Break the silo effect: Working together on social safety
Within organisations that work on social safety and the approach to concerning behaviour, we see a persistent problem: the silo effect. Departments operate in isolation; communication stagnates and sharing crucial information with the right parties is neglected.
The silo effect is one of the biggest mistakes that is made, which also causes fragments of important information to be scattered throughout the organisation in the event of serious incidents such as violent attacks. There is no one who can bring all the fragments together and form a complete picture. There is a lack of proper insight and a complete overview of the situation and it is impossible to intervene adequately or in a timely manner.
Social safety and concerning behaviour in the workplace require an integrated approach. How do we break through these barriers and build a culture in which everyone feels safe?
What is the silo effect?
This effect occurs when departments or teams within an organisation are primarily internally focused and see all kinds of legal, administrative and organisational limitations, which then prevent them from sharing important information. Information that can contribute to solving a problem, a better assessment of the risk profile or to taking adequate safety measures and a more efficient approach.
Sometimes people are guided by fear of the consequences if, for example, information about employees is shared, but there is often still ignorance about what may and may not be shared. There is often much more allowed than is perceived.
Also, a well-known phenomenon is that certain departments in an organisation overestimate their own role or expertise in tackling a case and underestimate the expertise and relevance of involvement of other expertise or departments. This hinders cooperation and leads to inefficiency, misunderstandings and sometimes even dangerous situations. This is disastrous for social safety and it has a negative impact on the organisational culture. Preventing and addressing undesirable behaviour requires cooperation, trust in each other and is a shared effort.
Social safety requires cooperation
Social safety is therefore not subject to just the HR department, nor an exclusive task of managers, nor just a task of the safety department or legal affairs. Closer cooperation between these silos when it comes to social safety and concerning behaviour is strongly recommended.
It is therefore a shared responsibility in which policy, clear agreements on the approach, training and culture development go hand in hand. An example: a company with a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for transgressive behaviour has various reporting channels, but employees do not know who they can contact, or they do not dare to do so. HR, safety affairs or the confidential advisor see few reports and think that they have a complete picture of the social safety issues. Practical experience shows that this is a misconception. International studies also show time and again that organisations only know a fraction of what is really going on in the workplace. Employees who should report, experience major barriers. Without cooperation between the above-mentioned silos, a false sense of security also arises.
How do you break down the silos?
- Create shared goals – Make social safety an organisation-wide theme and link it to strategic objectives.
- Strengthen leadership – Leaders must set a good example by encouraging collaboration and openness.
- Provide structural dialogue – Facilitate discussions between departments and ensure a shared understanding of challenges and solutions.
- Use training as a bridge – Organise joint training sessions in which different teams work together and learn from each other.
- Make social safety measurable – Share insights from reports and investigations so that every department takes responsibility and contributes to improvements.
- Ensure a healthy organisational culture.
DANTES helps organisations with change.
At DANTES, we guide companies in breaking down silos and strengthening social safety. We do this by making leaders and teams aware of their role and providing them with specific tools and training. Organisations that invest in integrated collaboration reap the benefits of a safe and resilient work culture.
If you would like more information on the above, please feel free to contact us.
Inge Nijenhuis