I'm interested in hearing whether you live outside a city and from others as to whether they've heard this used or not. I apologize for not providing any links, but I'm on my nook and cannot cut and paste. See synonyms for silo on noun, plural si·los. uk / sa.ld / us / sa.lod / separated from other people or things: Working in a big company, you became very siloed and it was easy to lose touch with the real world. I did a Google search and saw references to silo breakage (busting, smashing, tearing down) in business & industry publications such as Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Businessweek. I even recall one leader say we needed to "scale silos" - he liked mountain climbing. In fact, "breaking down silos" or "tearing down silos" and "busting silos" or even more violently, "smashing silos" are all phrases I've heard. Since I live in a big city and have heard it used in a variety of work places, I can confirm that "break down silos" is city/business speak. It seems to me it was the "paradigm shift" for the new millenium (aka, a fad phrase). I don't know what the etimology is, but I heard it most in the mid-to-late 2000s. So, I think this image of different departments inhabiting different silos, and therefore unable to "mix" with, understand, or even "see" other departments' perspectives and needs was one that business and organizational leaders grabbed onto and used - whether there was a need or not. And, leaders still need something or someone(s) to blame when results don't meet expectations. But there are still problems, like "turf wars" and big egos that prevent it from happening. The idea of collaborating (as a solid business approach to increase productivity) is old news, tried and true. To respond to how it registers and whether it's "just city/business speak, here's my take: One good, straightforward way of saying "to break down a silo" is "to collaborate."
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