If you are working in an organisation where business divisions are hoarding work information for their benefit, I would suggest you find another job.

Having worked in a large organisation, I experienced a silo mentality that narrowed the vision. This created a lack of communication, deprived me of inspiration and creativity, built walls between departments, and hampered my ability to work with my teammates.

It is only natural that there are many business units and divisions within a large organisation. However, when working towards a common project, it’s important for employees in a company (or people from different departments) to avoid working in silos. There must be an initiative to collaborate on their projects.

The company I worked for presented a siloed environment, with hardly any inter-departmental interactions or collaboration. This led to people becoming ‘experts’ in one area and only solving one type of problem.

What is Silo in business?

Working in silos is like operating in a bubble independently. You avoid sharing information about the project or task at hand. Worst yet, if you are a senior manager, you are unwilling to share knowledge with your teammates. Ultimately, silos are inefficient and lead to resentment and frustration.

What is the difference between a silo and an enriching company culture?

Silos discourage collaboration between departments, whereas an enriching company culture encourages collaboration between departments.

Also Read: How Gojek built an intentional work culture for a thriving workforce

Unfortunately, as a newcomer, I did not receive this vibe. The hierarchical structure, coupled with a siloed environment, stagnated my progress. The bureaucracy and lack of collaboration across departments further fuelled my disinterest. Coming from the tech industry, all these roadblocks slowed innovation and prevented work from getting done smoothly.

5 steps that can be followed to avoid a silo mentality at work

It is important to know your team’s strengths and weaknesses before forming a strategy.

Free flow of information

The most efficient way to share best practices is through presentations and workshops. Creating an open culture at work can help remove any mystery from the company.

For example, by having an open office space where people can see each other and talk openly. For remote teams, getting the members into a shared chat space, communicating and coming on a video call to share ideas. In the end, ‘Don’t be afraid to talk about what you don’t know’. Share your ideas freely.

Socialise and co-operate

Be sociable. Be aware of others in the group and let them know if they are missing out on something. Show empathy for others and see their emotions. Acknowledge those emotions and validate them. By doing so, employees are liberal with ideas and encouraged to mingle with those from other teams or departments.

Collaborate

Share and brainstorm. The group should collaborate on a project and share ideas on a cloud communication platform. When I started the project with my previous organisation, many departments were involved. Product development, Sales, Marketing, Legal and Finance.

Also Read: The Indonesian startup ecosystem today is no longer recognisable –and that is a great thing

Silos were already starting to take place when there were no proper brainstorming and sharing of ideas. People don’t talk enough, and some keep to themselves. That’s when the effects were felt.

Inspire

Let each individual flourish. Some members have trouble finding motivation. They feel like their contribution is not significant. Listen to their ideas and let them present them. By doing so, you care about their inputs and inspire your team members that no idea is bad.

You should also be given opportunities to express your own work. Encourage members to actively take part and promote independence.

Encourage remote work

In this day and age of the gig economy and freelance revolution, more companies are seen hiring remote workers. What happens to the current group of full-time employees?

During the pandemic, many companies shifted their operations to fully work from home. These people could still foster communications and workflows. Technological advancements in recent times have led to the possibility and convenience of remote work. Have a safe and secure space like CINNOX, Skype, and Hangouts for communication.

For example, Roche Hong Kong Ltd, a research-intensive international healthcare company, adopted CINNOX as part of their digitalisation pilot programme customer enquiry handling and team collaboration.

Online collaboration tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are also available for use by remote teams. Give the full-time employees a fine balance to work outside of the office because this allows them more time to pursue hobbies, spend more time with their family and volunteer opportunities outside of their field of expertise.

Final thoughts

I eventually walked away from my siloed environment because there was no clear direction. The primary goal for everyone in an organisation should be to reach out to others. In my situation, I had to deviate from the idea every now and then. It was difficult to find common ground.

For people reading this article, silos can become a problem for workplace cohesion and employee engagement. Trusts can be weakened, and relationships between team members will be unhealthy.

So, if you are in an environment where the above steps are not observed, reflect on what you should do next.

Don’t dismiss yourself, and bring in what you’re good at.

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