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Gapology: How Winning Leaders Close Performance Gaps
For more than a decade, Mark Thienes has been documenting and analyzing the tactics and behaviors of winning leaders, comparing them to leaders who were not meeting expectations. In his research, Thienes found that all winning leaders shared a common thread. They consistently closed three distinct performance gaps in their The Knowledge Gap The Importance Gap The Action Gap His discoveries and how you can bring them to life is now at your fingertips. Winning through achieving and exceeding expectations can begin for you today. GAPOLOGY is for all leaders, regardless of the size of your team. It illustrates not only how to identify and close performance gaps, but it also features a series of powerful exercises that bring GAPOLOGY to life. Achieve your full potential with...GAPOLOGY.
- GenresBusiness
264 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2010
34 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 9, 2019
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.
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.
July 18, 2020
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.
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.
March 14, 2025
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.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews