There are many buzzwords that go around when it comes to business. One of them that you might have heard of before is a ‘siloed workplace.’ But, what does this really mean and is it a problem? Well, this concept is something you do not want to have in your workplace, which means that you should learn what it means and how to avoid it. So, let’s take a closer look at what a siloed workplace is and its dangers.
What is a Siloed Workplace?
So, you have probably grasped the concept that a siloed workplace can be a bad thing. But, what exactly does it mean? Well, if you have a siloed workplace, it means that teams within your organization or departments are not working together. In other words, they are existing independently, doing their own work and projects. They are not in the habit of sharing information or updates on what they are doing to other teams.
There are some people that take the view that certain teams and departments do not need to share certain information. But this is not always the point. It is that the communication is not there and this can have a bad effect on the company. There are many organizations that are turning to https://www.clearpeople.com/ in order to overcome the siloed mentality in their workplace. For example, through having an intranet platform, teams will have a new way to share information and tools so that they are accessible to everyone. This encourages more communication.
What are the Dangers of a Siloed Workplace?
Now that you have a better idea of what a siloed workplace is, you need to know the dangers it can have for your company. So, let’s take a closer look.
Doing the Same Task Twice
Productivity and efficiency are two things that are very important to every company. You need all of your teams to be working in a way that produces the best work, as well as in the least amount of time. One thing you do not need is people doing the same work again and again.
But the truth is, this can happen in a siloed workplace. People can end up duplicating projects and research just because they are not sharing information. This means that time is being wasted.
Lack of Organization
Without having a knowledge sharing system and good communication in a workplace, there is generally going to be a lack of organization. People are not going to know what everyone else is working on and what is going on with certain projects.
Organization is something that can full productivity, as well as help with team morale. When you have teams working independently and not with each other, there is going to be disorganization that effects everyone.
Poor Company Culture
Having a strong company culture is something that is important. It can attract talent to your company, as well as be evident to customers. There are a lot of different ways you can build a strong company culture and one of them is by sharing goals, increasing communication and generally doing everything as a team.
Unfortunately, if you have a siloed workplace, this can create a poor company culture. Teams are not communicating and sharing what is going on, and not everybody is kept in the loop. So, when it comes to the organization as a whole, people can feel like they know nothing at all.
No Helpful Communication
Communication is something that is very important in the workplace. It can help employees manage projects as well as settle into a new office. There are many reasons why you want to keep communication open and easy.
But, when everyone is working in silos, this means that there is no good communication around the company. This can allow the standard of projects to drop and even affect staff morale.
How to Avoid Working Silos
In order to prevent a siloed workplace from developing, you need to be proactive in boosting communication. This can mean having regular meetings, allowing staff to go on training days together and simply having an intranet system in place. These things allow for the free sharing of information and for other teams to bond.
As we have discovered, there are many dangers in creating a siloed workplace. Yes, you want departments to work together well. But, this does not mean not communicating with other teams. You must look to set up a system for sharing data and keeping everyone in the loop. Again, most companies are discovering that an intranet platform is a good way to do this when teams are in different locations. It still facilitates good communication and actively encourages information sharing.
