Zap the Gaps! Target Higher Performance and Achieve It!

by Kenneth H. Blanchard, Dana Gaines Robinson, James C. Robinson

In the bestselling tradition of The One Minute Manager , Zap the Gaps combines a fast–moving business parable with step–by–step instructions for implementing the GAPS approach to problem solving. Managers at all levels within organizations often see a problem and jump to a solution. Many times the solution does not solve the problem, because the manager did not uncover the root causes of the problem. In  Zap The Gaps , Bill Ambers, the Director of Customer Service in a high tech firm, encounters a business his newly inherited call center is not making its numbers. With the help of a colleague, he works through the problem and discovers the GAPS approach to performance

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Self Help

160 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2002

About the author

Ken Blanchard, one of the most influential leadership experts in the world, is the coauthor of the iconic bestseller, The One Minute Manager, and 60 other books whose combined sales total more than 21 million copies. His groundbreaking works have been translated into more than 27 languages and in 2005 he was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time.

Ken is also the cofounder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies®, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California.

When he’s not writing or speaking, Ken also spends time teaching students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego. Ken can be found at www.kenblanchard.com.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zap the Gaps had more cheese than 'Who Moved My Cheese.' I found the business fable format to be distracting and often found myself rolling my eyes at the corny jokes and needless asides.

For those that have an needs analysis and root causes paradigm, this will be a painful oversimplification.... reads at a 8th grade level.

If needs analysis is new to you it would be a good BASIC introduction, simple analogies and business examples bring the concepts to life.

Read it if you must.

[Carlos Madrigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cierre las brechas

Un buen libro que ayuda a descubrir que las respuestas o soluciones a muchos problemas que tenemos en las empresas están dentro de nosotros y no fuera de nosotros y que con dedicación aplicando esta metodología que enseñan los autores fácilmente se resuelven en muy corto tiempo

[Nguyễn Dinh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Một quyển sách nói rất kĩ về cách để lấp những lỗ hổng trong khi làm việc, nhưng quan trọng là Bill và Sarah đã cho thấy trách nhiệm quản lí của mình với công việc,thêm vào đó là sự góp ý tuyệt vời đến từ Mike

[Hugo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es un libro muy específico sobre como mejorar indicadores de atención telefónica, Ken tiene mejores libros ...

[Francisco Núñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro lo leí para una materia en la universidad y me gustó fácil de leer bueno para aplicar no solo en negocios sino en la vida.

[Liza Fireman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As most of Blanchard it's an easy fun read. Not as good as some of the others though. Zap the GAPS is a book about looking at your team/company/project and finding the diff between the "shoulds" and the "is", and fixing them. Good advice from the book is to do it by asking questions, high yield open-ended questions. Start by finding your stars and ask them what they do more, better or differently, and also asking everyone what needs to be fixed. Later, after figuring out the root causes, choose your solutions (without jumping to solutions), whether some of them are low hanging fruit, and choose wisely the cherry-picked, costly solutions.
GAPS means - Go for the "shoulds", Analyze the "is", Pin down the root causes, Select the right solutions.

[Loraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a required read for me at work. Since I'm an elementary school teacher it had a few really hard stretches to apply to my job. While that's not the book's fault, the writing kinda is. This book had the same feel as a book read to first or second graders, but with higher vocabulary. The anectdotes are cheesy and only vaguely address the subject matter. Please puck the "low-hanging fruit" and don't force your employees to read this!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

excelente libro, una manera diferente de expresar la resolución de problemas en una organización, como lo es, la gestion de desempeño, un libro muy rápido de leer y me ha encantado que sea un libro necesario para una clase. :)

[Michele Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every minute of this book.
It captured my attention just as all of Blanchard's books have.
Keep in mind I read it more for the leadership ideas than the business, and it wasn't required.

[Jeannie Vandenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good framework for improving company performance and an entertaining tale.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a lot of these kinds of books for work and this one didn't do anything special for me. Didn't give me any "a-ha" moments to fix the problems i face in the office.

[Mohammad alshawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book that guides to sucess

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming!

[Kevin Orth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, simple, read it in one sitting. Very much in line with "Who Moved My Cheese". Equally glad I read it and borrowed it from the library.