The Peril of Open Doors
Grant Heston | January 16, 2024
One recent evening, my wife, brother and I decided to go to dinner. After we walked into our garage to get into the car, three things happened:
Before he got in the back seat, my brother pressed the button next to the garage door to open it.
I turned the car on and saw the backup camera showing the garage door moving up and out of the way.
My wife pressed the garage door button inside the car, as we typically open the garage door that way.
I let my foot off the brake and — you guessed it — BAM! I backed into the garage door as it was closing.
I’m not sure what was funnier: the looks on our faces or the “interesting” words that flew out of our mouths. We each immediately took responsibility for the mess.
Truthfully, we were all responsible. In assessing what happened, we realized something important: while we were individually doing the right things, we never shared our actions with each other.
In short, we were working in silos and not communicating.
As in life, breaking down silos to collaborate and communicate are keys to success in our work together. We need to seek out different perspectives and be curious about what those around us — especially colleagues outside of our normal circles — are doing.
In addition to avoiding accidents, collaboration and communication lead to more comprehensive, fulfilling and lasting success. As the old proverb tells us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
And when you go, be certain the garage door is open.