How to overcome corporate silos

Strategic Planning team members naturally bring their primary job to the team, often they are there to formulate strategy because that is part of their job. A significant personal benefit is they gain incite on the firm that will prepared them for future responsbility. Yet, experienced managers always complain about corporate silos: the obstacles, barriers, the passive aggressive behavior where folks agree in public and then stop the plan cold.

I think they are really complaining about the right person from the other department is not on the team, and the right person is someone who can make a decision and make their department accountable to carry out the plan.

Here are these executives suggestions to improve cross-functional commitment:

	Cross-functional teams with a respected steering committee
	Ask people in the decision meetings to talk, to have their say, to explain the commitment
	Use cross-functional measures and metrics
	Drive the work top down with incentives
	The vision must define their role
	Measure end result for the organization, not the silos performance
	State explicitly What Is In It For Me (WIFFM)
	Start with team building exercises
	Use an expert consultant, outside facilitators in key roles