Good-bye silos: Hello employee engagement!

 

Teamwork

A week ago, my dog had surgery. They put this cone or “halo” on her head to minimize access to the incision.

Ever seen an animal with this on?

It’s really sad.

As I walked behind her, I thought about her limited field of view.

How often do we also have this same limitation inside our organizations?

The problem.

I call this, “Silomania.” Silos destroy the trust that binds people and teams together. A silo is a “system, process, department, etc. that operates in isolation from others.” This means that you are alone.

Oftentimes, this is how employees feel. Organizations are often organized so that employees are in isolation from one another. When this exists, they are all like my dog with the cone on her head. They have limited vision, and focus much of their time on what is right in front of them. Their department and their work is their main concern.

With this frame of reference, employees cannot understand one another’s strife, because they don’t spend time together. They are unable to see how they can work together to overcome business issues, since they are too bogged down with their own departmental baggage. This is the silomania mindset that destroys trust and innovation.

Employees don’t feel vested in organizational or team success, and thus lose their motivation to do more than what is expected. This is disengagement.

The solution.

Below are 4 ways you can eradicate silos from your workplace and drive increased engagement:

1. Opportunities to collaborate cross-functionally

Does your organization create opportunities for employees to collaborate cross- functionally?

One of the most effective ways to promote teamwork instead of silos is to create opportunities for diverse teams to work together to solve organizational issues. Action learning is a great tool to accomplish this. There are many ways to do this.

Curate opportunities for your people to connect for the benefit of your organization.

2. Create more open workspaces

Most organizations have lovely offices with doors and walls that separate teams. While this is necessary for some spaces, organizations need to configure work spaces that foster cross-collaboration and open discussion.

How is your work space configured? Have you asked your employees how they feel about their work space? Do they feel that it is limiting or expanding?

Ask them. Then, work with them to improve their work space to elevate their experience.

3. Team-build across teams

I know that team-building gets a bad wrap, but it does serve a good purpose. In the context of employee engagement, cross-functional team building packs a great punch, because it builds bonds between teams. These bonds drive employees to do more and be more for their co-workers.

When organizational leaders are most inclusive in their team-building, they break down siloes and strengthen the bonds of trust.

4. Promote team-based recognition

One of the best ways to breakdown the narrow thinking that exists inside of organizations is to promote team-based recognition.

After you create cross-functional collaborative environments, build in rewards for team-derived results. This will elevate the importance of team inside your organization and give employees another reason to love coming to work!

_____________________________

These are just some ways to eliminate silomania inside of organizations. Thank you for reading.

It is within teams that real innovation takes place. Involving a diverse set of employees in “mastermind-type” groups builds organizational muscle. Creating more open spaces makes teamwork more natural. Team-building across teams creates stronger bonds and curating team-based recognition highlights your organization’s focus on the larger team.

_____________________________

 

What ways has your organization promoted collaboration and teamwork and stomped out those horrible silos?

Add your voice to the conversation in the Comments. Please Like or Share this article with those you think might benefit.

If you want to receive my Sunday Morning Newsletter with similar content, special giveaways and exclusive videos, you can do so HERE.

 

Cheers to ridding your workplace of silos

2 thoughts on “Good-bye silos: Hello employee engagement!”

Leave a Comment

podcast

Leadership With Heart With Heather R Younger

“Heather’s courage and vulnerability to share her authentic self are truly inspiring. She shares the most cutting-edge leadership strategies on topics like emotional intelligence and employee experience. If you’re looking to sharpen your leadership skills, this podcast is for you.”

Heather is a Workplace Culture Expert

She's...

CEO of Employee Fanatix

A leading workplace culture and employee engagement consulting & training firm.

A highly sought-after keynote speaker

Bringing the best insights from over 25,000 employee stories to the stage.

A top company culture strategist

An expert in creating spaces for these vital conversations.

A contributor to leading news outlets

A trusted expert for stories on workplace culture, customer and employee engagement, and employee retention.

Heather_Younger_The_Cycle_of_Active_Listening_Guide

The Cycle of Active Listening

Create a listening culture that elevates the workplace experience for everyone.

Through this guide, uncover how to ensure those in your care at work feel heard and valued, resulting in increased loyalty and satisfaction.

  • Understand why listening is the key to improved engagement
  • Learn how the Cycle of Active Listening contributes to strong workplace relationships
  • Get a practical framework for creating a listening culture that is bidirectional, responsive, and supportive

Contact Heather Today!
720-295-1194

Contact
Contact

I'm really interested in...

(select all that apply)*

I can be reached at...

Additional Comments