How to Diagnose and Fix Silos

Are All Silos the Same – Diagnose Before You Act ?

Silos aren’t just a tech or structure problem—what if they’re psychological?

Over the next 4 posts, I’ll break down the 3 hidden types of silos blocking collaboration—and how behavioral science helps us dismantle them.

We’ve all seen it: departments blaming each other, goals misaligned, and collaboration grinding to a halt. But what if the real issue isn’t just “silos”—but the kind of silo?

Research shows:

– 67% of collaboration failures stem from silos (HBR, 2017)
– Most organizations apply generic fixes that don’t work

Truth: There isn’t just one kind of silo—there are three:
1. Systemic (misaligned goals)
2. Elitist (knowledge hoarding)
3. Protectionist (fear-driven withholding)

This idea is inspired by a powerful article from Harvard Business Review (March 2025) that redefined silos as root-cause-driven challenges—not just structural flaws.

Science Insight:

Cognitive miserliness—a concept from behavioral economics—explains how people default to their own team’s thinking. It takes effort to empathize with other departments, and most of us (and our incentives) don’t push us to do it.

Signs to Watch For:
– Frequent escalations to senior leadership
– Delays despite constant meetings
– Low empathy across departments

Solution:

Start by diagnosing. The right fix depends on the root cause. Different silos need different playbooks.

Have you experienced a silo that didn’t respond to “better communication”? Let’s compare notes. Drop a comment 👇