Break Down Any Information Silo

Three Simple Questions That Reveal Hidden Information Barriers

Information silos persist in organizations not because people are stubborn or territorial but because they’re structural. Organizational structures divide how we work, organize teams, and measure success. While most approaches focus on implementing new systems or technologies, the most effective interventions start with understanding why silos exist in the first place.

The Invisible Barriers to Information Sharing

Most leaders assume that information silos exist because people don’t want to share knowledge or don’t have the tools or incentives to do so. In reality, the barriers are often invisible and systemic. Research in psychosocial safety shows that people’s willingness to share information depends heavily on whether they perceive their workplace as psychosocially safe — a place where they can speak up, ask questions, and share concerns without fear of negative consequences.

When psychosocial safety is low, even the most collaborative individuals become cautious about sharing information that might:

• Reveal gaps in their knowledge
• Challenge existing processes or decisions
• Cross-departmental or hierarchical boundaries
• Expose problems or failures

This creates a vicious cycle: information gets buried, problems remain hidden, and the lack of transparency further erodes psychosocial safety. Breaking this cycle requires more than new communication tools — it requires addressing the underlying conditions that make information sharing feel risky.

Why Traditional Approaches Miss the Mark

Most organizations try to solve information silos through:

Technology solutions — New platforms, collaboration tools, or knowledge management systems that promise to make information sharing easier. While these can be useful, they don’t address why people are reluctant to share in the first place.

Policy mandates — Requirements to document processes, share updates, or participate in cross-functional meetings. These often create compliance without genuine engagement.

Cultural initiatives — Programs promoting collaboration and transparency that remain superficial because they don’t address the structural factors that create silos.

These approaches fail because they treat symptoms rather than causes. Information silos persist because they serve a function — they protect people and departments from psychosocial risks that feel very real in their daily work environment.

Three Questions That Break Down Information Barriers

Instead of implementing complex interventions, start with three simple questions that can be asked in any meeting, project debrief, or planning session. These questions are designed to surface the hidden structural barriers while creating psychosocial safety for honest dialogue.

Question 1: “What information do we need that we don’t currently have access to?”

This question shifts focus from what people should share to what people actually need. It’s psychosocially safer because it frames the conversation around collective problem-solving rather than individual accountability.

Why it works: People are often reluctant to admit they’re missing information because it might seem like incompetence. This question normalizes information gaps as organizational challenges rather than personal failures.

What to listen for:

• Repeated mentions of the same missing information across different roles
• Information that exists but isn’t accessible
• Assumptions people are making due to lack of data
• Decisions being delayed because of missing insights

A software company used this question during project retrospectives and discovered that developers consistently needed customer usage data that existed but was trapped in the analytics team. The solution wasn’t a new system but a simple weekly data briefing that dramatically improved product decisions.

Question 2: “What keeps us from sharing what we know with others who might benefit?”

This question acknowledges that barriers to sharing exist and invites people to name them without judgment. It creates space for discussing organizational obstacles rather than personal motivations.

Why it works: Instead of assuming people don’t want to share, this question recognizes that systemic factors often prevent well-intentioned knowledge sharing. It moves the conversation from blame to problem-solving.

What to listen for:

• Time constraints and competing priorities
• Unclear expectations about what should be shared
• Lack of appropriate forums for knowledge exchange
• Concerns about overstepping boundaries or stepping on toes
• Fear of being held responsible for information that’s later misused

One healthcare organization discovered that nurses had valuable insights about patient care efficiency but felt uncomfortable sharing them because they weren’t sure if it was “their place” to make operational suggestions. Creating clear channels for frontline insights improved both information flow and patient outcomes.

Question 3: “What would make it easier and safer for us to share knowledge across boundaries?”

This question directly addresses psychosocial safety while focusing on practical solutions. It acknowledges that sharing information involves some risk and invites collective problem-solving about reducing that risk.

Why it works: By explicitly acknowledging safety concerns, this question allows people to discuss fears usually left unspoken. It also positions the group as collaborative designers of better information-sharing conditions.

What to listen for:

• Concerns about how shared information might be used
• Need for clearer context about why information is being requested
• Desire for reciprocal information sharing
• Requests for specific forums or formats for knowledge exchange
• Concerns about time or workload

A financial services firm learned that their risk assessment team hesitated to share concerns about emerging threats because they worried about creating unnecessary alarm. Establishing a “weak signal” sharing process with clear escalation criteria allowed for earlier risk identification without panic.

Implementing the Three Questions: A Practical Approach

These questions work best when they become regular practices rather than one-time interventions. Here’s how to integrate them into your existing workflows:

Start Small and Specific

Don’t try to address organization-wide information silos immediately. Instead, focus on one critical boundary where information flow would create significant value:

• Between your customer service and product development teams
• Across shifts in your operations
• Between your field teams and headquarters
• Across project phases or departments

Choose an area where people already recognize that better information sharing would help, but current approaches aren’t working.

Create Safe Forums for Honest Dialogue

The questions only work in environments where people feel safe to give honest answers. This means:

• Start with small groups where people know and trust each other
• Acknowledge that barriers exist without blaming anyone for creating them
• Focus on systemic solutions rather than individual behavior change
• Follow through on insights by actually addressing identified barriers

Build on What You Learn

Each round of questions should lead to specific actions that make information sharing easier and safer. These might include:

• Establishing regular cross-functional briefings
• Creating shared spaces (physical or digital) for informal knowledge exchange
• Revising meeting agendas to include knowledge-sharing components
• Clarifying expectations about what should be shared and with whom

Measure Progress Through Dialogue, Not Metrics

The best indicator of success isn’t the number of documents shared or meetings held but the quality of conversations happening across boundaries. Look for:

• People asking more questions across departmental lines
• Earlier identification of problems and opportunities
• Faster resolution of issues that require cross-functional coordination
• Increased confidence in decision-making due to better information access

The Ripple Effect of Psychosocial Safety

When organizations create conditions where information flows freely, they often see improvements beyond better communication. Teams become more innovative because they have access to diverse perspectives. Decision-making improves because leaders have access to information from multiple sources. Problems get solved faster because relevant knowledge can be quickly identified and mobilized.

Most importantly, people feel more engaged and effective in their work when they have access to the information they need and can contribute their knowledge where it adds value. This creates a positive cycle: psychosocial safety enables information sharing, which improves organizational performance and reinforces the value of openness and transparency.

Moving Forward: One Question at a Time

Breaking down information silos doesn’t require massive transformation initiatives or expensive technology implementations. It starts with asking better questions in the conversations you’re already having.

Try introducing one of these three questions in your next team meeting or project review. Pay attention to the answers and what happens when people realize they have permission to discuss the barriers they’ve been experiencing.

Often, the simple act of acknowledging that information silos exist and exploring why they persist is the first step toward dissolving them. When people feel heard and understood, they become more willing to experiment with new knowledge-sharing approaches.

What information boundary in your organization would benefit most from these three simple questions?