You are here
Home / Silos and Slabs in OrganizationsSilos and Slabs in Organizations
Mintzberg, Henry
Many of today’s organizations are highly-structured and complex, which can make communicating and getting the job done difficult. We look at two characteristics of their formal structures – silos and slabs - and the challenges they present to managing, and then investigate ways to manage across and beyond them.
This topic will provide you with an opportunity to:
- Understand the effects of silos and slabs within organizations.
- Understand how these structures can act as barriers to getting things done.
- Challenge yourselves to manage together beyond formal structure.
Here's How it Works
Each CoachingOurselves topic is used by a team of 4-6 managers to guide a 90 minute discussion. Working through the topic one page at a time, the team reflects on their own experiences guided by the content, questions and exercises. There is no pre-work and no laptops, and the meetings are held anywhere managers normally hold work meetings.
"Experience is not enough. People may learn little from their experience unless they have a means for classifying and analyzing it" - Saul Alinsky
The management team begins by using a first topic with the support of a facilitator. They continue with or without the facilitator for the next 4-6 topics, bi-weekly or monthly, followed by a questionnaire to evaluate results and integrate learning. CoachingOurselves is used standalone, or included in broader initiatives to implement balanced 70-20-10 management learning programs.