The culture of your organization lives in the space between what you say and what you do.

Every organization has gaps between what is written and what is practiced, between what is intended and what is experienced. 

The disconnects between policy and practice tell a story about your culture. They reveal where communication breaks down, where fear or misunderstanding takes root, and where leaders have an opportunity to realign words with reality.

Treat Gaps as Data, Not Disobedience

How you respond to those gaps determines your culture’s direction.

When leaders treat misalignment as defiance, they reinforce fear. When they treat it as data, they open the door to learning.

Emotional safety is the foundation of engagement and retention. When employees feel safe to question, clarify, and challenge, they stay creative, loyal, and aligned.

Many gaps, once examined, are not acts of defiance. They are born of misunderstanding, misaligned expectations, or unintended consequences of unexamined systems.

The Innovation Illusion

We worked with a team that celebrated innovation. It was painted on their walls, highlighted in recruiting, and repeated in every meeting.

But their leader quietly discouraged experimentation. He feared that straying from proven processes would lead to failure.

So while the policy said “be innovative,” the practice said “play it safe.”
The result? Underperformance, frustration, and turnover.

When “innovation” is a value but “compliance” is the practice, typically culture wins. Not the one you presented, the one employees live.

The PTO Paradox

Many times we have seen this play out. The HR policy says: “If you’re sick, stay home and protect your coworkers”, but the Team culture says: “Don’t let your team down.”

Some managers even require a doctor’s note for any health-related PTO, effectively penalizing employees for following policy.

The mixed message erodes trust and teaches employees that compliance comes with a cost.

Policy without consistent reinforcement is just paperwork. Practice shapes the culture people actually experience.

The Balance Mirage

Many organizations proudly promote their support for a healthy “work–life balance.” But when teams are under-resourced and workloads are impossible, the unspoken message becomes: “Do more with less.”

The intention is noble; the resourcing is not. A promise without capacity turns culture into contradiction.

Real balance is not listed as a benefit; it is an enterprise-wide commitment. 

Every organization has a story between its policies and its practices. That story reveals who you really are, not who you say you are. 

When you approach the policy–practice gap with curiosity, you turn cultural friction into insight, and insight into alignment. When viewed through the lens of curiosity, real culture change begins.