Gapology: How Winning Leaders Close Performance Gaps

by Mark Thienes, Brian Brockhoff

Gapology is the term Mark Thienes and Brian Brockhoff coined to describe what winning leaders do to identify and close performance gaps in their teams. Gapology is their process. For more than a decade, they analyzed the results, leadership behaviors and tactics of winning leaders as compared to those of leaders who were not winning. They wanted to understand how winning leaders win and if winning could be replicated. They were deeply curious about whether winning can be taught to those not winning or if winning leaders are simply born with the skills to win. As they interviewed and documented their conversations with winning leaders they found commonalities. The most amazing was that all performance gaps are either; Knowledge Gaps, Importance Gaps, Action Gaps, or some combination of the three. Gapology provides the keys to unlock these mysteries in the form of nine root solutions that, when applied intentionally, close the performance gaps quickly and permanently. Gapology is for all leaders, regardless of the size of the team or the industry in which they work. As long as people are being led, Gapology is needed. These discoveries are now at your fingertips! Achieve your full potential with Gapology!

Genres: Business

298 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2010

Reviews

[David Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this one on the used book pile outside our compound's media center. Co-author Brian Brockhoff even signed it for Randy & Patricia, whoever they are. Gapology is the result of ten years of research, extensive interviews, and engagement in the business management book industry. I assumed that this book was one of the plethora of business management books that repackage the obvious into some kind of easy to follow formula guaranteed to improve sales. I was not disappointed. But, that does not mean this book has no value.

Gapology has a simple premise: "Performance Gaps are the number-one risk to all companies and organizations today" (p. 261). Gapology's methodology is also simple - close the Knowledge, Importance, and Action gaps to improve performance. The authors offer simple models to chart a process for leaders to measure and address under-performing subordinate leaders and teams. The meat of the book is filling in leader actions with the use of "steps," "ladders," and "measurements." Maddy, a top performer in the XYZ company, serves as the narrative thread the both gives structure to the book and illustrates the components of the model.

Gapology is simple. Even the authors admit to this. But, often the simple things are the hardest to achieve. Gapology is not the revelation that will help a leader/manager suddenly see through the veil, but it does offer a simple to understand and easy to use model to address a common problem in hierarchical organizational structures. Gapology suffers from casting subordinate leaders and workers as a rather bland monolith, or a flat character in prose. The "winning" leader has all the agency in this method and subordinates only need the right amount of motivation, coaching, and transparency of process to get onboard - or you fire them. This simple picture does not match lived experience, but this essentialist methodology is quite common in this genre. Nevertheless, Gapology does have value for those with an active learner mindset.

I would offer this book to junior executives, company grade military officers, new staff officers, and more experienced leaders who want a refresher or a different entry point on leadership and mission accomplishment.

[Brandy Pelzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was easy-to-understand, covered lots of topics, and had practical instructions for putting their theories into action.

However, they didn't explain the methods for their research. Even though the stories at the end of chapters were helpful in illustrating their advice, I would have preferred some real-life testimonies. Most of the examples and stories were focused on a sales team, which also made it difficult to imagine using some of these techniques in other functions within a company.

Overall, it was OK. It would probably be excellent for training a sales team.

[Kimberly Grimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are starting out in a leadership position this book would be great. However, it didn’t really help this 10+ year supervisor. I have implemented steps that were written in this book without reading the book. I feel like it’s more common sense especially if you are in a leadership role already.