So lately I’ve been thinking about operational debt. You hear plenty about technical debt: legacy code, messy product decisions, all the stuff that gets attention because it’s easy to spot. But operational debt is quieter. It’s what creeps in as companies scale: processes break down, context evaporates. A common symptom of this is the operation of departments in silos.
That’s where cross-functional collaboration, or the lack of it, tells you everything. When teams stop connecting, when product and finance barely talk, when sales and customer success run separate playbooks, you’re deep in operational debt. And unlike technical issues, you won’t spot the moment when it “breaks”; it just sneaks up until execution grinds to a halt.
This week, I’m digging into this symptom: how cross-functional breakdowns reveal operational debt, how standout operators bridge the silos, and what it actually takes to align people, process, and data back toward real growth.
👥 People: Silos, A Rite of Passage
Silos show up in every scaling business. They’re not a flaw, they’re a growth phase. As headcount rises, departments turn inward, each team doubling down on its own reality.
Here’s what separates leaders who scale from those who stall: they build bridges between those silos. Not with policies or forced connection, but with intentional context. It could be slack transparency, open all-hands, or making sure launches and wins get shared across functions.
Over time, these leaders become the glue, using communication moments to remind everyone how their work fits the bigger picture. The best internal comms aren’t just information, they’re invitations for other teams to engage and support.
Try This: In the next all-hands meeting, highlight a success that involved three or more departments. Illustrate how the business thrives when silos are broken down.
Process: Tools That Actually Bridge the Gaps
Alignment doesn’t happen by accident. When silos form, the difference lies in leaders who are willing to architect the right processes. OKRs, RACI matrices, and QBRs are only valuable if they foster new perspectives, clarify accountability, and provide teams with a rhythm for connection.
A good OKR isn’t just a dashboard; it’s a shared contract. A RACI map is more than a list; it’s a structure for who’s accountable, who’s consulted, and who’s simply informed. QBRs work when they’re a forum for challenge and realignment, not just activity reporting.
True operators design these processes so that departments are forced into dialogue around shared priorities, open feedback, and joint decisions on what matters next. Checkbox managers follow the playbook. Operators use it to spark friction and focus.
Try This: Before setting your next major objective, such as expanding into a new market or launching a new feature, create a RACI chart that includes every critical department from the start. You should notice that priorities become clearer when everyone’s voice is included.t.
📊 Data: KPIs That Connect, Not Confuse
Culture and process set the tone, but it’s the numbers that either tie teams together or drive them further apart. Most companies measure performance by the slice: sales, finance, product, customer success, each tracking its own metrics.
As it should be. However, there should be North Star metrics that impact every department—metrics everyone pays attention to. During the early days at Andela, it was our Race to 300. Every department was super focused on this. In later years, it was “Attract the best talent and place the best talent.” When you have that clarity, everyone knows how their work ladders up.
The best operators insist that the metrics tell a bigger story. Profitability rises only when budget, acquisition, retention, and expansion work in concert. I’ve seen a team tie 30% of department bonuses to one metric shared across every function. The difference in accountability and collaboration was instant. Product checked with sales and marketing, sales synced weekly, CS and sales built joint playbooks.
Metrics should force teams to collaborate. If profitability, churn, or expansion don’t clearly call out who’s involved, you’ve got solo runners, not a team.
Try This: Pick one metric that moves the needle. Sit with each leader and ask how their team influences it. You’ll see who gets it and who doesn’t, and you can show them how their work connects to everyone else’s.
🧠 Tonio’s Corner: Modeling Interdependence
Silos will always show up. You can’t avoid them. But you can choose how you respond.
The difference starts at the top. Your behavior, as a founder or operator, is the template. When you model transparency, open context, and shared wins, the team follows. When you default to closed loops, separated meetings, or department-only updates, silos deepen.
Ask yourself: when was the last time you had parallel conversations with two teams about one challenge? Next time, bring them together. One narrative, one room, watch what clarity does for your execution.
Action for This Week: Pick a stubborn problem; maybe sales misses, a lagging launch, or customer churn. Bring every critical function into one meeting. Tell the whole story, ask “How did we all impact this outcome?” That’s where real solutions begin.