PATRICK LENCIONI is founder and president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500s and high-tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits. He is the author of nine nationally recognized books, including the New York Times best-seller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. You can reach him at The Table Group's web site, www.tablegroup.com For a free downloadable Silo tool, or to sign up for Patrick's newsletter, please visit www.tablegroup.com/silos

Introduction vii

The Fable

Part One: Entrepreneurial Ambition 3

Part Two: Roller Coaster 19

Part Three: Rally 77

Part Four: Moments of Truth 139

The Theory

Introduction to Silos 175

Components of the Model 178

Identifying a Thematic Goal 187

Case Studies 189

Managing and Organizing Around the Thematic Goal 197

Thematic Goals and Long-Term Context 202

Making Matrix Organizations Work 205

Getting Started 207

Acknowledgments 209

About the Author 211

Marketing won't speak to engineering. Sales thinks production hogs
the budget. Front desk believes back room's lazy. These sorts of
turf wars, which turn outwardly unified companies into groupings of
uncommunicative "silos," are the stuff of management lore.
According to bestselling author Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions
of a Team), "they waste resources, kill productivity and
jeopardize the achievement of goals"--they also drive workers
into tizzies of frustration. Like his previous books, Lencioni's
latest addresses the management problem through a fictional story;
this one revolves around a self-employed consultant named Jude, who
has to dismantle silos at an upscale hotel, a technology company
and a hospital. Split into two sections, Lencioni's book first
shows Jude discovering a solution to silos, then summarizes Jude's
lessons into a strategy that readers can apply to any business.
Lencioni's proposal is so full of common sense--namely, end
turf wars by getting departments to rally around a common
goal--that managers will be eager to apply it themselves. Just
as refreshing is Lencioni's use of character and plot, which is far
above average for the business genre. As sympathetic as Jude is, he
makes Lencioni's management lessons memorable. (Mar.)
(Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006)

"...an excellent book that nearly everyone will identify with
and benefit from..." (Personnel Today, May 2006)

"... an engaging, simplistic read, and one that reinforced many
impressions about the 'problems within' and strategies
to solve them." (The British Journal Of Administrative
Management, February/March 07)

"...if your business experiences politics... this book may be
for you." (EN, the magazine for entrepreneurs, January
2008)

"Lencioni's theory around alignment is simple and powerful, and
could apply to any type of organization, large or small."

--Gary C. Kelly, vice chairman and chief executive officer,
Southwest Airlines Co.

"An incisive and insightful look at how companies can recognize
and remedy infighting. The tone of Patrick's writing is
as warm and readable as the advice itself is sound."

--Michael A. George, chief marketing officer, Dell Inc.

"Lencioni is a master at creating real and tangible company
alignment. We're using these principles to rally our people around
building a global brand. Huge applause from our entire
organization."

--Brian Scudamore, founder & CEO, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?