
A better way to fix business problems
5 better ways to close Gaps
A Gap is simply the difference between what you’re Actually getting and what you Ideally want. And although some gaps might be big and seem insurmountable – virtually all of them can be closed.
Unfortunately, just about all of them can be made bigger, if your gap closing approach isn’t quite right. Here are 5 common mistakes and 5 better approaches.
Common approach and Common result
- Spend large parts of your day putting out spot fires. Usually fixes symptoms, not causes
- Send underperforming team members off on a training course or a ‘Gee-em up’ session. If the problem is systemic, training can make the problem bigger
- Talk about problems in meetings – Talk about problems in meetings – Talk about… (you get the picture) No one takes action so you just do it yourself
- Use a carrot and/or stick approach to motivate people to lift their game. Rewards & punishment achieve the same result – short term compliance
- When standards are not being reached, ignore it because it seems too hard. You give people permission to continue
A Better approach for a Better result
- Use a process (e.g. ‘5 whys’) that unearths the root cause and apply the right fix. Close the gap permanently
- Look for gaps in your systems and your communications before trying to ‘fix’ people. You close the gap for current and future team members
- Ask better questions – “What didn’t go well last week?” “What needs to be done better?” Get team members to implement their solutions
- Be a referent leader who demonstrates integrity, consistency, fairness, openness. Develop lasting motivation that comes from within people (intrinsic)
- Document and discuss (audit) company standards often. Close gaps regularly by being hard on problems – not on people
This short space doesn’t allow the opportunity to provide great detail on ‘how’ to go about the above approaches. However rest assured that it is all achievable. I spent the first 8 1/2 years of my business life completely in that left column. And if I can make the change, there’s hope for everyone!
Yours in profitable and enjoyable Business