The term 'silo' as a business metaphor, was first used in the 1980's as departments or businesses operating within a large group, business entity, company, or corporation, were not sharing info with each other. This led to isolation, not taking advantage of best practices, collaboration, etc.
Why the term silo? Being from Tennessee, I saw many a silo in the country, knowing of course, that silos contained only one type of grain. No windows are ever used in a grain silo because the silo must be dark, moisture free (windows can leak), and have a sealed environment to protect it from light, moisture and contamination.
Does this sound like a business environment that you might be a part of? It's not competition, because competition, even within a company, is good and makes us better ...up to a certain point. Competition within the same walls of a business is absolutely crucial if it serves the greater good.
So, what is the greater good? To me it's the core values and principles of a company. These values or principles provide guard rails for departments, divisions, or companies to ensure success, however that success is defined. However if we have, for example, five principles, do we store these principles in five separate silos so that nothing is shared. Best practices cannot exist freely within an organization, if only one department is flourishing , while the others are stagnant and struggling.
Shared information is shared growth. One more thing...having core values doesn't mean operating within a checklist system. It means having people sign off on the core values and then putting into a plan of action.
First thing on the agenda, should be installing windows in every silo in order to let light in and share in the vision of information so that all may see the light.
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