Silos, Politics and Turf Wars

About the Author

Patrick Lencioni is a renowned author and management consultant, best known for his expertise in organizational health and executive team development. With bestselling books such as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Five Temptations of a CEO, and Death by Meeting, Lencioni has made significant contributions to the field of business management. He is also the president of The Table Group, a San Francisco Bay Area management consulting firm that specializes in executive team development and organizational health.

Main Idea

Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors addresses the detrimental effects of silos within organizations. Silos refer to the barriers that separate work teams, departments, and divisions, causing people who should be collaborating to work against one another. This book presents a dynamic leadership fable that reveals how organizations can overcome these silos to enhance productivity, profits, and employee satisfaction. By creating a rallying cry or an overarching thematic goal, leaders can align their teams towards common objectives, thereby eliminating the political infighting and turf wars that hinder organizational effectiveness.

Table of Contents

1. Entrepreneurial Ambition
2. Roller Coaster
3. Rally
4. Moments of Truth
5. Introduction to Silos
6. The Thematic Goal
7. Defining Objectives
8. Standard Operating Objectives
9. Metrics
10. Case Studies
11. Managing and Organizing Around the Thematic Goal
12. Thematic Goals and Long-Term Context
13. Matrix Organizations

Entrepreneurial Ambition

The story begins with Jude Cousins, whose entrepreneurial passion quickly turns to anxiety as he struggles to establish his consulting firm. With only three clients and no employees, Jude's initial excitement fades, highlighting the challenges faced by new entrepreneurs. His previous success at Hatch Technology, a financial software company, had been fueled by his insatiable passion for learning and his curiosity about business operations. However, the merger of Hatch with Bell Financial Systems introduces chaos and infighting, planting the seeds of Jude's realization about the destructive power of silos.

"Five months. That's how long it took for Jude Cousins' entrepreneurial passion and excitement to fade into anxiety and panic." - Patrick Lencioni

Roller Coaster

Jude's consulting practice, Cousins Consulting, takes off with a few initial clients, including The Madison Hotel, JMJ Fitness Machines, Children's Hospital, and Sacred Heart Church. Despite his enthusiasm and meaningful contributions, Jude faces setbacks, such as the devaluation of his Batch stock and the loss of a key client. Realizing he needs a more defined focus, Jude probes his clients to identify their biggest challenges. He discovers that silos - the barriers between departments - are a common and painful issue for all of them.