There’s Gold in the Gap
We begin our Business with a Vision and Purpose. We see a need and know we can fill that need. As we progress with forming, defining, and building our Company and fine-tuning all the critical components, including Customer Care, Revenue Generation, Profitability, and Resource allocation, we may begin to see a disconnect between our goals and our actuals. This divide can drive us to work harder, throw everything up on the wall to see what sticks, abandon our vision, get out of alignment with our values, or worse.
We can find ourselves moving but not advancing.
This void between where we are and what we want produces tension. Tension can often result in a fight, flight, or freeze response. It’s a negative emotion that many of us will succumb to, stay stuck in, or struggle against. Instead, we can choose to lean into the tension. We can reframe that disconnect, and instead of looking at it as an obstacle, we can get curious about the opportunity it presents. We’re now sensing the Gold in the Gap.
It’s the approach that Robert Fritz, author of “The Path of Least Resistance for Managers,” shares with us. The shift is, instead of asking ‘how can I get to point B,’ we ask ‘how can I get from point A to point B.’
This distinction moves us, as Fritz offers, into the path of least resistance. If we’re open and willing to take it on, this is the spot that can provide clarity and a clear direction, taking us from current to future reality. Delving deep into the gap is where the best innovation can happen. It’s where we can forge the best relationships. It’s where the greatest knowing can happen.
An example of how to look for the gold in the gap is in your sales activity. There are monthly targets that you’ve established for revenue generation. If you are experiencing a shortfall, consider the gold in the gap instead of doing more of the same and working longer hours with more frustration and stress. It’s senseless to repeat ineffective actions. A pointed, oft-quoted observation underscores this: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”-author unknown
Instead, take time to dig into what you know and what is missing. For example, are you targeting the wrong type of customer (vs. purposeful prospecting)? Are your processes working against you (leaving customer needs unmet)? Are your employees putting in the hours but not aligning their efforts with the goals (more training required, more guidance required)? In this way, we can systematically look at the gap and get to the root cause, i.e., the obstacle. This knowledge can direct our energy and focus, which, in turn, can move us closer to our goals.
Taking the time to reflect on what’s missing and delving into possibilities to answer shortfalls leads to focused and informed action. The ‘Gold in the Gap’ we discover can result in greater profitability, productivity, and sense of purpose.
Conflux Business Coaching is about merging the best of who you are with who you want to be. Let’s connect and explore where your gaps are. Together we’ll find ways to powerfully and purposefully fill the Gaps and uncover the Gold.
