This lack of collaboration can weaken an organization, and
often leads to people working in silos. Patrick Lencioni
(2006) noted that silos in an organization describe the
departmental politics and territoriality that don't allow
leaders to work as teammates, and "they waste resources,
kill productivity, and jeopardize the achievement of goals"
(p. viii).
Additionally Lencioni noted, “yet many organizations
continue to let differences between personalities, units,
and cultures create stalemates and silos" (p. 1). The public
relations leader can facilitate a holistic organization
based not on a decentralized workforce, but one where people
work together inside the organization as a team instead of
working independently in silos.
Collaboration and breaking down silos in an organization
provides a work environment where the challenges of
overcoming internal problems and finding create solutions
can make an organization ultimately more effective working
with others outside the organization.
Thomas (1976) concluded that collaboration is an assertive
and cooperative style of conflict management that is a
problem-solving approach where problems and conflicts are
seen as challenges, and differences are confronted and ideas
and information are shared where there is a concerted effort
to find integrative solutions where everyone wins (as cited
in Hoy and Miskel, 2008, p. 248).
By building a collaborative winning holistic team effort
within an organization, the public relations leader is
providing a platform for the organization to fully meet
their goals. Furthermore, according to Hoy and Miskel
(2008), “coalition building is the process of individuals
banding together to achieve a common goal" (p. 241).
In conclusion, the organization can benefit from the effects
of collaboration with regard to the public relations
practitioner influencing the entire organization to work
together and successfully reach their goals as a holistic
team.
References
Hoy, W. K. & Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational
administration: Theory, research, and practice. New
York: McGraw-Hill.
Kezar, A. (2006). Redesigning for collaboration in
learning initiatives: An examination of four highly
collaborative campuses. The Journal of Higher
Education, 77(5), 804-838.
Lencioni, P. (2006). Silos, politics, and turf wars:
A leadership fable about destroying the barriers
that turn colleagues into competitors. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Dr. Dan Eller
holds a Doctorate in Education from
the Gevirtz Graduate
School of Education at the University of California, Santa
Barbara,
and is an Assistant Professor of Public Relations in the
Journalism
Department at California Polytechnic State University.
deller@calpoly.edu
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