The Story of Why You Prefer working in Departmental Silos

Well, isn’t the answer to the question obvious? Working in departmental silos is very, very comfortable. And comforting. And the story you tell is very predictable.

Consequently, you feel most secure when surrounded by professional peers, rather than thrown into a cross-discipline group of colleagues.

Yet the key to your professional success is whether, or not, you choose to change your professional story. And become professionally uncomfortable. By moving one millimeter outside your professional comfort level. And, choosing to work with colleagues outside those departmental silos. In order to learn, improve and continuously become better and better.

• Because, first, when you wander outside the boundaries of your departmental, or professional discipline, you meet individuals who challenge how you think.
• Then, these individuals question how you solve problems.
• Also, these colleagues require you to translate all those words you rely on when communicating within your departmental silo.

When colleagues do not understand what you do, or what you say, they do not understand what you can do: with them and for them. In learning how to better serve each other, you better serve your customers. Together. Think about it.

That is the story of why you prefer working in departmental silos.

When colleagues think the same way you do, it is just plain more comfortable. Like that blankie you had when you were a small child. You feel grounded when you are surrounded by like-minded individuals, from the same professional discipline, pay grade, job title, level of education and generation.

Unfortunately, security blanket mindset keeps companies and associations, like yours, creating comfortable customer experiences. Not necessarily remarkable and enduring ones: the type of customer experiences which retain customers.

When you are comfortable being comfortable, you and your colleagues gradually become risk averse. Opting to reproduce “what always has worked in the past” solutions. Over and over again. Rather than striving to create “what is required to better serve customers: today, tomorrow and the future.”

Do you and your colleagues bring “invisible” security blankets into your departmental silos each day?

Isn’t it time to change your professional story? Continuously focusing on better serving each other, and your customers, is not child’s play. Your first move towards professional innovation starts by recognizing that you prefer to work inside silos. Then, take small steps forward to grow your expertise, and professional comfort level, outside the confines of departmental mindset.

Start taking your first steps right now!

• Planning your next corporate or association meeting? Engage me to present one of my Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers speaking programs. Contact me here.  
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Babette Ten Haken’s One Millimeter Mindset™ Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers speaking programs and workshops are created for organizations and associations, like yours, who want to catalyze employee stakeholder success and customer retention. There is no better way than storytelling to bridge communication disconnects between professional disciplines, pay grades, generations and levels of education. Otherwise, everyone remains very busy, working full time, at only half the capacity of What is Possible. Babette’s programs are forged from her own background as a STEM professional. She continuously facilitated outcomes in teams comprised of both left-brain and right-brain thinkers in new product development, market research and sales. Babette gets everyone to where they need to go. Together!

Find out more about Babette here. Babette is a member of SME, ASQ, SHRM and the National Speakers Association. Her playbook of communication hacks, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com. Babette’s speaker profile is on the espeakers platform. Contact Babette here.

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