

Each department’s division-specific goals should reflect the overall goals of the company. When people across the company have the same objectives, they are more likely to communicate better.Įxecutives need to state these common objectives frequently so they become part of the organization’s culture. To combat this challenge, each person in the organization needs to work toward common goals. Work toward common goals using collaboration toolsĪ common problem of silo mentality is that people see things from their perspective and they are likely to make choices that protect their department rather than protecting the company as a whole. The unified leadership team will encourage trust, create empowerment, and break managers out of the “my department” mentality and into the “our organization” mentality.Ģ. The leadership team must buy in and understand the company’s long term goals, department objectives, and key initiatives before passing the unified vision down to the teams. As the managers of different silos focus on the unified vision, the objectives they establish for their divisions shift from the silo objectives to support that unified vision. Some companies have established customer experience councils, others have established a company vision or goal. In order to break down the silo mentality, department managers must have the vision that a free-flow of information will help the entire organization. Each manager is focused on accomplishing their specific goals, and that focus frequently incentivizes siloed information and creates resistance to sharing it across teams. Often, divisions within an organization set goals that benefit their department but conflict with the goals of another. Breaking down that resistance saves money and makes it possible to meet company goals. One study revealed that 70% of customer experience professionals and executives view silo mentality as the biggest obstacle to customer service. Inventory, supply chain, distribution, marketing, and sales suffer when teams don’t collaborate. When information isn’t freely shared, your business can’t make informed, data-driven decisions. A siloed organization can’t act quickly or take advantage of opportunities. Silo mentality destroys trust, cuts off communications, and fosters complacency.
#Silo synonym update#
In business the silo mentality is characterized by individuals or divisions that withhold information from others in the organization for various reasons, which might include power struggles, fear, organizational inefficiency, or simply because they don’t take the effort to update shared information.

And resistance to share information benefits no one. Departments store-even hoard-information, leaving it inaccessible to the rest of the company. Silos are essential to keep grain protected on a farm, however the silo mentality crops up too often in business. Difficult to access since the grain is deposited and withdrawn via machinery, and there are few very limited points of entrance. A silo is a tall, structure with no windows, designed to store grain. If you’ve ever seen a silo on a farm, you understand the image of silo mentality.
