Let’s face it: it’s human nature not to share … BUT ???

Let’s face it: it’s human nature not to share. That’s why from the toddler years on, parents and teachers encourage sharing — of toys, snacks, feelings. The same is true in the workplace today — employees are very much encouraged to share — but it doesn’t always happen. The “silo mentality” is the mindset of not sharing information with others and has been a growing pain for organizations. Especially in the global workplace, organizations have to collaborate across silos created by regions, time zones and geographies.

Source: Knocking Down Your Collaboration Borders

It might be the human nature not to share… but this is changing. Not only because tools make sharing easier. Because of private usage of Social Media the culture behavior is changing. And I am not only talking about the new Sharing Economy. Communities are no longer a secret sauce of success:

We are seeing more and more communities of practice in workplaces. …
Collaboration across customer bases also drives business growth. By thinking like the customer and working with other organizations they buy from, businesses can achieve bottom line growth. By engaging with the brands your customers choose, developing personas to understand your customer, and being at the events where your customers will be, you can develop a better understanding of how to collaborate with your customer base. …
We’re also increasingly seeing customers use online forums to contact other customers to get fastest responses and “customer point-of-view.” …
Deconstructing the human, departmental and organizational thought processes of the past is where the greatest business opportunity lies. Though many borders exist for companies, people have found numerous solutions to knock them down. Collaboration and communication are key to dealing with this problem and establishing greater efficiency, productivity and change.

Source: Knocking Down Your Collaboration Borders