THE GAP BETWEEN MISSION CULTURE AND TRENCH CULTURE IS RARELY INTENTIONAL. IT USUALLY EMERGES FROM STRUCTURAL MISALIGNMENT AND CULTURAL NEGLECT.
CORPORATE CULTURE
BY ANNETTE FRANZ, CCXP; FOUNDER AND CEO, CX JOURNEY INC.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
MISSION CULTURE VS. TRENCH CULTURE BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT IS SAID AND HOW WORK IS DONE.
Every company has a culture, whether it’ s the one you design or the one you allow. But in many organizations, there are actually two cultures.
1. The Mission Culture, i. e., what leaders say the culture is, usually framed in aspirational language about purpose, values, and vision.
2. The Trench Culture, i. e., the lived reality of employees navigating systems, pressure, politics, and priorities on the ground.
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Both cultures shape how people behave and what they believe is acceptable. But one is aspirational. The other is operational. One is printed in the employee handbook. The other is felt on a Tuesday at 4 p. m. when the pressure is on.
The gap between the two? That’ s where trust erodes, disengagement rises, and transformation stalls.
Let’ s take a closer look at each of these and whether they can- or should- co-exist.
THE GAP BETWEEN MISSION CULTURE AND TRENCH CULTURE IS RARELY INTENTIONAL. IT USUALLY EMERGES FROM STRUCTURAL MISALIGNMENT AND CULTURAL NEGLECT.