Farmer Jones Is Not Crazy About Where This Conversation is Heading


Breaking Down Silos Business Cartoon

I grew up in Iowa and I’ve seen my share of silos. They were the tallest structure in my hometown and many of the nearby towns. So when I started hearing about them and their use in business, I have to admit, I was a little confused.

Are businesses stockpiling employees or paperwork somehow? Are they using bucket elevators or blowers? Where do they unload?

It took a bit to understand the concept as an organizational metaphor, but it did provide the impetus for this cartoon.

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Mark Anderson Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

2 Reactions
  1. Mark: I want to purchase this cartoon for a future presentation on social media communication throughout an organization.

    I think that the “silo” mentality is very common in companies, and one of the biggest challenges to solve in the future with the incorporation of social media activities by employees.

  2. It is better to always break down discussions based on the language of the attendees. It makes it more interesting for them too.