Thinking In SILO's is a bleeding curse .

This question haunted me for years and years, it may continue to haunt me for the coming life too. Then it may haunt me into my afterlife too, then again and again.

And the question is "what is the question ?" .

Yeah, you heard that right. when all of a sudden everything around you become so perfect, orderly and very well defined to fit the bill. You may end up questioning yourself "Isn't it inorganic and unnatural to be it". Where are those people who are born with imperfections and those who are curiously in love with imperfections to accept how they are? There exists the vacuum for above question.

It is not the question that I am trying to address, but the rationale behind our fascination towards "symmetry","Order","rules and regulations","modality" and of course "controlled behavior". Fascination and obsession are two things which led entire generations to subscribe into two diametrically opposite things called science and spirituality. According to my opinion, both are imperfect and work in progress for infinite cycles. Science seeks absolute evidence and based on perfect proof of existence while making so many assumptions to simplify a naturally occurring event. Spirituality is based on a belief system which tells you "don't question those which you don't understand ". I discord both views in the light of oversimplification and no clear evidence.I am a nonconformist, I don't lend my views towards absolution rather towards a partial truth. There exists a Philosophical gap between both streams.

Just the way "You may never find a meditating robot" looking for inner peace. You may not find a "Man who will be trying to be a machine". This is the rift between MAN & MACHINE, you can also call it a "Man & Machine " conflict.

What will be the first thought that comes into your head when you look at the picture provided by "color box". Join me in splits.

What is a man - machine conflict ?

It can be defined as you can never find an absolute man-machine. That is a lot for the introduction of the idea of Thinking in SILO.

What are silos? SILO is Specified Intended Learning Outcomes as per our university course preparations. That was the first ever time I kept looking at the "word" wondering what it means from the course outline book. This definition might have been famous among A.I and M.L experts. But for me, SILO's in general parlance are "barriers " I will end up using it in this meaning throughout the Article.

Thinking in SILOs can typically be attributed to the process way of looking at things. Some also call it systems thinking.First, a common objective is broken down into various functional items and making sub-divisions out of it.From an organizational point of view, a process is broken down into sub-objectives and K.P.Is . More subdivisions and more subdivisions and more and more until you say no more.

Let's delve deep into General SILO view. It exists because of our archaic thinking, which is based on logic and reasoning. I would like to omit that word "Process" here and then it is just there by habit. We generally don't think in a process way but our actions follow a process.To put it clearly the justification for our actions follow a process.

Is our thinking process based on "LOGIC" & "REASONING" !!!!

No, our thinking process is never based on Logic and reasoning, it is based on "need" and "wants". Go back to marketing language. Perhaps let's put our self into the school time political science debate of ethics between Aristotle and Plato. Philosophy is based on Logic, Google it if you need in-depth views and understanding.

So we use logic to construct a series of possibilities then we use reasoning to justify logic.This is not how we cognitively think. Whether actions follow thoughts or we simply justify our thoughts is highly debatable though.

We are after all animals with ethics, there is no denying this. Our natural reflexes keep on reminding us that we are animals first. If we are hungry, we simply look for food, If we find it, we will acquire it, eat and satisfy our hunger. It is basically how "BEAR GRYLLS" does it in his shows.

This side illustration tells you our thinking is a continuous process, once a need is felt, we tend to search within our reach and knowledge capacity. Does this deteriorate from the fact that need is forgotten, definitely not hence it becomes a superset of search? Then acquisition and then satisfaction one by one follow the suite, finally closing in with need fulfillment.

So if you start believing in me, please note our physical abilities are limited but not our mental ability. We falsely end up thinking our physical abilities are our mental capacity upper limits. We need to understand our thinking has no limits.

We are limited by our Physical capacity, not by Mental capacity .

            OUR ACTIONS MAY FOLLOW A SILO VIEW BUT NOT OUR THINKING.

  HABIT FORMATION IS THE MAIN CULPRIT WHICH FORMS BARRIERS AND CONTROLS. 

How Logic and Reasoning are the ruin of our sanity! instead of a blessing.

Mathematics is a wonderful language, It will take you forever to understand its depth. Like any other science, it has a lot of gaps and paradoxes. More importantly, it is a work in progress and there is no end to the continuous refinement of its concepts.

