What does 'siloed' mean at work?

What it means: Working in isolation, without sharing information or collaborating with other teams. A siloed organisation has departments that don't communicate effectively with each other.

"The problem is that our teams are siloed — sales doesn't know what product is doing."
"We need to break down the silos."

The image: Agricultural silos are tall, separate containers for grain. Each silo holds its contents separately from other silos. Organisational silos work the same way — knowledge and resources stay trapped inside each one.

Why it's a problem: Important information doesn't flow. Duplication of effort. Teams work at cross-purposes. Customers get inconsistent experiences. Innovation is slower.

"Breaking down silos": The common prescription. This usually means creating cross-functional teams, better communication channels, or shared goals.

Register: Business and organisational contexts. Very common in management discussions.

Tags: business English, organisational problems, communication, workplace