Peering over the parapet; using communities of practice to break down silos of working practice.

Abstract

Organisational structures are a key element to aid in the management and leadership of teams and employees, helping to provide ownership and identify and lead the organisation to its strategic goals. However, whilst there are positives to this approach, there is also an issue of teams/departments building the walls of their ‘kingdoms,' creating silos of working practice in which the team controls their knowledge and experience, stopping it from flowing outside of their own silo. This is discussed by Mintzberg in which he models the divisional structure of organisations. This chapter discusses the development and impact of silos of working practice and how the experience of engaging with the Service Improvement Community of Practice has led to key developments in collegiality and improvements in practice and process. The chapter considers aspects such as transdisciplinarity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as key when considering breaking down silos and disrupting the status quo to enable social justice through CoP in higher education institutions.