Many organizations, both public and private tend to compartmentalize their work.  This can be through creation of functional silos (e.g, departments) or even specialized teams.

The concept is based on grouping folks with similar skills and abilities together so they can best leverage each others strengths and concentrate on the task at hand without unnecessary distractions.

Internal Dissension

This approach creates a focus that is valuable and can be effective but it does require departments/groups to work together and integrate processes with each other.

After all the organization exists holistically for a reason and creating operational silos can be efficient however care needs to be paid to ensure the empowering of various units does not detract from the integrated outcomes expected of the organization.

Unfortunately internal dissension, arising from the very separation and goal differentiation created by silos, is common (but not inevitable).

To overcome this the overall organizational infrastructure must facilitate collective operational effectiveness (for the organization as a whole) while enabling the appropriate level of individual and group empowerment.

We are One

Most importantly teams, groups, sections, units, departments must all avoid “us versus them” thinking.  Everything that is done anywhere in the organization needs to be linked to the overall mission and vision (not just or exclusively about the owning group).

The key to this is creating a culture of “us and we” where everyone is included in these pro-nouns.  Justifying an action as important to a single groups needs is not necessarily appropriate.

It must fit firstly and most importantly with what the organization is and does.  After all everyone in the organization is a piece of the whole and must act that way.