Summit Solutions December Edition: The Hidden Behaviour Gap Holding Back your Team’s Potential
Many teams talk confidently about values like collaboration, openness, and trust - but when pressure hits, those intentions often fail to translate into action. This disconnect, known as the Say–Do Gap, quietly undermines performance, culture, and engagement. In this article, Braver Leaders unpack why the gap exists, why it matters more than ever, and the practical steps leaders can take to close it - turning good intentions into consistent behaviours that teams actually live by.
Organisations want teams that collaborate seamlessly, take initiative, and live their values every day. Leaders want people to embody principles like empathy, psychological safety, and continuous improvement, not just talk about them in a meeting or include them on a slide.
The reality, however, often looks very different.
People stick with familiar behaviours, old habits return, and unspoken friction slows progress. This gap between intention and action is called the “Say-Do Gap” and it can cause big problems – from reduced engagement and slower decisions to weakened trust and undermined culture and change efforts.
Understanding this gap, and then taking concrete steps to close it, is essential to reach your team’s full potential.
What is the Say-Do Gap?
The Say-Do Gap describes the space between what people (or organisations) intend to do and then what they actually deliver; and unfortunately, it’s far more common than most realise.
A team might say they value open communication, sharing feedback constructively, or learning from mistakes, yet daily routines often tell a different story. Meetings end without everyone being heard, concerns go unraised, and lessons from past projects are rarely applied. The intent might be there, but the follow through isn’t.
In research terms, this is often called the “intention-behaviour gap” and the numbers are surprisingly consistent. In a study of over 29,600 people, 47.6% of those individuals had positive intentions that did not translate into their actual behaviour.
In other words: what people say they want or plan to do never actually happens half of the time.
Why does it matter for teams and organisations?
When there’s a big gap between values, intentions and actual behaviour, it creates risk. It can have a negative impact on performance, trust, and wellbeing; and the research backs it up. According to Deloitte, when purpose and everyday practices don’t match, employees report lower motivation, less trust in leadership and a stronger intention to leave.
5 Practical Steps to narrow the Say-Do Gap
1. Turn intentions into concrete action plans
Intentions need a clear plan to become reality. Using frameworks like “If/Then” helps turn abstract goals into concrete actions. For example, “If a meeting ends with an issue unresolved, we spend 5 minutes identifying solutions,’ or ‘If someone shares feedback, it’s followed up within 24 hours.’
Studies show that forming implementation intentions significantly increases follow-through and helps build habits.
2. Build small habits consistently
Always focus on momentum over perfection. Big changes often fail because they demand too much, too soon. Instead, pick small, manageable habits that support your culture (e.g. check in questions, post-meeting reflections, a shared “what went well / what didn’t” board) and embed these rituals consistently.
There’s plenty of data showing how frequent small actions and planning dramatically increase follow-through, compared to just intention.
3. Make behaviours visible and track them
What gets measured gets done. If you want people to speak up, collaborate, or reflect, you need to make those behaviours visible. Create simple metrics or regular check ins (surveys, pulse polls, post-project reflections) to track whether the actions match the stated values.
Pair this with a “Good Day/Challenging Day” reflection and think: how do your values show up when things are smooth vs. when things get tough? This helps teams see where intentions might break down under pressure.
Data shows that teams who regularly reflect on their work improve coordination and overall performance, suggesting reflection helps teams “tune in” to how they work together, not just what they deliver.
4. Reduce friction and remove any barriers
Often the Say-Do Gap isn’t about intention or motivation, it’s about obstacles. Maybe the tools, processes, or structure don’t support the behaviour. Maybe people are too busy, unclear on expectations, or don’t feel psychologically safe.
Research shows that when organisations clarify processes, remove unnecessary complexity, and create psychological safety, employees are far more likely to follow through on intended behaviours. A simple way to start is to make a language shift. Instead of asking ‘why?’, respond with ‘tell me more’. This creates safety, uncovers hidden barriers, and gives people the space to speak openly; making it easier for intended behaviours to actually happen.
5. Create accountability and celebrate progress
Even the best plans and habits can stall without accountability. Encourage peer check-ins, team commitments, or progress boards so people can see both their own and others’ follow-through. There’s also clear proof that organisations with robust recognition practices have at least 14% higher engagement, productivity, and performance rates .
Is it time to act?
The last few years have been full of change and competing priorities for organisations, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. That makes it more important than ever to ensure your team isn’t just talking about values and goals, but actually living them every day.
Once words and actions are truly aligned, teams start working differently. People notice, trust grows, and the culture begins to reflect what was always intended. That’s when intentions turn into real impact, and the benefits are felt across the organisation.
So ask yourself: Are the values and behaviours your team talks about actually showing up in the work you do every day?
If not, it’s time to close the gap.
At Braver Leaders, this is part of the work we do with teams and leaders every day. Not adding more expectations or pressure, but helping people close the gap between what matters to them and what actually shows up in how they work together.
Our bespoke coaching programmes focus on the values, behaviors, and habits that help people rediscover the joy of being in a great team – and build a happy and high performing culture!