Break Down Organizational Silos

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One group thinks the other doesn't get it

I’d like to share a surprising but consistent interaction pattern I’ve observed over many years.  When one group thinks that another doesn’t get it, the other group invariably thinks the same of them.  When one group tries to bypass the other, the first group finds itself cut out the next time around.

To break the cycle, leaders can practice a new mindset.  They reframe others from “they don’t get it” to “they see it differently.”  They seek to learn, not just to convince.

Read the case study

 

Finding the Best Path to a Clinical Protocol Design

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Can’t get people out of their silos?

You’re not alone.

Problem: An early-stage company needed to demonstrate Proof of Concept for a novel therapy, but the organization could not reach agreement on a clinical protocol design.

My client Peter, the Program Executive, vented his frustration to me:

“Dr. C [the Clinical Director] withdraws, withholds information, doesn’t inform me or the program team about anything, comes up with a suboptimal design, gets his boss on board, the Portfolio Review Committee rejects the proposal, and we end up losing a lot of time. This has happened a couple of times already.”

The Portfolio Committee told the team that the only solution was to bring in outside experts.

Solution: Instead of blaming Clinical, I helped the Program Executive step back. Read more