In the complex tapestry of modern organizations, silos are one of the most persistent barriers to innovation and efficiency. Dave Osh, the CEO of Varlinx, has developed a robust approach to dismantling these silos, fostering a more integrated, collaborative, and dynamic organizational culture. This article explores Varlinx's unique strategy for breaking down organizational silos, as explained by Dave Osh, drawing on insights and case studies directly from the company's experiences.

Understanding the Silo Mentality

Before delving into the solution, it's crucial to understand what Osh identifies as the root cause of organizational silos: the invisible silo mindset. It occurs when organizational functions, rather than collaborating closely, become insular. This not only hampers efficiency and innovation but also creates an environment resistant to change. Osh's approach begins with addressing the mindset that breeds these silos, emphasizing the need for a cultural shift towards interconnectedness and interdependency.

Med-Tech Company Case Study in De-Siloing

One of Varlinx's case studies involves a med-tech company struggling with rapid growth and organizational silos. The company's leadership, Osh coached for over three years, wasn’t aware of their siloing mentality when they started. Silos have a vicious tendency to be in stealth mode. Most importantly, silos start unintentionally at the top. For example, when the executive team discussed growth strategies, the CEO's eyes automatically turned to the Chief Revenue Officer, making growth a sales issue instead of an interdependent and collaborative effort of product development, marketing, operations, and finance. 

Osh’s coaching revealed the team’s silos and exposed its organizational impact as a growth inhibitor.  Breaking down these silos became a critical goal for enhancing growth and adaptability. Osh implemented a multi-faceted approach that included stakeholder surveys to understand the ecosystem impact and expanded coaching to second-tier leaders. This strategy not only facilitated better communication across departments but also encouraged a more holistic understanding of the company's goals and challenges. The result was a more cohesive, agile organization better equipped to navigate the complexities of the healthcare industry​​.

Varlinx's Multi-Pronged Approach

1. Identifying and Addressing Immunities to Change: Osh employs the Immunity to Change framework to help leaders recognize and overcome the subconscious fears and assumptions that reinforce unintentional silos. By understanding these internal resistances, leaders can begin to foster an environment where silos transcend into collaboration.
2. Expanding Leadership Coaching: Varlinx emphasizes the role of leadership at all levels in breaking down silos. By expanding coaching to include second-tier leaders, Osh ensures that the drive for integration and collaboration permeates throughout the organization, creating allies in the fight against compartmentalization​​.
3. Fostering a Culture of Interdependence: Osh advocates for setting interdependent goals over departmental goals. Breaking down of silos makes the whole bigger than the sum of its parts. Collective goal setting requires cross-departmental collaboration and recognizing efforts that contribute to success.
4. Enhancing Communication Channels: Varlinx works with organizations to develop communication strategies that promote transparency, vulnerability, and cross-departmental understanding. This involves cross-functional projects and collaborative platforms where information and resources are easily accessible.

Global Software Services Company: Overcoming Slow Decision-Making

Another case study presented by Osh involves a global software services company in which the executive team felt they were not decisive enough when they were working together as a team. 

When Osh coached the team, they realized that they had a collective subconscious commitment to make decisions in silos rather than together. Osh calls it a “competing hidden commitment” because it works against their ambition to work together as a team. The leadership team wanted so much to maintain their unity that they were stuck for too long trying to reach a consensus without being able to act decisively. 

Osh coached the team to create safe-to-fail experiments in rapid collective decision-making in which all voices were heard without compromising swift decisions. This approach not only improved decision-making speed but also enhanced team unity, demonstrating that breaking down silos doesn't mean sacrificing team cohesion​​.

Measuring Success: The Leadership Circle Profile

Varlinx doesn't just implement strategies; it also measures their effectiveness. Using the Leadership Circle Profile™ (LCP), a tool mentioned in the case studies, Varlinx can assess the impact of its interventions on leadership behaviors and organizational culture. The LCP provides a 360-degree assessment connecting leadership competencies with underlying habits of thought. It's instrumental in illustrating how shifts in leadership approach, particularly around collaborative and creative competencies, can significantly reduce siloed behaviors and promote a more integrated organizational culture​​.

The Ripple Effect of Leadership Transformation

Osh underscores that breaking down silos isn't just an internal win; it has a ripple effect that extends beyond the organization. As leaders and teams become more integrated and collaborative, this new way of operating influences interactions with external stakeholders like customers, partners, and the broader community. The transformation of the med-tech company's leadership, for instance, had a notable impact on its ecosystem, proving that the changes were not just internal but had positively influenced its broader business relationships​​ with surgeons and healthcare providers. More surprising was the super fast product development. While it took a decade to develop and receive FDA approval for the first product line, after their transformation from siloed to a collaborative organization, they developed, clinically tested, and received FDA approval in two years.

Dave Osh and Varlinx provide a comprehensive approach to dismantling the deeply entrenched silos that hinder organizational growth. Through a combination of understanding the psychological roots of silos, implementing targeted interventions, and measuring the impact of these strategies, Osh is helping organizations foster a culture of collaboration and interconnectedness. The case studies not only underscore the efficacy of Varlinx’s approach but also serve as a testament to the transformative power of breaking down silos. As more organizations adopt these strategies, the landscape of corporate culture and collaboration is set to evolve, marking a new era of integrated and dynamic organizational environments.

By Adam Torkildson

Keywords: Business Strategy