Cutting through silos

I WISH THERE was a way to identify silo mentalities festering below the surface before I discover I’m surrounded by them. But crafting personal silo mentalities appears to be a human condition.

A silo mentality is an attitude I first encountered in the 70s while working in compartmentalised special operations groups in the military. In that job, we were encouraged NOT to share operational intelligence for fear of compromising sources. Aa decade later, the Pentagon reinforced silo thinking to ensure budgets could grow. Sharing a joint development normally meant having lower funding and that could reduce the priority of a new system. I watched silo mentality conspire to keep CIA and NSA data from analysts from learning about 9/11 terrorists. In my mind, silo mentality resulted in a loss of life. One of the hijacked planes crashed through the wall 300 metres from my old desk. My work today is far from the tension of the Pentagon. But since I work with people, my work today involves cutting through silo mentalities. I wish I could cite a management vision that recognised the importance of collaboration. Fortunately, I have colleagues who share my concerns. I am chatting with one in Yammer at the moment.