This article was originally published in my Digital Tip-A-Month Newsletter. Sign up to get more tips like this in your inbox once a month.
Summer’s finally here, and with it comes lots of vacations – and, hopefully, a bit of a slow-down in your busy work life. Here in DC, it’s blissfully not too hot yet, making it a perfect time to get out of the office for a bit.
Which is why this month’s tip is kind of different:
Make a lunch date with a coworker
Silos often happen as an organization grows, and they’re harmful to everyone’s work. Whether you feel stuck in a silo, or just feel that you’ve been too busy lately (and we’re all too busy, all the time), this is a great time to step back.
This month, challenge yourself to get out of your bubble and talk to someone you don’t normally work closely with about their work. Pick someone outside your team, but whose job touches yours. If you’re in communications, reach out to someone in development. If you’re in marketing, talk to a designer or web developer. Choose someone you might exchange emails with from time to time, or interact with on certain projects, but whose day-to-day work you don’t know much about.
Invite them to go get lunch or coffee together (out of the office!) and share what you’re working on. Ask them what projects excite them, which ones annoy them, or what challenges they’re facing. You might find that they’re facing a lot of the same challenges you are, or that they have unexpected ideas to help one of your projects. At the very least, it’ll help you break out of your silo and get a fresh perspective on your organization’s work.
You might be surprised by what you learn.
If your lunch is fruitful, make it a habit! Check in once a month with the same coworker, or someone different each month, and you might find yourself embarking on some new and productive collaborations.