Silo Mentality
Categories: Financial Theory
If you quit your last job because of the office politics, we’re sorry to break it to you, but politics are everywhere. Think about that last family BBQ...your last job...Mean Girls. Everyone everywhere has something to prove to someone.
In the workplace, a part of playing politics might be a silo mentality, i.e. when people in one department are withholding information from people in another department, all within the same organization. If you’ve learned anything from Capitol Hill or Hollywood, it’s that secrets create drama, and drama creates divisions. And divisions within a company? They usually promote inefficiency, and a not-so-comfortable work environment.
The reasons for a silo mentality vary. Most often, though, it comes from competing managers, and is considered a top-down problem. When some of that asymmetric information leaks, you can expect the llama-drama to come out in full force. That’s why senior management promoting symmetric information between departments is generally the best protocol. That way, everyone wants to work together, instead of feeling like another department has something to hide.
Even passive silo mentality can be damaging to a business, since departments might think they’re doing great individually, but in reality, their work is overlapping or frustrating customers. The answer? Open communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Easier said than done.
