'Silo Mentality'

An attitude found in some organizations that occurs when several departments or

groups do not want to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the same
company. A silo mentality reduces efficiency and can be a contributing factor to a failing
corporate culture. Departmental silos are seen as a growing pain for most organizations of
all sizes. It is the duty of the executive leaders and management to prepare and equip their
teams with the proper mind-set to break down this destructive organizational barrier. Silo
mentality is the responsibility of the business owner herself. As the top manager, the owner
establishes a tone and a set of values for the business culture. Therefore, the forming of
departmental silo mentality is usually seen as the result of the business owners
management. It is the executive sends signals, and from time to time, reinforce it to others
that a silo mentality can exist successfully in the company/organization culture. There are a
few sources of the silo mentality that will affect a small-business culture. Some employees
will be assigned to work in a business function, such as sales or marketing, and will
approach their work with the mentality of being a sales or marketing person. Others learn
the silo mentality from the owner or senior employees or embrace a mindset that something
related to another business function is not their job. Still other employees bring an attitude
focused on their special field of business knowledge into the company when they're hired.
The structure of a business itself, or the jobs that employees do in relationship to one
another, can foster a silo mentality. If the departments in the organization do not have
enough chance to communicate, the employees are easily stick to their roles, which can
produce closed-mindedness. Therefore, effective communication can be a way to change
its silo mentality. However, change must still come from the business owner. Silo
mentality trickles down from the top. A business owner must plan team-building and
information-sharing strategies to help employees think more globally.














The professional role & etiquette
The definition of professionalism from dictionary is: having or showing the skill, good
judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job
well.
A professional has specialized skills and knowledge that required independent erudition
and effort on their part to attain. They engage in a process of constant evaluation and
improvement. A professional makes decisions based on their dedication to the craft and
not the current circumstance. The characteristic that separates the professional from the
dilettante is an uncompromising commitment to excellence doing what is required to
get the job done at its highest level, even when it is inconvenient. An amateur is capable
of doing some things well under the right conditions, but a professional, as a matter of
course, does it well regardless of the situation.
A professional is passionate, motivated, and punctual. A professional respects the
respectable, but admires the inspirational. A professional is a seeker of knowledge but
also a teacher. A professional is disciplined, has the highest standards, and is engaged in
the constant pursuit of un-attainable perfection. A professional is restless and never
satisfied, always evaluating and re-evaluating where theyve come and finding ways to
do what they are doing better now, today, moment to moment.
Professional behavior is a form of etiquette that applies to business people and those who
engage others in this setting. It requires an individual to remain honest, open, dedicated to
corporate mission and aware of the thoughts, feelings and needs of others.
Professionalism is linked strongly to respectful and courteous behaviors.
Professional etiquette is an unwritten code of conduct regarding the interactions among
the members in a business setting. When proper professional etiquette is used, all
involved are able to feel more comfortable, and things tend to flow more smoothly.
Professional etiquette plays a monumental role in making a lasting positive first
impression. In professional situations, displaying proper etiquette can give you a
competitive edge over others who may not be using proper etiquette. Likewise, failing to
use the correct etiquette may result in being overlooked for employment or losing other
valuable opportunities. Professional etiquette can be applied to many areas of an
individuals work life including e-mails, phone calls, and business meetings.






A team is any group of people organized to work together interdependently and
cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing a purpose and goals.
Teams are created for both long term and short-term interaction. A product development
team, an executive leadership team, and a departmental team are long lasting planning and
operational groups. Short-term teams might include a team to develop an employee
onboarding process, a team to plan the annual company party, or a team to respond to a
specific customer problem or complaint.

A team implies synergy, meaning the whole is greater than the sum of their parts. A
team may be lead by a team leader, but it may also be self-directed. The essence of a team
is a common commitment, because without it, the members are simply a group of
individuals who work together.
Within a team every member plays a role to achieve the teams objectives.
These roles add new and important dimensions to interactions of team
members.
each individual on that team may have different expectations of what has to
happen to reach that goal. When you're working on a team, it's important
to clarify expectations about the nature of each person's involvement in
reaching the goal. This means making sure everyone understands team roles
and responsibilities. Put simply, people should know what to do, and how to do
it.
Clarifying expectations is important because it removes misunderstanding and
clears up ambiguity about how your team works. Every member of a team has
the responsibility to clarify expectations. The team leader needs to clearly spell
out roles and responsibilities. And team members also need to take the
initiative to find out exactly what expectations the team leader has of them.
What does expectation do:
it defines the individual roles, responsibilities, tasks, and functions each team member
is expected to perform
it helps you to understand specific procedures or standards that must be followed
it ensures that team members who share tasks are clear on their parts, and
it allows the team to identify the interdependence of tasks, and determine priorities