Breaking Down Silos in An Organization

When an organization has silos in place, it can cause significant problems. Essentially, when departments are completely separated from one another, the damage can be far-reaching and can limit innovation and competitive success.

So first, what are silos? Silos can be a group of people in a single department, or it might be a formation of people who feel closely knit to one another because of their similar role in the organization. Silos refer to a situation where a group of employees is more loyal to one another than to the organization as a whole.

The problem comes into play when there’s a lack of communication and transparency because of silos, as well as a lack of trust.

So, with that in mind, how can silos be broken down in an organization if they’ve formed?

Automation and Visibility

With more automation, there can be increased visibility, and that increased visibility can be helpful to take down silos. It improves transparency, and no one feels like one group of employees or one department has access to something the other doesn’t.

One example is AP automation software. With AP automation software, the accounting department isn’t siloed because people from other departments can all see the same information from a centralized interface.

Eliminate Outdated Processes

When a company has certain processes and workflows in place that are outdated and an ingrained part of the culture, it can create silos. Then, because of these processes, it can start to feel like there is no sense of autonomy or thinking outside the box. It reduces innovation, along with communication.

By providing employees with the opportunity to do things outside of processes to get to the same result in a more efficient way, it can help in the removal of silos and barriers as well.

Stop Being So Reliant on a Hierarchy

It’s usually older and more traditional businesses that tend to have the most issues with silos. A lot of this might be because of the organizational structure of the business. For example, when there is a rigid hierarchy, it’s much easier for employees to collect into small groups or divide themselves based on that sense of hierarchy.

It can be valuable to try and cut out the hierarchy or at least be less dependent on it as a guiding principle.

Finally, when there are silos in an organization, there is very often a pervasive culture that has to be changed. Rather than looking only at the specific situations where divisions are seen, it can be useful to look at the underlying culture of the organization and the mindset of all employees and see where changes can start to be made in these areas.

It can be difficult, but company leaders need to look at themselves and see what their role they’re playing in the continuation of hierarchies, silos and also relevant cultural issues. Change needs to start at the top and go downward and not the other way around for it to be sustainable.

Breaking Down Silos in An Organization

When an organization has silos in place, it can cause significant problems. Essentially, when departments are completely separated from one another, the damage can be far-reaching and can limit innovation and competitive success.

So first, what are silos? Silos can be a group of people in a single department, or it might be a formation of people who feel closely knit to one another because of their similar role in the organization. Silos refer to a situation where a group of employees is more loyal to one another than to the organization as a whole.

The problem comes into play when there’s a lack of communication and transparency because of silos, as well as a lack of trust.

So, with that in mind, how can silos be broken down in an organization if they’ve formed?

Automation and Visibility

With more automation, there can be increased visibility, and that increased visibility can be helpful to take down silos. It improves transparency, and no one feels like one group of employees or one department has access to something the other doesn’t.

One example is AP automation software. With AP automation software, the accounting department isn’t siloed because people from other departments can all see the same information from a centralized interface.

Eliminate Outdated Processes

When a company has certain processes and workflows in place that are outdated and an ingrained part of the culture, it can create silos. Then, because of these processes, it can start to feel like there is no sense of autonomy or thinking outside the box. It reduces innovation, along with communication.

By providing employees with the opportunity to do things outside of processes to get to the same result in a more efficient way, it can help in the removal of silos and barriers as well.

Stop Being So Reliant on a Hierarchy

It’s usually older and more traditional businesses that tend to have the most issues with silos. A lot of this might be because of the organizational structure of the business. For example, when there is a rigid hierarchy, it’s much easier for employees to collect into small groups or divide themselves based on that sense of hierarchy.

It can be valuable to try and cut out the hierarchy or at least be less dependent on it as a guiding principle.

Finally, when there are silos in an organization, there is very often a pervasive culture that has to be changed. Rather than looking only at the specific situations where divisions are seen, it can be useful to look at the underlying culture of the organization and the mindset of all employees and see where changes can start to be made in these areas.

It can be difficult, but company leaders need to look at themselves and see what their role they’re playing in the continuation of hierarchies, silos and also relevant cultural issues. Change needs to start at the top and go downward and not the other way around for it to be sustainable.