How things break in organisations

Tariro Manamike

When things break, we’re often caught off guard, left standing amidst the wreckage wondering, How did this happen?

We’re perplexed not just by the failure itself, but by the fact that, on the surface, everything seemed fine.

Whether it’s a relationship, a product, or a business, the end feels sudden, but the truth is, breakdowns rarely happen overnight. They are almost always the result of small, seemingly insignificant cracks that go unnoticed until it’s too late.

In business, the breakdown of communication is often at the heart of these failures. In fact, it’s not just that things break; it’s how they break that’s key. Understanding the anatomy of these breakdowns can help us recognize the early warning signs and prevent things from falling apart in the first place.

Communication as the foundation

In business, communication isn’t just a support system, it’s the foundation. It’s the invisible thread that connects departments, aligns goals, and drives strategy. When communication is strong, it’s seamless, often unnoticed because it’s doing exactly what it should: keeping everything in sync. But when communication falters, the first cracks begin to form.

Take, for example, the case of Blockbuster. Once a titan in the video rental industry, Blockbuster failed to anticipate the shift to digital streaming.

It wasn’t that the technology came out of nowhere, Netflix, for example, approached Blockbuster in the early 2000s to propose a partnership, which Blockbuster rejected. What went wrong?

Communication, more specifically, the failure to recognize and communicate the changing market landscape to upper management. Blockbuster didn’t pivot in time, and while they were clinging to their old business model, competitors were building new ones.

The disconnect between what was happening in the industry and what was communicated internally caused the company to miss out on opportunities that could have saved them.

Misalignment of internal and external messaging

A breakdown doesn’t always start with external factors. Sometimes, it’s what happens inside an organisation that plants the seeds of failure.

Uber, for example, found itself embroiled in controversy a few years back, not because their service wasn’t popular, but because internal issues of workplace culture were wildly out of sync with the brand’s public image.

While Uber’s external messaging focused on innovation and customer-centricity, internally there were reports of toxic culture, gender discrimination, and unethical practices. The company’s internal communication failed to address these cultural issues until they exploded into the public eye.

It wasn’t just Uber’s culture that broke; it was the trust between the company and its customers, employees, and stakeholders.

This brings up an essential point: when there’s a disconnect between what’s communicated internally and how a business presents itself externally, you’ve got the perfect storm for a breakdown.

Communication, in this case, isn’t just about avoiding scandal; it’s about maintaining integrity and alignment across all levels of a business.

Overcomplicating simplicity

Sometimes, breakdowns happen because businesses complicate the simple things. Think of Kodak, a brand synonymous with photography for nearly a century. Kodak saw the future coming. In fact, they invented the first digital camera in 1975.

But they were so focused on protecting their legacy business model, film, that they didn’t fully embrace digital innovation. There was a clear breakdown in strategic communication. Executives knew the shift to digital was inevitable, but they failed to communicate this vision clearly and act decisively.

The result? They were left behind as other companies leaped ahead with digital technology, and Kodak eventually filed for bankruptcy.

The Ripple Effect of Poor Communication

When things break in business, the damage rarely stops at the point of impact. Poor communication has a ripple effect, like a stone dropped into a still pond. For example, consider Volkswagen during the 2015 emissions scandal. Internal teams knew for years that the company’s cars were failing emissions tests.

Instead of addressing the problem directly, information was either not shared with the right people or intentionally kept quiet. This allowed the problem to fester until it broke publicly, with catastrophic consequences. Trust was shattered, not just with customers but with regulatory bodies and investors as well.

This kind of breakdown could have been minimised if there had been transparent communication between departments, between executives and engineers, between the company and its external stakeholders. But the more people tried to sweep the problem under the rug, the larger the issue became.

Prevention: Catching the Cracks Before They Spread

So, how do we prevent things from breaking? While some factors are out of our control, communication is one area where we can exert influence. The key is catching the small cracks before they spread. This requires a few things:

Clarity: Are goals and expectations communicated clearly? In both relationships and business, vague communication leads to confusion and misalignment.

Feedback loops: Are you listening to what’s being communicated back to you? Whether from customers, employees, or partners, feedback is essential for catching problems early.

Transparency: Are all stakeholders in the loop? Transparency builds trust and ensures that problems are addressed before they spiral out of control.

Adaptability: Are you willing to pivot when necessary? Like Blockbuster, businesses that cling to outdated models often break because they fail to communicate the need for change early enough.

Conclusion: It’s Not About Avoiding Breaks, but Managing Them

In the end, the question isn’t whether things will break, at some point, they always do. The real challenge is how we manage the breakdown. Can we communicate in a way that catches the cracks early? Can we pivot when necessary? By understanding how things break, we can begin to piece together the solutions before the problems become irreversible.

Business, like life, is full of moments where things fall apart. But if we know where to look, if we know how communication breaks down; we might just be able to hold things together a little bit longer.

Tariro Manamike is a seasoned media and public relations professional with over a decade of experience in broadcast journalism and strategic communication. She is passionate about human-centered design, business communication, and their impact on the bottom line. Tariro writes in her personal capacity and can be reached at [email protected].