What can you learn about collaboration when you’re sitting in the dentist’s chair?

I work with teams and organizations, many who have a common challenge – operating in silos. The leaders say they want to be collaborative, yet, they can’t seem to break down the walls that exist between the individuals on the teams, or the departments in the organization.

What is it that causes these silos?

• Is it fear of giving up control?
• Is it a lack of trust?
• Is it the inability to communicate effectively?
• Is it a sense of competition?

What I noticed when I was having necessary dental work performed, as I sat in the chair with the dentist to my right and the dental assistant to my left, was:

• Trust existed:
  • I trusted them as the experts to fix my dental issue
  • They trusted each other to do their work and reach the end goal
  • They were open to asking for help from one another
• Clarity of roles:
  • They knew exactly what each had to do to perform the work
    • There was no directive from the dentist to the assistant
    • There was no questioning
    • There was healthy communication and agreement
    • They were in sync working to deliver the best patient experience they could and to solve the problem that I was there for them to address

What does your team or organization need to break down silos and work more collaboratively?

How can you start to build a culture of trust, and clarity and expectations of roles and responsibilities?

This is work I regularly do with client organizations. Interested to learn how I can help you help you or your organization? Let’s connect.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford