#03 Silos: How your Leadership Style impacts Silo Mentality
Thoughts about Leadership Style - You are in Control!
More than one-third of people quit their jobs because they want to leave their manager, not necessarily the job itself [1] [2]. In fact, I have seen people leave their dream job because of a bad manager (some went back when the manager had left).
Yes, it is easy point at your boss and name three things he or she can do better but it is not so much in your control.
Instead, change your own style. It will have an impact whether you are a leader of 1000+ people or none.
Preventing or reducing silo mentality in large organizations requires a leadership style that promotes collaboration, communication, and a shared sense of purpose among teams and departments. Those are all buzz words which you have probably read elsewhere.
Let me give you a few concrete applications for your day at work.
Collaboration & Communication
Well, this is what this newsletter is all about. Pick out one thing you read here and try it out.
Regular communication
Larger organizations need structured and regular communication mechanisms. Make an effort to ensure they are not boring. You could try this to make your next team meeting more human.
Another concept I have applied successfully is “Management By Walking Around” (MBWA).
“Management By Walking Around” means you meet staff on their playing field and not in a scheduled meeting. Stop by their work area, give them a hand with whatever they are doing or ask them to explain something to you that is in their field of expertise. Genuine interest from your side creates connection and builds trust. Once you earned it, they will share their concerns and ideas with you. Remember, the affected people usually have good ideas for improvements in their field. Listen.
You think you don´t have time for that?
It is always about your priorities (and your leadership style).
Focus on high-impact areas where issues most frequently arise.
Combine it with other activities.
Establish a routine and allocate time in your calendar for your walks.
Delegate other tasks. Sharing responsibilities with capable team members reduces your load. Train staff if needed.
Keep it brief.
Try it out, reflect and adjust.
Information Sharing
Review from time to time who needs access to data created in your team. Ask the question once a year in your team meeting to identify gaps.
Cross-functional collaboration
Lead by example and talk to other team leads on a regular basis, also in informal settings like meeting for lunch even if it is not your best buddy.
Ask two people from different teams to organize things like a cross-functional quality meeting or even a christmas/team event.
Communication or facilitation training
Leaders set the tone for communication practices throughout the organization. And I don´t mean just top level leaders but also people in key positions on all levels.
Employee Recognition
Recognizing and rewarding employees who actively engage in communication and collaboration encourages these behaviors across the organization. Recognize the engagement with a comment sharing your personal experience with the colleague. BS detectors of staff are sensitive!
Shared sense of purpose
Another aspect of preventing silos is establishing a sense of purpose for everyone.
If you do NOT have a clear understanding of your purpose or mission, develop it with your team.
If you know what your teams purpose is, frequently explain to your people how their daily work connects to the mission of the business. They need to feel they matter. And they need to hear it in a way that makes sense to them.
Let me know if you want to know how to facilitate a mission development with your team. I have done it a number of times.
What if you do not lead a team?
You can do all of the above as well or trigger a conversation about those things. I did it for years even without any authority. Your colleagues appreciate you and they will support you over time. You will create an internal network that will help you no matter what happens on the organization chart.
This post is part of a series about silo mentality. You can read about other reasons for the existence of silos and what to do about it in the upcoming newsletters.
It covers things that I have seen myself and heard from other corporate employees.
The topics that you have control over will (most likely) be:
🍏 Lack of Collaboration, #01 here
🍏 Different Goals and Objectives, #02 here
🍏 Leadership Style, #03 (this newsletter)
🍏 Company Culture, #04
The topics that require involvement from top level management:
🍏 Organizational Structure, #05
🍏 Competition for Resources, #06
Stay tuned!
Mentioned References:
[1] https://www.statista.com/chart/27830/reasons-for-quitting-previous-job/, 2023-10-14
[3] 14 Questions to Make your Team Meeting More Meaningful, here
[4] The simplest rule to improve your listening skills, here
It is scary the statistic about why people leave their jobs. And, depending on which psychological needs are not met, some triggers can lead to quitting job. It is so meaningful to bring focus on what leaders can do to avoid this and to break silos!