First comes Integer mathematics < 1,2,3,4,5,..........> error #1. It is so unnatural that we have to change or adapt our behavior to this decimal system. We have never questioned it why not a system of 2 or 3. [Take your time and think for a moment about what I am saying]. Then count the number of absurdities here.

Which one is reference for what ?

What came first ?

If "1" is the occurrence of an event what about 0.000000000001

Origin of an event should it be "zero"or"one".

If number line is continuous , it is also recurring with infinitely small divisions.

Finally boss of all the questions " If a person born with half the limbs and organs is he called a person or half a person. (Empathetic design can address this problem but not fully )

AND SO ON AND ON , ON AND ON IT GOES TILL WE FIND IT AS TOO MANY ASSUMPTIONS ...

Per say there exists a huge gap between discrete mathematics and continuous mathematics, Reason is the approach of SILO thinking. It is the problem of the approach which goes by saying let us simplify things then reverse engineer it after identification of gaps. Such as the case of " Frankenstein's monster ". Thinking If you walk back -words you will be able to become a child again . After all we are not living in a finite universe , we only know life is limited . Origin of birth and death both are not designed but followed.

Power of multitasking, how multitasking can reduce SILO based limitation?

We all are natural multitaskers, All of our senses can work at a time. Which means we can fire a lot of neurons at the same time yet differentiate between them.It is not wicked cool to say that we can hear, watch, smell, feel, taste and think at the same time. It exists because we have been constantly rendered by the universal interactions and SILO thought process for years to believe we have to follow a certain path to understand logic & reason. For simplicity we have started breaking down continuity of a process into an Integer based programming, then by reverse engineering, we have started overlapping the process for an action based view. While "thinking" we just don't think about one variable but too many variables at a time. While acting we multitask within our capacity. If you don't believe me see a drummer in action.

SILO -GAP occurs because our thinking does not follow action.

One thing I have observed in my interactions with various people, "CLARITY" is the buzzword that everyone uses to understand a two-way communication. Seeking clarity is an uncontrollable "IMPULSE" led by logic to close the gate and react. Like how design thinkers tell you the first step is to empathize, while reading the article please empathize with the title, then slowly digest the feelings. STOP THINKING YOUR TIME IS MORE VALUABLE THAN MINE. We all have one life, not more than that. So finally to give you some clarity. I adopt solutions way in the style of logic and reasoning than a continuous thinking approach.

How to tackle the problem of SILO in the organization?

1. Flat wage channel, everyone has equal ownership, no monetary incentives but give them break from work as incentives. More multitasking you do more relaxation you get from work.
2. Use machines to do the mindless job of "do what I have told you", and use Human interface as the troubleshooters or representers of thinking. You know machine learning is absurd until machines learn to question their existence. You can teach and train people to exactly do what you want, You can not programme them by Logic. We are after all irrational beings.
3. If profit sharing is not Equal, you can not tell people to assume equal ownership.
4. the biggest threat is "internal competition" no matter how many jargons you use, such as "collaborative competition". etc Internal competition becomes a threat to people retorting to micromanagement issues some of them even resort to joining hands with open competition. In a way, you are poking your own eye.
5. Transparency towards every employee is very important, democratic methods can somewhat subdue these but not entirely.
6. Use Information as a common propaganda to connect every employee in the organization. At least a few common strings to forge a culture then work with less possible silos. Accounts is not a secret department anymore. (IKEA
7. Employees need to be serious about taking surveys If one employee is dissatisfied total organization will collapse. A wall will collapse even one brick is weak. etc
8. Don't ask me anymore, because my motives are not just based on organizations view. They are focused on HUMAN PSYCHE.

How is "SILO THINKING" a bleeding curse?

1. Our thinking capacity becomes limited to over years we have been trained act in a way one after another, our multi-tasking skills are effectively put to rest.
2. Our natural tendency to simplify communication led our nature to fall prey to silos.
3. Thinking in SILOs will hinder the process of continuity and thought flow will be hindered and limited,( then a change of plans happens entirely). you are stuck in repeated cycles of refinement.

Applying "Continuous thinking" to design process.

THANK YOU FOR READING UNTIL THE END .......... Don't forget to contribute .....................................................