Narrative Say-Do Gap Audit
Align the story an organization tells with the behavior people observe
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 96%
Narrative is the story an organization tells about itself and the identity it asks people to believe. That story can mobilize commitment, but it also creates expectations about conduct. McChrystal calls the contradiction between stated narrative and observed action a say-do gap. The audit begins by making the narrative explicit, translating it into behavioral commitments, and comparing those commitments with real decisions. Material gaps require a choice: change the behavior to honor the story, or change the story to reflect what the organization actually is. Leaving the contradiction unresolved weakens trust and can create an internal crisis among people who believed the original identity.
Origin
McChrystal uses Google's 'don't be evil' narrative and the employee response to Project Maven to show how a perceived say-do gap can become an organizational crisis.
Core principles
- 01Narrative defines how an organization wants to be understood
- 02A shared story can create power beyond the scale of an event
- 03Behavior that contradicts the story creates a say-do gap
- 04A narrative must either govern action or be changed honestly
How to run it
- 1
Name the narrative
Write down the story the organization tells about its identity, values, and intended role. Use the version employees and stakeholders actually recognize.
Pro tip Look beyond formal values to the phrase people repeat.
Watch out A vague slogan cannot guide a concrete decision.
- 2
Translate story into commitments
Specify what the narrative implies the organization will and will not do. Make the expected behaviors observable.
Pro tip Ask what a believer in the narrative would reasonably expect.
Watch out Do not define the commitment only after controversy starts.
- 3
Compare words with action
Review current decisions and behavior against those commitments. Identify where stakeholders can see a difference between what is said and what is done.
Pro tip Include the perceptions of people inside the organization.
Watch out Leadership intent does not erase an observable contradiction.
- 4
Close the gap
Change behavior to fit the narrative or revise the narrative to reflect reality. Explain the choice instead of preserving an attractive contradiction.
Pro tip Prefer a less inspiring truthful story over an inspiring false one.
Watch out An unresolved say-do gap turns narrative from an asset into a source of distrust.
In the wild
Google's 'don't be evil' story and culture of employees speaking up shaped expectations. When the company worked with the Defense Department on Project Maven, some employees saw the decision as violating that narrative and believed leadership had lost its way.
→ The perceived say-do gap created a serious internal crisis rather than remaining an ordinary contract decision.
McChrystal says the Alamo had limited tactical, operational, and strategic significance, yet its story became a call for resolute commitment across Texas and the United States.
→ The narrative carried power far beyond the scale of the fight itself.
Common mistakes
Keeping a story you will not honor
A narrative creates expectations. If leaders are not prepared to act consistently with it, McChrystal says they should change it.
Treating narrative as decoration
A powerful story shapes identity and decisions; treating it as harmless copy leaves leaders unprepared for stakeholder reactions.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for leaders making decisions that may conflict with a well-known mission, value, or cultural promise.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for inventing slogans that have no operational meaning or behavioral consequence.
From the transcript
“Narrative is what we say about ourselves. And it's how we want to be defined.”
“And so we call that a say-do gap, the difference between what we say and then what we actually do.”
“And if we're not prepared to be true to it, we should change it.”
From the episode
#535: General Stanley McChrystal — Mastering Risk: A User's Guide