When Communication Breaks Down: What the Chaos of a Crosswalk Teaches Us About Change
Every morning and afternoon, my children’s elementary school funnels nearly 800 students—walkers, bus riders, and those arriving by car—through a single entry and exit point. It all happens in just 15 minutes. The process is fast, smooth, and remarkably coordinated.
At the center of it all is Mr. Kai, the crossing guard. His job goes far beyond signaling stop and go. He manages a constant, high-pressure flow of movement involving students, school personnel, parents, bus drivers, and even commuters who have no connection to the school but are impacted by the traffic. Every few seconds, he’s reading the environment, prioritizing flow, and making judgment calls that keep things moving and people safe.
Mr. Kai provides a steady rhythm and unspoken clarity. His signals communicate expectations to everyone—whether it’s a teacher in the loop, a parent in the drop-off line, or a driver trying to make a left turn through school congestion. Without him, the entire routine begins to unravel.
And one recent morning, that’s exactly what happened.
Mr. Kai was absent. A substitute—unfamiliar with the intersection and the fast-paced choreography required—did their best. But the system quickly fell apart. Text messages started flying between parents dropping off or walking their children: "Heads up, Mr. Kai isn’t here today. Be sure to leave extra early." Traffic backed up well past the school. People honked. Buses sat stuck in a long line of cars with no room to turn. Students crossed erratically. Staff jumped in to help, but even they couldn’t restore order. What normally takes me five minutes turned into a stressful, 20-minute crawl of stop-and-go traffic.
The issue wasn’t about individual effort or intent. It was a breakdown in communication. Or more specifically, the loss of a shared understanding in a high-stakes, high-traffic environment where everyone—students, parents, school personnel, bus drivers, and commuters—is affected.
What Happens When Communication and Change Aren’t Managed?
What looked like a simple absence quickly became something much bigger. The impact of one person missing—especially someone in a critical, visible role—offered a clear lesson: systems that depend on silent coordination fall apart when shared understanding disappears.
This wasn’t just a logistical hiccup. It was a real-world example of what happens when change isn’t communicated or managed well. In organizational settings, disruptions—whether expected or not—happen all the time. Parental leave, retirements, sudden resignations, layoffs, or illness can throw a team off balance. And when that change isn’t paired with clarity and coordination, confusion sets in fast.
Kurt Lewin’s foundational model of change reminds us that to manage disruption effectively, we must unfreeze existing norms, introduce the change, and refreeze the new processes. When no one knows what the “new normal” is—as with Mr. Kai’s absence—people create their own, and that’s where risk increases.
The Role of Communication in Navigating Change
In moments of transition, what your team needs most isn’t a replacement body—it’s clarity.
Clarity comes from:
Defined roles and expectations
Agreed-upon ways to share information
Trust that others are aligned and competent
When those things are missing, teams don’t just slow down—they unravel. Research shows that communication breakdowns are one of the leading causes of organizational failure during change initiatives. And yet, communication is often the last thing we evaluate when performance dips.
Rebuilding from Disruption: A Human-Centered Approach
High-functioning teams don’t leave resilience up to chance—they plan for it. The most effective teams invest in people before the crisis hits. They build systems that are flexible, not rigid. They incorporate communication practices that scale with complexity. And they adopt learning mindsets that help them grow from disruption rather than get stuck in it.
In fact, according to recent insights from Gallup and McKinsey, teams that regularly engage in structured learning and development activities are significantly more equipped to handle change. These teams are more likely to report high trust, lower stress during periods of disruption, and faster return to productivity. Learning and development isn’t a one-time fix—it’s a critical, ongoing investment that protects your business from the hidden costs of dysfunction.
Addressing communication challenges and change readiness starts long before someone leaves. Here’s what high-functioning teams do:
1. Create Shared Mental Models
The chaos at the crosswalk happened because the substitute didn’t share the same mental model as Mr. Kai or the school staff. In organizations, mental models refer to the internal understanding team members have about how things work and what’s expected.
Training, onboarding, and clear standard operating procedures help align these models across a team.
2. Equip Teams for Adaptive Communication
In change management theory, communication isn’t just about information—it's about influence and alignment. High-performing teams ensure messages are tailored to the audience, timely, and reinforced across multiple channels. Leaders in these environments understand that communication is a skill—not a trait—and it needs to be developed just like any other.
Effective teams are thoughtful about how they communicate—especially during uncertainty. They build shared language, know how to approach difficult conversations, and adjust their communication style depending on who they’re speaking to. These habits reduce misunderstandings and help the team stay connected, even under pressure.
Investing time in structured team conversations, reflective feedback practices, and proven communication tools helps teams respond more effectively to disruption and adapt to change with greater confidence.
3. Establish a Change-Ready Culture
Organizational psychologist Edgar Schein reminds us that culture is shaped by what leaders pay consistent attention to. If your culture values learning, transparency, and adaptability, those traits need to show up in your day-to-day operations. This includes building habits of continuous training, promoting cross-functional feedback, and equipping managers through managerial training programs and supervisor training to support their teams in times of uncertainty.
High-functioning teams embrace learning and development trends that prioritize flexibility, emotional intelligence, and reflection. They value both formal learning opportunities and informal moments of growth. And they understand that a resilient team is one that continues to grow—even during disruption. If communication and adaptability are priorities, they must be built into your training, meetings, and recognition systems.
That includes cross-training—not just for the “what if” moments, but to build psychological safety and team resilience.
Bridging the Skills Gap: From Disruption to Insight
When teams are unprepared for change, it’s often due to a skills gap—not just in technical ability, but in communication, leadership, and decision-making. These gaps may be invisible during routine work, but become glaring when stress, turnover, or change hit.
Equipping teams with strong communication habits, the ability to collaborate under pressure, and the flexibility to adapt to new situations makes them more capable of navigating change. These skills often come from consistent reflection, shared learning moments, and proactive conversations—not just formal training.
The morning without Mr. Kai was more than a temporary inconvenience—it was a signal. A reminder that even the best systems can falter when assumptions go unspoken and roles are unclear.
In business, these moments are inevitable. But they don’t have to derail progress. With the right focus on communication and change-readiness, teams can build muscle memory for adaptability.
So how do you know where to begin?
Start with visibility.
One way we support organizations is through our Team Effectiveness Diagnostic—a structured way to uncover communication breakdowns and identify how well your team is equipped to navigate change. Think of it as a diagnostic conversation starter: it brings hidden issues to the surface and gives leaders a clearer view of what needs attention.
Whether you're managing planned transitions or bracing for the unexpected, this assessment offers a structured way to:
Uncover blind spots
Clarify roles and expectations
Improve how change is communicated and implemented
Let’s start with a conversation—one focused on understanding where your team is now and where it needs support.
If you’re navigating change or noticing communication breakdowns, schedule a time to talk. We’ll explore what’s going on and determine whether the Team Effectiveness Diagnostic is the right next step for your organization.