When we think of silos — the information kind, not the structures for storing bulk materials — the first thing we think about are the organizations we work in. Especially if they are large operations.

But we all have seen examples of the silo effect outside the corporation: in our government systems, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, even in our families. Examples: Point marketing automation solutions. Superstar or paratrooper individual contribution. A disparate approach to addressing customer needs — whether we are employees, solution providers or independent consultants. Indeed, silos abound among organizations, channels, data, systems, processes, goals, vision, assumptions/mindsets, metrics, and handoffs.

The maturity of the Marketing Operations field has a lot to do with this. But so does the cowboy-like belief that we – or our solutions – can be all things to all people. A scarcity view of the world and a lack of insight into what we – or our solutions – are really good at underlies the problem.

We need to unlearn this lone wolf type of behavior. If we don’t, we contribute to buyer confusion (if everyone says they are competent at everything, who do you hire or buy from?). We hurt our reputations and ability to attract the type of work we are best at. And we block a potential good match between buyers and sellers.

We’re got to get over this fear that there isn’t enough to go around and focus on aligning together to grow the pie. We need to think abundance.

This field of Marketing Operations has tremendous potential, which will only be realized if we align with one another, trust the process and one another, and each contribute our unique gift to make this field a powerful force that mobilizes our companies and clients to act, rather than find yet another excuse to stay paralyzed.

As a relatively young discipline, the Marketing Operations (MO) profession suffers from the same silo effect that enterprises do. One of the reasons for creating the ClearAction Value Exchange, which is focused on co-creating the future of the Marketing Operations field, is to enroll and align Marketing Operations practitioners to address this challenge — in an integrated, synchronized manner.

Read more:

4 Keys to Marketing Operations Success

Thinking Systemically to Solve System Silos