Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Exit a Siloed Role
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've been in your role for about two years. You're good at it. Your reviews are solid. But lately you feel like you're in a bubble — you only talk to the same five people, you only work on one type of task, and you have almost no idea what's happening in the department next door. Luna: Right — and your manager keeps saying you're doing great, but you're not sure where you're headed. That's the silo trap. Lucas: Exactly. And today I want to talk about how an internal transfer can be the most direct way to break out of a siloed role. Not by leaving the company, but by moving sideways or diagonally into a role that touches more parts of the business. Luna: Let's start with a real example. I was talking to a friend who works at a big consumer goods company — think Procter & Gamble or Unilever scale. She was a marketing analyst, and she was really good at running campaign performance reports. Lucas: But she was siloed. She only worked with the brand marketing team. She never interacted with product development, supply chain, or even sales. Her entire world was the monthly campaign dashboard. Luna: Exactly. And after a year and a half, she felt like she was stagnating. She knew the data inside out, but she had no idea how her work connected to the actual product hitting shelves. Lucas: So she did something smart. She didn't complain to her manager about feeling bored. Instead, she started looking at internal job postings — and she found a role in product management that was listed as 'associate product manager' for a new category launch. Luna: And she got it. But the process wasn't automatic. She had to navigate a few things we should unpack. Lucas: Let's start with the first warning sign that you're in a siloed role. Number one: you can't name three people in other departments who you've worked with on a project in the past six months. Luna: That's a good test. If your answer is zero or one, you're siloed. Lucas: Number two: your daily tasks are almost identical to what you were doing six months ago. You're repeating the same process, just with different data. Luna: And number three: when you ask your manager about career growth, they point to a promotion within your current function — not a lateral move that would broaden your experience. Lucas: Right. And that's the moment where an internal transfer becomes a strategic move. Because staying in a silo too long can actually hurt your long-term employability. You become really good at one narrow thing, but you lose the ability to see the bigger picture. Luna: And companies notice that. When layoffs happen, siloed roles are often the first to go because they're easier to eliminate or automate. Lucas: So how do you initiate a transfer when you're currently invisible to other teams? My friend's approach was to start with what I call 'bridge projects.' She found a junior product manager who needed help with a competitive analysis — something that was adjacent to her data skills but not part of her daily job. Luna: That's smart. She used her existing skills to build a relationship outside her silo, without asking permission from her manager. Lucas: And that project led to two things. First, she got visibility with the product team. Second, she learned enough about product management to realize she wanted to do it full time. Then she applied for the internal role. Luna: But here's the tricky part: her current manager didn't want to lose her. He tried to counter with a salary bump and a vague promise of 'more strategic work' in her current role. Lucas: That's the classic retention trap. And it's tempting, especially if you're not sure the new role will work out. But my friend told me she realized the counteroffer didn't change the structure of her job — she would still be siloed, just paid more to be siloed. Luna: So she turned it down and took the product role. And a year later, she was leading a cross-functional launch team. Lucas: That's a great outcome. But I want to be honest — not every internal transfer from a siloed role goes smoothly. The biggest obstacle is often your current manager, especially if they've invested time in training you. Luna: Yeah, and that's where the conversation becomes a negotiation. You're not just asking for permission — you're making a case that the move benefits the company by retaining your knowledge while giving you new skills. Lucas: And if your manager resists, you might need to go above them. But that's risky. So the better approach is to build your case before you even apply. Get informal endorsements from people in the target department. Let your manager hear from others that you're being recruited — it creates a sense of inevitability. Luna: And here's something else: if you're siloed, you might not even know what roles exist elsewhere. Internal job boards are underused. At a lot of large companies, positions are posted internally for at least a week before they go external. Lucas: Right. So set a weekly reminder to check the internal job board. Even if you're not actively looking, you'll start to see patterns — which departments are growing, what skills they're hiring for, what titles are emerging. Luna: That's a low-effort way to scout opportunities without committing to anything. Lucas: And if nothing looks right, you can still create your own role. Some companies allow you to propose a new position if you can show it fills a gap. That's harder, but it's a powerful move if you have a good relationship with a manager in another department. Luna: I want to circle back to something you said earlier about bridge projects. How do you actually find them without seeming like you're poaching work? Lucas: You don't go to a random manager and say 'I want to do your job.' Instead, you volunteer for a company-wide initiative — like a diversity task force or a product launch committee. Those are natural places to meet people from other functions. Luna: And you can contribute without overcommitting. One meeting a month, maybe a few emails. Lucas: Exactly. The goal isn't to take on a second job — it's to build relationships and demonstrate your value to people outside your silo. Luna: And if you're in a fully remote or hybrid setup, this is harder. You have to be more intentional about scheduling virtual coffees or joining Slack channels from other teams. Lucas: That's a good point. In a remote environment, silos can actually become worse because you only interact with your immediate team on scheduled calls. Luna: If we've helped you think through a career move or decision, there's a simple way to support the show and keep it ad-free. You can go to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash f-e-x-i-n-g-o. Even a one-time contribution helps us keep producing episodes like this one. Lucas: Yeah, and we really appreciate it. It lets us stay independent and focus on the topics that matter to you. Luna: So back to silos — one thing I've seen work well is using informational interviews to map out potential moves. You don't ask for a job; you ask about the person's day-to-day, what skills are most valued, what the biggest challenges are. Lucas: And that information is gold. Because when you eventually apply, you can frame your experience in their language. You're not just a marketing analyst; you're someone who understands how to use data to inform product decisions. Luna: Right. And you can mention that you've already done a small project with someone from their team — which is exactly what happened with my friend. Lucas: One more thing: timing matters. If you're considering an internal transfer, try to align it with a natural break in your current role — like after a major project ends or during annual performance review cycles. Luna: Because that's when managers are more open to discussing your career path, and when budget for new roles is often approved. Lucas: And if you wait until you're completely burnt out, you might make a rushed decision. Better to start exploring when you're still performing well, not when you're desperate. Luna: All right, so let's land this. If you feel like you're in a silo, the first step is to acknowledge it — then start building bridges. Lucas: Bridge projects, internal job boards, informational interviews — these are the tools that turn a siloed role into a stepping stone. The company already knows your work ethic. Now you just need to show them you can do more. Luna: And remember, your silo might feel safe, but it's also a cage. An internal transfer can open the door. Lucas: Next episode, we'll talk about how to handle the compensation side of an internal move — because sometimes the new role comes with a different pay band, and you need to know how to negotiate without burning bridges.