Welcome to this week's issue of Executive Insight.   

Breaking Down Silos and Building Trust

Everyone knows that leadership teams need to develop trust in order to work together effectively. In spite of this common knowledge, the development of silos can present a meaningful obstacle to developing this trust.

CEOs need to be mindful of this, because once the silos are established, it becomes much harder to eliminate them and work collaboratively. Self-interest becomes a substantial barrier to teamwork.

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate trust-building in a company where the silos seemed impenetrable, so I wanted to share a few ideas about developing trust (and preventing those silos from happening in the first place):

• Provide an opportunity for more personal interaction in your leadership team. Host breakfast or lunch periodically, so they get to know each other in a more informal environment.
• Allow room for mistakes, and make sure people learn from them. A culture of punishment detracts from building trust, while a learning environment enhances creativity.
• Ask for feedback, and listen to what people say. When you take action on someone's idea, others will feel encouraged to come up with even more ideas.
• Keep your word. If someone tells you something in confidence, don't "confidentially" discuss the matter with anyone.
• Give your people the opportunity to be who they are. A focus on strict corporate conformity can delay the trust building process and deters authentic interaction.

Members of your leadership team don't have to become best friends. They do need to become role models, however, so that your organization functions smoothly and their teams play well together in the sandbox.

Remember where the buck stops! Good luck, and let me know how it's going.

Have a great week!

 

Copyright 2011 Lisa M. Aldisert

 

 

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Quote of the Day
"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."
    - Charles Dickens