Project Management: Dismantling or how big is your silo?

When the talk is about companies needing to dismantle silos, it usually refers to barriers between departments that create communication and collaboration hurdles. Behind this lies the vague goal of simple, fast, high-quality collaboration, like in a beehive or an anthill. A great idea, but it doesn't work easily.

Escape the Feature Factory: Stefan Mintert english

Stefan Mintert works with his clients to improve corporate culture in software development. He currently sees the greatest potential in leadership, regardless of hierarchical level. He set himself the task of leveraging this potential after a career path that involved several changes of direction. Originally coming from a computer science background with several years of consulting experience, he initially founded his own software development company. In doing so, he realized that leadership is something that needs to be learned and that good role models are rare. It became apparent that his customers' greatest need for support in software development was not in producing code, but in leadership. So it was clear to him where his company Kutura was headed: improving leadership so that the people who develop the products can develop and grow themselves. Stefan has been writing for Heise as a long-time freelancer for iX since 1994.

If you search the web for “dismantle silos,” you'll find blog articles galore. I did that as a test when I started writing this post. They discuss the “x best practices to dismantle silos” or “dissolve silo thinking and improve collaboration” or “x strategic ways to avoid silos,” and so on.

One search result caught my attention. It was just one word: dismantling. And I thought, Wow. That nails it. No waffle about best practices, but a very simple approach: Dismantling. Tear everything down and build it up properly again. A radical approach with immediate effect.

Only on second glance did I see what it was about. Namely, the “demolition of industrial plants, cranes, halls, silos, machines, and much more.” So, it's about real silos. A shame, isn't it? Nevertheless, I clicked and immediately found the next statement that I like: “With a cutting torch under the pillow.”

Uncompromising Formulations

I like the uncompromising nature of the chosen formulations. Many companies need that. No velvet gloves, but a craftsman-like implementation of changes. Unfortunately, I only see this when it comes to firing employees who are not primarily responsible for a crisis.

And when it comes to metaphorical silos, I increasingly encounter companies where the silo size is going in an astonishing direction, namely towards one (in numbers: 1). I'm talking about so-called teams where everyone is solely responsible for something. This, in turn, means that you are not responsible for any other topics of the “team.” When it comes to distributing (new) tasks, everyone ducks away because they are already “full.” This approach is a good recipe for mistrust (“I work more than others”), envy (“why does X get to do that, but I have to do Y?”), avoidance of responsibility (“not my topic”), and other phenomena that we cannot afford in economically difficult times; and frankly, not in other times either, it's just less noticeable then.

To avoid such a situation, bold leadership is needed from someone who can weld the team together to take on joint responsibility. Not an easy task, but doable. The motto here could be: with a *welding* torch under the pillow. Radically constructive, so to speak, instead of radically destructive.

Read First, Then Act

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(rme)