Silo thinking – why do we do it? It’s a cry I hear all too often – “we have a problem with silo working. They don’t think of their impact on our part of the business”. If the issue of silos is on your radar, pay attention now because it’s a sign of skewed thinking. It can be the kiss of death to a successful business and a real pain for customers. Why do we do it? It’s a game of ‘let’s pretend’ that gives an impression of control. By limiting vision to that which can be influenced we feel safer. If I lead a section, I can make sure it runs on rails, as long as no one else gets in the way. So I shut my mind to the bigger picture and get on with the job. In turn, my managers look to their own teams and exert control in a way so they feel in charge. And those on the front line look at life through their own blinkers – and present that picture to the customer. However, it becomes a problem when you want to buy from my business. You expect me to represent the whole company, not the silo. You want me to look for the best options, to connect you to other areas that can enhance your purchase, in order to provide you with the best service. But you’ll be sorely disappointed, because I don’t even know the people in the other silo’s, let alone have relationships that will make life easy for you. It’s a dangerous way to run a business. I worked with Deirdre, a new leader who saw the problem really clearly once she moved from section leader to MD. Such was the extent of her previous vacuum that she was exhausted for the first few months. She was also run ragged because her previous colleagues remained in their own little worlds waiting for her to tell them what to do. She had the choice to carry on and become jaded and cynical like her predecessor or to demand more of a whole company view from her team. It was a decision that demanded a change of culture. Great leaders/managers face the tough reality. Stay in a bubble at your peril. Only by looking at the implications of behaviour can you hope to change the way a business works. Senior leaders who remain shut in their safe offices role model silo working. And their people will do what they do, regardless of what they might say. You have to value different behaviour. In the 21st Century, speed, flexibility and innovation differentiate one business from another. Customers are increasingly demanding, but also remarkably loyal when they receive exceptional service. So can you afford for your people to remain in a box? Encourage managers and leaders throughout the business to see their work as part of the whole. Celebrate when someone cross sells and serves a customer

– and the business – really well. Instigate ‘sitting with Nelly’ at all levels and always across silo boundaries. Expect senior leaders to contextualise their work consistently and encourage leaders to use each other as buddies, so they learn about other areas of the work. Above all, keep learning about modern day business. Learning encourages flexibility and the mind that stretches in one direction will be willing to stretch in another. Deirdre is sticking at it with her team. Change is never quick, but this one is very worthwhile. As the merging gathers pace, the true potential of the business becomes clear. Leaders apparently have less ‘control’, but the business is much more exciting.