Silos.
What thoughts come to your mind with this word, this picture? It probably depends upon where you grew up or where you are now.
Silos are something positive for farms – where grains or other feeds are stored for future use.
Silos are something negative for business – a term of derision that suggests that each department on an organization chart is a silo and that its stands alone, not interacting with any of the other departmental silos. This “silo mentality” impacts communication, cooperation, efficiency, and growth for any company experiencing this trend. (To get an idea of just how hot a topic this is, Google “Silos in Business”).
This negativity is not reserved just for the business world. Silos are something negative for Sports Ministries and Local Churches as well. As we travel around and talk to Local Church Sports Ministries, we often hear things like the following –
–“The Sports Ministry got ignored this Sunday when the Church outlined the various ministries of the Church.”
–“I think most of the people in the Church either don’t know we exist or understand what we do. That also goes for the Staff.”
–“We are not ever talked about as a “critical” ministry along with the traditional ministries of the Church.”
–“I feel alone or isolated at Staff Meetings.”
–“I can’t get cooperation from other ministries in the use of facilities.”
–“It is a war over who gets the gym/field space.”
–“I would rather just do this Ministry as a stand alone entity. I am worn out trying to work with the Church.”
If you can identify with any of these statements, you are being impacted by this growing mentality. The question is “what do you do about the ‘silo mentality’”? How do you go about “unsiloing”?
Great questions in these days.
Tomorrow at 3:00
– 3:45 pm EST, CSO will host our monthly Network Webinar to answer these questions. If you would like to join us, click here.
In the meantime, you might want to start by asking the following questions:
–Why is it even important to “unsilo”? Why can’t we just stay like we are?
–What does an “unsiloed” Sports Ministry and Local Church actually look like?
–How do you begin to foster movement toward an “unsiloed”, cooperative Ministry and Church?
The effectiveness of your ministry is at stake. More importantly, so is the glory of the Body of Christ.
[Image courtesy of eirikref]
