Breaking Down Silos

"Relationships are difficult, especially when they involve people." 

Teamwork creates challenges. People feel comfortable in silos with asymmetrical information, resources, and cultures. But operating in silos means that "mission critical" information gets withheld from the broader organization. 

The natural order is "me first, mine first." That egocentric behavior starts in childhood, resurfaces in adolescence, and defines adulthood for others (takers not givers). Become an ambitious giver. 

Retired General Stanley McChrystal wrote about challenges and solutions in integrating the Iraq intelligence community to fight a different kind of war. Part of his strategy involved assigning a team member to another team, not to infiltrate but to share process and experience.  

Trust takes time. It means commitment to "be a good teammate" and "do what's best for the team." During our lives, we're part of many teams - family, class, school, extracurricular, and community, so we have divided allegiances. If what is good for the team doesn't mesh with messaging from friends and family, that creates "cognitive dissonance..." literally two minds. 

When at practice or during games, devote full focus to the task. Don't "operate in silos" concerned about statistics or what others think. "It's the scoreboard not the scorebook." 

Lagniappe. Passing (3 of 6).