As I was returning from a volleyball tournament I watched how 1 car caused a 9 car pile up, and then as I sat in a shut down highway closer to home, my mind started to compare how the different types of drivers on the road compare to the types of people on our teams…
The workplace is a highway
If you have ever watched traffic long enough, you have seen your team. The steady cruisers. The defensive drivers who anticipate trouble and keep everyone safe. The chaos creators who cut across lanes without signals and then blame others for the pileup. Work is no different. Culture lives in how people “drive” together.
Here is the simple map.
A Team: the defensive drivers
These are the accountable hard workers who show up even when conditions get tough. They plan routes, read turn signals, keep safe following distance, and adjust speed to avoid trouble. They find ways around obstacles and protect the whole lane. In the office this looks like proactive communication, early risk calls, clean handoffs, and a habit of solving problems instead of creating them.
What they need from leaders: clear destinations, freedom to course-correct, and quick access to road condition updates.
B Team: the steady cruisers
These folks show up and do the job. They keep to their lane, rarely cause problems, and rarely prevent them either. Because they are not proactive, they are the most likely to get caught in the mess when the C Team triggers an incident.
What they need from leaders: simple playbooks, regular check-ins, and small, specific ways to be more anticipatory. Think “here is how to use your mirrors” rather than “be more strategic.”
C Team: the chaos creators
These are the drivers who believe they are right and know exactly what they are doing, but they skip signals and ignore mirrors. They swerve, brake late, and blame everyone when things go wrong. At work this looks like low awareness, low transparency, surprise changes, and finger pointing.
What they need from leaders: firm road rules, very clear consequences, coaching on awareness and communication, and a visible model of Above the Line behavior. If they refuse to adapt, they need the exit ramp.
Translate the road rules to team rules
- Turn signals = transparency. Declare changes early. Share intent before action.
- Mirrors = feedback loops. Use retros, 1:1s, and quick pulse checks to see blind spots.
- Lanes = roles. Define ownership, RACI, and decision rights so people know where to drive.
- Speed limits = capacity. Set WIP limits and realistic timelines so quality can keep up with pace.
- Following distance = buffers. Respect SLAs and handoff windows to avoid pileups.
- Hazard lights = escalation paths. Make it safe to call a stop when something is unsafe.
- GPS = goals and OKRs. Shared destinations reduce random lane changes.
Driving school: the crash course in expectations
You can move the needle for the whole fleet. Here is a simple syllabus.
- Orientation: the rule book
Publish team norms in plain language. Ownership, communication, decision rules, definition of done. - Signal training: transparency in practice
Teach “state the intent, state the change, state the impact.” Use Slack templates or brief standup scripts. - Mirror checks: feedback rhythm
Short, frequent retros. Manager 1:1s that ask two questions: what helped, what hindered. - Simulator drills: rehearse the hard stuff
Tabletop incident walk-throughs, role-play of escalations, checklists for go-lives. - Ride-alongs: mentoring and shadowing
Pair an A driver with a B driver for a sprint. Swap roles for a meeting and debrief the differences. - Tune-ups: quarterly health checks
Review norms, metrics, and team load. Identify one behavior to elevate from C to B and one from B to A. - License renewal: accountability
Celebrate visible Above the Line behavior. Address Below the Line patterns fast and fairly.
Progress over perfection applies here. Even small shifts change traffic flow fast.
Make it practical: a quick team self-assessment
Ask your team to score 1 to 5 on each item.
- We signal changes before we make them.
- We know who owns what and who decides what.
- We call risks early and adjust the route together.
- We run short retros that actually change behavior.
- We keep pace realistic so quality stays high.
- We escalate clearly when things are unsafe.
Low scores show you exactly where to teach a driving skill next.
Leadership outcomes when everyone drives better
- Alignment improves. More people driving the bus in the same direction.
- Noise drops. You can see true issues instead of confusion caused by missing signals.
- Momentum builds. A and B drivers spend less time dodging chaos and more time delivering value.
- Choice becomes clear. With expectations visible, people either get on board or take the exit ramp.
Personal note: joy and resilience behind the wheel
High performance is not just traffic management. It is human. Protect space for joy, recovery, and learning. A rested, aware driver makes better decisions and keeps the whole road safer. That is how culture moves from Below the Line blame to Above the Line ownership.
Reflection prompts for leaders
- What percentage of your team sits in A, B, and C right now?
- Which single rule, if clarified this week, would remove the most lane changes?
- Who needs signal training, and who can mentor as a ride-along?
Start there. Move one behavior from C to B. Move one behavior from B to A. Keep going. That is how you change the way the whole highway looks & feels.
Authentic Evolution Journey 