Hong Kong must break out of its silo mentality to heal social divisions

The impasse between the government and supporters of the Occupy Central movement can be traced to two problems: silo thinking and a divided mindset. But the politicians, officials and student leaders are not entirely at fault. To a degree, everyone in Hong Kong operates in a silo with each person convinced that his or her solution represents the best and only way to build a better tomorrow for Hong Kong.

Last year, we completed one of Hong Kong's most comprehensive studies on the city's social sector that incorporated in-depth interviews with leaders from over 80 organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Our goal was to encourage these leaders to step out of their silos and work with other organisations to solve Hong Kong's most pressing social issues. The leaders concluded that a mindset shift was critical for this to happen.

For starters, non-profits and non-governmental organisations have to stop thinking that businesses are evil and interested only in maximising profits. Corporations have to start including the well-being of their customers, suppliers, employees and the broader community in their decision-making. In other words, leaders of all organisations need to stop living in a bifurcated world where corporations make money with scant regard for society or the environment, and charities save the world using grant money with little to no financial accountability.

Our politicians and officials must also stop operating in their silos. They need to lead by example, perhaps by forming interdepartmental working groups to seek solutions to problems like unaffordable housing, inadequate health care and unemployment. In an increasingly intertwined world, solving Hong Kong's problems requires time, patience and an ability to marshal resources from many areas. Government departments must collaborate to fully understand the problem and then work with both corporations and civil society to find long-term solutions.

Hong Kong must also learn from the experiences of other governments. Our finance department in particular must embrace the latest social finance tools to help reduce income equality and alleviate poverty. The G8 task force on social investment, for example, recently launched a major initiative to encourage governments, investors and entrepreneurs to look for business solutions to solve social problems. Even Pope Francis has given his blessing to this approach by hosting a major impact investing conference at the Vatican this year.

The people of Hong Kong, whether supporters of Occupy Central or not, and the government ultimately want the same thing - a better and more sustainable future for Hong Kong. Stepping out of the silos that cloud our thinking is a necessary first step. In practice, this means holding genuine dialogue to open lines of communication.