Mapping the GAP — From Insight to Checklist

Awareness is powerful, but awareness alone won’t move your organization forward. In Part 1 of this series, we established why leaders must “mind the GAP” between their current people reality and the future state required by strategy. Now comes the harder part: actually mapping it. 

The real value comes from mapping it – turning observations into a clear picture of what’s missing, what’s misaligned, and what must change. Without a map, you’ll keep circling the station, frustrated by the same patterns. With a map, you gain clarity, priorities, and a path to action.

The Four Steps to Mapping the GAP

1. Define the Current State
   What’s true about your people and culture today? Look at skills, leadership capacity, engagement, and organizational health. Be honest – this isn’t a sales pitch for your board, it’s a snapshot for your leadership team. Are your sales managers still operating like individual contributors, or have they developed the ability to coach and lead others to perform?
   
   
2. Articulate the Future State
   What will your business require to win 12–24 months from now? Think beyond revenue and market share. Will you need stronger innovation? Global readiness? More resilient leaders? A culture of agility? Customer-centricity? Data-driven decision making?
   
   
3. Identify the GAP
   Where do today’s realities fall short of tomorrow’s demands? These are the places where your strategy will stumble if left unaddressed.
   
   
4. Prioritize What Matters Most
   Not every gap is equally important. Some can wait. Others, like missing leadership bench strength or cultural misalignment, pose immediate risk. Prioritize ruthlessly.
   
   

The People Lens: Where Gaps Show Up Most

In my work with executives across different industries, I’ve found that people-related gaps consistently emerge in five categories:

• Skills & Capabilities: Do your people have the knowledge and expertise required for next year’s strategy? Example: Your growth strategy requires digital marketing expertise, but your team still thinks in traditional advertising terms.
  
  
• Leadership Bench Strength: Do you have ready-now leaders for critical roles, and are they modeling the right behaviors?
  
  
• Culture & Values Alignment: Do daily decisions and behaviors match the values printed on your walls?
  
  
• Engagement & Retention: Are your A-players thriving, or are they carrying unsustainable loads?
  
  
• Structure & Processes: Does your org design accelerate execution, or create bottlenecks?
  

These are not theoretical categories. They’re the areas where organizations either thrive or unravel.

Introducing the Talent Optimization GAP Checklist

To make this process practical, I created the Talent Optimization GAP Checklist – a robust tool designed specifically for leaders who want clarity on their people strategy.

Here’s how it works:

• Each of the five categories includes specific statements to rate on a 1–5 scale. Sample statements include: “Our high-potential employees have clear development paths” and “Leadership decisions consistently reflect our stated values.”
  
  
• Reflection prompts help you dig into blind spots and assumptions.
  
  
• Actions are divided into Quick Wins (adjustments you can make immediately) and Strategic Priorities (longer-term investments).
  
  
• Scores highlight where you’re aligned, where you’re at risk, and where urgent action is needed.
  

This isn’t a generic business checklist. It’s designed for executives who know their people are their greatest asset – and their greatest risk.

Download your complimentary Talent Optimization GAP Checklist and complete your assessment this week. 

Making GAP Thinking Routine

The most effective leaders don’t wait until annual planning to confront their gaps. They make it a leadership habit. Here are simple ways to embed GAP thinking into your rhythm of business:

• Weekly team meetings: Ask, “Where are we off track and what’s behind it?”
  
  
• Project retrospectives: Include a GAP lens: “What slowed us down and why?”
  
  
• 1:1 conversations: Normalize asking, “What do you need to succeed that you don’t have today?”
  
  
• Quarterly reviews: Place your GAP results next to financial performance. Both are leading indicators of future success.
  

When you build micro-GAP conversations into your routine, you prevent small cracks from becoming chasms.

Closing Thought & Next Step

Awareness creates possibility, but mapping creates clarity. With the Talent Optimization GAP Checklist, you can move from vague concerns to a clear picture of where your people strategy needs attention.

In Part 3 of this series, we’ll explore how to bridge the GAP – turning your insights into bold, sustainable actions that align your people with your future.

Until then, remember: gaps don’t close themselves. Leaders do.