Break down those silos! How history class pays out #post4

I have this very clear memory. I must have been 4 or 5 years old, sitting behind a small wooden table in the light class room with my fellow toddlers. In front of me several coloured papers, and myself using a small pair of pinking shears, turning the paper into smaller useless pieces. At this point I remember I asked the teacher: "why do I need to learn this?" I don not remember her answer, but it would not have been the last time to ask myself that same question: why? I need to admit, when I went to high school the frequency of the question dropped significantly compared to primary school, but still I have no clue what learning Old Greek has contributed to my life.

So every time a lesson pays out, I'm truly pleased in retro perspective. And today was pay out time again! In modern history classes I was taught that after the second world war the The Netherlands turned into a separated society. People withdrew in their silos that were often faith based. The catholic boys played with other catholic boys, at catholic soccer clubs after catholic school when dad came home from his catholic employer after voting for his catholic politician. And although the silos must have given stability and clarity, it must have been suffocating at the same, especially when the girl you envy was not from within your own silo...

Some water utilities seem to cherish the memory of silos and embrace and nurture them passionately. The ICT department, the asset management department, the water supply engineers, the maintenance crews, all stuck in their small focused scopes, targets, and ways of working. This is where a management board can make the difference, by breaking down narrow minded KPIs, and by creating 'line of sights' throughout the organisation, as is neatly described by the Institute of Asset Management in its really useful 'asset management anatomy'. 

Dutch society has recovered from 3 decades of silo driven structure, I wish all utility staff -and the clients they serve- to follow those lessons learned.

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