Acute 'Silo Mentality Syndrome' : The New Corporate Malaise

BCCI has organised a fantastic Conclave on 'Breaking Silos' in Mumbai. 14th June. Taj Cuffe-parade, Fantastic line-up of speakers - Cost of Learning , only Rs.4000/-. You should attend ... take my word for it.

The Corporate World is an out-and-out victim of a silent but painful malaise - 'Siloed Mentality Syndrome'(SMS). 

'Siloed Mentality Syndrome' ... reluctance observed in behaviours of professional leaders in any organisation as a consequence of which they are reluctant to share data, information and resources with employees of other divisions, departments or functions of the same organisation. 

SM attacks the ' Central Behavioral System' of the organisation. The larger organisation consequentially fails as efficiency is impacted, resources duplicated, costs increased, efficiency depleted and culture denegrated. 

Unfortunately, silent advent of 'SMS' impacts the working styles of most leaders at all levels in the hierarchy. The quintessential question- why do mature & educated professionals suffer 'SMS' ?

Whilst one could identify multiple reasons, the genesis of this nemesis can be traced to deficiencies in the socialisation process that a Child is exposed to from the time it is born - 'Segregation' versus 'Aggregation'.

Segregation .. Identification by a name, family name, home address, name of religion of birth etc - teaches him exclusion & segregating behaviors to the child.

Simultaneously, he learns to love his brothers, identify with cousins, make friends in the neighborhood,etc.,which teach him inclusive & integrative behaviors.  

The way a child learns to balance socialisation behaviors is the way it learns to grow & behave as an adult even when he works in Corporations. An acute demonstration of this you will see in Siloed Behaviors at his workplace.