{"id":273,"date":"2020-05-16T23:24:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-16T23:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnsmart.com.ng\/blog\/?p=273"},"modified":"2020-05-16T23:25:40","modified_gmt":"2020-05-16T23:25:40","slug":"when-teams-work-in-silos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnsmart.com.ng\/blog\/when-teams-work-in-silos\/","title":{"rendered":"When Teams Work in Silos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"At some level, every manager understands that to deliver great performance they have to unlock the potential in teams. And to do this, they need to turn a collection of individuals into a high-performing group, the members of which support one another.<\/p>\n

In other words, managers must be team builders nurturing teams where members share resources, ideas and common goals and also develop a shared identity, often built on a combination of their skill sets and their perceived status in the organization.<\/p>\n

Aided by their managers, they can identify a common enemy, usually an external competitor. The team unites to defeat the \u2018enemy\u2019.<\/p>\n

But in many organizations, this is not so. Teams have a potential down side that we need to examine. It\u2019s termed Silo \u2013 an insular group that may do fine work, but doesn\u2019t play well with others. A silo only takes care of its own. Silos can hold back change, impede innovation and cause unnecessary expense.<\/p>\n

Below is a quick look at their characteristics:<\/p>\n

Team:<\/strong>\u00a0Shares information<\/p>\n

Silo:<\/strong>\u00a0Guards information<\/p>\n

Team:<\/strong>\u00a0Networks across groups<\/p>\n

Silo:<\/strong>\u00a0Avoids outreach<\/p>\n

Team:<\/strong>\u00a0Common identity<\/p>\n

Silo:<\/strong>\u00a0Common identity<\/p>\n

Team:<\/strong>\u00a0Us and Them<\/p>\n

Silo:<\/strong>\u00a0Us versus Them<\/p>\n

Team:<\/strong>\u00a0Manager\u2019s style is collaborative<\/p>\n

Silo:<\/strong>\u00a0Manager\u2019s style is controlling<\/p>\n

It takes just a few wrong turns for a team to become a silo. However, the real challenge here is leadership. A leader expands a group\u2019s horizons and connects the members \u2013 the team \u2013 to a bigger vision, irrespective of team members\u2019 levels and roles.<\/p>\n

In other words, for managers to keep their teams from becoming silos, they have to get members to stop being inward looking and start thinking in terms of the organization as a whole.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The following are some of the ways they can do that:<\/p>\n