Is abolishing silos in organisations an illusion?

Is abolishing silos in organisations an illusion?

Who would not want to tear them down: organisational silos, those isolated teams and departments that make collaboration across boundaries almost impossible? Yet while visionaries dream of fluid organisations where everything flows, including collaboration, boundaries and responsibility, a question arises: are we promoting a model that is already well established in commercial law, the company with very, very limited liability? Or, to put it another way, an organisational community of irresponsibility?

The balance between isolation and strength

On one hand, we want “strong teams” that shy away from no challenge and energetically tackle every operational problem. But is it not precisely the boundary separating a team from others that allows it to emerge and grow stronger? Does a strong team not need that distinction as a source of identity?

What sport can teach us

Consider sport: a football team thrives on opponents and the ambition to be better than the others. This competitiveness strengthens the team and drives peak performance. Should similar mechanisms not exist in business? Could the separation we see in silos actually be a key to team strength?

Long live the silo, handled well!

Instead of demonising silos, we should consider how to use their positive aspects. Strong teams can work independently while remaining integrated into collaboration across the organisation. It is about finding the right balance and using each team’s strengths without losing sight of the organisation’s overall goals.

(👉🏼 One more thing: Activate the 🔔 bell 🔔 on my LinkedIn profile so you will see my posts in future. → DO IT!)