The Silo busting VP
G.D. Vanstone
So, you're a Vice-President.
No doubt you have an org chart handy somewhere that neatly portrays the names and functions of all in your group. Maybe when you accepted the position, your CEO slid that chart across the table and said, "here's the team you're responsible for". Maybe one of those little boxes on that chart once had your name and now sits in the big box at the top with a title of Vice-President of Sales, Vice-President of Operations, or something like that.
Maybe you also have a Position Profile that talks about all the things you're responsible for. Things that clearly make sense to the functions in the various titles in the little boxes of your org chart. You know about those functions, you likely have some expertise in how those activities work, and maybe you have the position because you have ideas on reorganization and improvement. You are also responsible for the people named in those little org chart boxes, people who are banded together by form and function; and who now look to you for leadership.
That position profile probably also talks about what you're accountable for. Maybe for revenue growth, cost-control, or performance; or combinations of outcomes that are less defined, certainly high-level, and not unexpected for the role; but all of them related to organizational priorities. After all, there are other functional groups led by other VPs that are expected to make meaningful contributions to the success of the organization.
Yes, you've got your domain, your team, but you also have an organizational silo; and that means you have a leader's choice to make.
Silos are a natural product of most organizations' desire for organization. As they grow and become more complex, more systemic, applying labels helps distinguish functional groups from one another -to stand apart; to be siloed. Conventional wisdom has cleaved to defining the structure of organization by how it can be managed and not to provide insight into what value the organization actually exists to create. As a VP, the choice you have is to decide what kind of value you want to bring- as a silo-builder or a silo-buster.
For the silo-builders, working in and with organizations that have held strong silo mentalities, I have often noticed a pattern of stumbling over the terms responsibility and accountability. It seems the fact that they rhyme seems to be the license for folks in leadership positions to use them interchangeably. Perhaps the thinking is that if they say them fast enough, or often enough in the same message, they can brush over the difference and everyone will blur the lines, accepting that they mean the same thing. They don't. Responsibility is imposed - *you need to do this*, while accountability is accepted - *I will own the outcome.* In the absence of clarity, most people will tend to focus on their responsibilities as the means to demonstrate individual excellence- their value contribution. Leaders who stress functional excellence celebrate and reward individual achievements that contribute to the benefit of the silo. Want to be a silo-builder? Blurring these terms in your messaging is often a critical ingredient of the mortar mix that holds organizational silos firm.
Silo-busters are very clear on the differentiation between responsibility and accountability. They are very deliberate in making sure everyone in their group understands their individual responsibility, but also their accountability- not as a function of blame but rather, their ability to apply their expertise in new or unique ways. They embrace the risk of failure as a learning opportunity. Focusing on outcome accountability invites experimentation and growth. To take what the individual does well and apply it where it can create the most value. The silo-busting occurs when individual and group contributions expand beyond the scope of the silo. Establishing intra-departmental teams, shared KPIs, goals, and communications channels can facilitate the flow of value creation.
Overcoming internal barriers is challenging and often requires support from fiduciaries, who play a pivotal role in silo-busting. Fiduciaries, bound by the legal obligation to act in the company's best interest, include trustees, financial advisors, lawyers, and corporate officers. Their systemic thinking and ability to cross structural lines equip them with unique insights that are invaluable for VPs aiming to break down siloed organizational constraints, promoting a healthier and more sustainable business environment.
Leadership is not easy. Leadership is a constant practice of application but choosing which direction will define you as a builder or a buster. The silo-builder will lean into responsibility, the silo-buster to accountability. The silo-builder translates what they're accountable for as an outcome of their functional responsibilities. Conversely, the silo-buster will tilt towards translating functional responsibilities as the means to generate outcomes they have accepted accountability for. In today's dynamic and shifting business climate, there are very few organizations that can withstand the forces of change and expect their siloed structures to stand.
Be a leader that empowers others and positions them to be successful. Choose to be open to new pathways of creating value. Embrace accountability and reach out to those who can help guide your journey.
Be a silo-busting VP.
