed is crucial to dismantling them. It’s easy for managers and decision-makers to believe that eliminating silos is the ultimate solution. However, the silos’ structure is vital for establishing organisational accountability and responsibility.

Managers need clarity on their remit.

Cooperation, collaboration, and communication are the key ingredients to fostering a cross-silo work environment. The dismantling of organisational silos heightens the significance of these components, which form the bedrock of any successful professional relationship.

Promote knowledge sharing across silos.

When multiple silos collectively possess control, focus, and knowledge, disrupting the organisational silo barrier becomes feasible. This approach dissolves the 'tower vision' and encourages viewing matters from fresh perspectives.

It's not about indicating who’s right or wrong. It's entirely plausible for silo managers to have diverse priorities and still believe they’re acting in the company’s best interest while primarily focusing on their silo’s welfare.

The power of communication and collaboration

It's quite natural for managers to exercise their given authority and responsibility. However, effective communication and collaboration can prompt a change in perspective during a reprioritising decision. Intrinsic instincts motivate individuals to succeed in their respective roles.

Assigning a specific function or segment within a company often ignites a manager's entrepreneurial spirit. Becoming the head of a silo requires a strong competitive drive. Managers may sometimes say, "I’m responsible for my domain, and my goal is to perform at my best within it," to justify not cooperating.

Silo heads typically have intense focus and are highly competitive. A productive way to remove these barriers is to identify instances of non-cooperation and the resulting fallout. Subsequently, safeguards should be put in place to prevent decision-making in isolation.

Four self-reflective questions 

These questions can help you understand and break down your company's organisational silos:

1. Which priorities of my department or myself must align with those of other departments and individuals?
2. What information does my department have that could benefit others?
3. What kind of information or support am I lacking from another silo?
4. What actions could other departments take to recognise and prioritise their needs?

In which areas could increasing collaboration and giving up some autonomy be more beneficial for your company than maintaining individuality?

Explore the advantages of a silo-free organisation and ways to dismantle silos.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on Sep 17, 2020.