Cross the silo

"Breaking down silos" : I reckon this action or need comes up in almost every organisational workshop I facilitate.

Teams and leaders want to break down the information barriers that exist across organisations and get some 'cross-functional love' happening! You know, communication, engagement, co-operation, collaboration. 

I like to simply start with communication. Let's communicate. 

Go find out what they're up to, who they are, how they do it. 

Do that before you start pushing your side of the world and what you want. 

Dr Stephen Covey said 'seek first to understand'; that's habit number five of his seven habits. He says once you understand, you can be understood.

I think you can be soooo much more persuasive and influential when you understand the other silo. You'll then know how to position or frame what you need to work or collaborate on.

It's foolish to leap out and try to cross the chasm over to another silo with your arguments and defences and workplace waffle jammed in a folder under your armpit. 

Go over there first. Cross the silo. Find out what's happening - with no agenda of your own but to find out. 

Then come back.

Cross the silo again. Take some more of your silo folks over this time. 

There is no leaping required. 

You can walk. 

Look! It's amazing! There is a walkway that connects silos. You just need to to walk over and start communicating. That's how you cross the silo.