Today’s workforce is spread across more locations than ever before: 37 percent of workers telecommuted to some degree in 2015. Companies occupy multiple locations, and business partnerships span the globe. In addition to physical separation, teams in the same company are separated by projects and departments. These barriers, unfortunately, lead to communication silos, furthering separation and limiting teamwork and collaboration.
Silos can have a significant (and detrimental) effect on your business. They create barriers between teams, often disrupting communications across your entire organization. But that’s not all. Let’s look at the wider impact silos can have across your company.
- Limits communication and impedes culture—Siloed teams eventually inhibit your company’s culture. Employees crave communication, collaboration and a thriving work environment. They want to feel comfortable being themselves and feel like they’re part of a team. In fact, 47 percent of workers find it motivating when colleagues discuss workplace success.
- Creates repeat work—Often, you frustratingly discover that someone else at your company (most likely on another team or in a different department) is doing the same work or looking for the same information. When teams are in the dark on other teams’ projects, it can severely impact your business’s productivity
- Blocks information from those who need it—The average interaction worker spends nearly 20 percent of their workweek looking for internal information or tracking down colleagues who can help with specific tasks.
Here’s how you can harness communication tools to break down these silos and enable employees to share ideas like never before.
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