Smash the Silos!

By Kiki Orski

The path to better results is not paved by you working harder. In fact, it can be much easier than you think. Simply recognize and shatter the strong, solid, previously thought indestructible, but (yet) invisible to the eye, boundaries that prevent mission critical information, skills and talent from flowing throughout your organization.

 

It is a results changer!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Penguin Books
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781637772874

Book preview

SMASH THE SILOS!

SMASH THE SILOS!

A SURPRISINGLY EASY WAY TO ENHANCE COLLABORATION, BOOST PRODUCTIVITY AND IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL RESULTS

KIKI ORSKI

Red Penguin Books

Smash the Silos!

Copyright © 2022 by Kiki Orski

All rights reserved.

Published by Red Penguin Books

Bellerose Village, New York

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022912594

ISBN

Print 979-8-20172-095-7

          978-1-63777-286-7

Digital 978-1-63777-287-4

This is a work of fiction, any similarity to anyone living or dead or companies or institutes is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

1. It’s Always Personal

2. Building Strategic Partnerships and a Collaborative Culture

3. The Power of Consistency: Policy, Process, and Procedure

4. Measuring Success: Progress & Performance Metrics

Final Thoughts, Full Circle to Upward Spiral

Call To Action! Contact Me!

References

Meet Kiki Orski

Back Cover

PREFACE

It’s time to move from solo thinking to collaboration.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. ~ Helen Keller

THE TROUBLE WITH SOLO THINKING.

Leadership is tough. And it’s misunderstood. I once foolishly believed leadership to be a rugged, lonely solo act. Through that lens, I sought a revelation—you know, some formula that any solitary leader could plug in and reap certain outcomes. I took courses, programs, and earned certificates. I dove into research for a book. I learned a lot, but it wasn’t until I worked with and observed outstanding leaders in the real world that I overcame my solo thinking. I had to recalibrate my leadership notions from solo thinking to collaboration. That transition not only made me a better leader, but also a more effective and successful corporate leadership consultant.

Solo thinking is common. It’s rooted in hierarchy and tradition and culture. Because decisions are typically handed down from the top, solo thinkers operate under a false sense of being in total control. In fact, you have very little control, and it is this misconception that gets so many C-suite leaders into trouble.

Solo thinking is a siren’s song that lulls talented people into believing that if they simply envision and demand success, they’ll achieve it. These leaders are highly intelligent and driven, and they can project optimism and power in equal measures. Yet these same leaders too often feel buried by their responsibilities. Work concerns visit them in the wee hours, warnings of failure and never-ending challenges ahead. If you’re a solo thinker, you tend to solve complex issues on your own, even when you’re surrounded by untapped resources. And regardless of how good you are, that go-it-alone mindset is going to limit your ability to implement solutions and ultimately that limits your success.

Solo thinkers are commonly burdened by earned successes. There’s no doubt that hard-won effort can reap improvements. But I assure you those wins pale in comparison to what you can achieve if you focus on communication, connection, and collaboration with the talent surrounding you. I have watched too many solo-thinking leaders struggle and fail to achieve the success they wished to attain. It’s painful to watch for the leader, the organization and everyone around them who also suffers. There’s a better way.

That better way recognizes the need for every team member’s full and complete buy-in. You need their talents and life experiences to achieve a greater and more sustainable magnitude of success. You’re not in this alone.

COMMUNICATORS, CONNECTORS, AND COLLABORATORS

In my career, I have been lucky to work with leaders who maintained outstanding reputations, business successes, and positive, long-standing track records. These people fascinated me, for without exception, they led employees and teams who loved to work for them and never wanted to leave. These leaders taught me the importance of communication, connection, and collaboration.

Jennifer was one such leader. I would have done anything for Jennifer! She was my first boss when I left nursing to enter corporate America. Jennifer made me feel like together we could conquer the world. Other leaders spoke of her with the utmost respect and admiration. She fostered relationships and connections and partnerships throughout the organization. She kept everyone completely informed on all things corporate. Jennifer succinctly expressed what our roles were, who supported us, and her expectations of how we were to support one another. She established a culture that celebrated our collective efforts and results, and we all did whatever had to be done to succeed and serve our clients beyond their expectations.

As my career progressed and my business focused on coaching executive leaders, I discovered Joanne and Evelyn, two more leaders who replicated that special something that Jennifer had. Joanne had a waiting list of employee transfer requests, people who wanted to work with her. She knew her stuff and made sure everyone else knew theirs. Joanne identified organizational inconsistencies that risked frustrating employees or losing clients, and she quickly closed those gaps. Because of the way she nurtured relationships and built partnerships, she had the respect of every other leader on her management level. No surprise that she had people clambering to work with her, for everyone who did felt empowered and successful.

Evelyn, too, had her own kind of magic. With a well-known knack for metrics, Evelyn could quickly rattle off where any given department was in attaining its goals, and more importantly, she was always prepared to help achieve those goals. Approachable and collaborative, Evelyn became the trustworthy go-to person in the organization. With her finger on who she could count on for support and who she needed to support in return, Evelyn had a keen awareness of her department’s role in the organization’s success. I distinctly remember asking why others loved working with her. The answer was simple: working with Evelyn meant feeling heard and cared for. She made others feel both special and equal.

Jennifer, Joanne, and Evelyn exemplify the opposite of solo thinking. They are collaborative leaders. They look through a wider lens, one that can focus on their own departments and interests without losing sight of wider interests, resources and