| To view this newsletter online, please click here. |  | | You've received this newsletter because you subscribed to it using our double opt-in sign-up process. To unsubscribe, just click the link at the bottom of this email. Alternatively, if you're not already a subscriber, you can sign up here. | | | | Mind Tools Newsletter 193 - June 7, 2011
Mind the Gap!
When you're exploring a possible new project, it's easy to underestimate the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. This can lead to all sorts of trouble.
This is where Gap Analysis can help, and it's why we're looking at it as this week's Editors' Choice tool. Read on, and find out how to bridge the gap!
Meanwhile, in our community area, the Career Excellence Club, we talk to renowned author, Seth Godin. In our interview, find out why we should "poke the box" and launch new projects; and hear some great tips for getting started with them.
Plus, in our other newsletter articles, we help you take the next steps in project planning by looking at Project Schedule Development and use of Gantt Charts.
Enjoy the newsletter!
James Manktelow and Rachel Thompson
MindTools.com - Essential skills for an excellent career!
Featured Resources at Mind Tools
| | |  | | Use this simple tool to work out what actions you need to take to get something done. All Readers' Skill-Builder | | |  | | Learn the key tools needed so that you can develop an efficient and practical timeline for the completion of your project. All Readers' Skill-Builder | |  | Learn how to use Gantt Charts to plan and schedule complex projects.
All Readers' Skill-Builder | | | | ... And from the Career Excellence Club
|  | Author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin, tells us how we can move from thinking about doing something, to actually doing it.
Premium Members' Expert Interview | |  | | Learn some useful techniques that will help you develop a successful marketing strategy for your product or service. All Members' New Tool | |  | | Davina's team, and family, were complaining that she didn't spend enough one-on-one time with them. Discover how she found more time in her busy schedule. All Members' Coaching Clinic | | Editors' Choice Article
Gap Analysis
Identifying What Needs to be Done
Imagine that you've just been asked to improve call-handling in your organization's contact center.
You already have some possible solutions in mind; however, before you choose a best solution, you need to identify what needs to be done to meet this objective.
This is where Gap Analysis is useful. This simple tool helps you identify the gap between your current situation and the future state that you want to achieve, along with the tasks that you need to complete to close this gap. | | 
Filling the gap for project success.
© iStockphoto/Kuklev |
Gap Analysis is useful at the beginning of a project when developing a Business Case (member-only article), and it's essential when you're identifying the tasks that you need to complete to deliver a project.
Using Gap Analysis
To conduct a Gap Analysis, follow these three steps:
1. Identify Your Future State
First, identify the objectives that you need to achieve. This gives you your future state - the "place" where you want to be once you've completed your project.
Simple example:
| Future State | Current Situation | Next Actions | | Answer 90 per cent of calls within 2 minutes. | | |
2. Analyze Your Current Situation
For each of the future states that you want to achieve, analyze your current situation. To do this, consider the following questions:
- Who has the knowledge that you need? Who will you need to speak with to get a good picture of your current situation?
- Is the information in people's heads, or is it documented somewhere?
- What's the best way to get this information? By using brainstorming workshops? Through one-to-one interviews? By reviewing documents? By observing project activities such as design workshops? Or in some other way?
Simple example:
| Future State | Current Situation | Next Actions/Proposals | | Answer 90 per cent of calls within 2 minutes. | Approximately 50 per cent of calls are answered within 2 minutes. | |
3. Identify How You'll Bridge the Gap
Once you know your future state and your current situation, you can think about what you need to do to bridge the gap and reach your objectives.
Simple example:
| Future State | Current Situation | Next Actions/Proposals | | Answer 90 per cent of calls within 2 minutes. | Approximately 50 per cent of calls are answered within 2 minutes. | Develop a call volume reporting/queue modeling system to ensure that there are enough staff during busy periods.
Recruit any additional people needed.
Develop a system that allows callers to book a call back during busy periods. |
Tips:
Pitch your Gap Analysis to provide an appropriate amount of detail. If you present too much detail, people will be overwhelmed, but if you don't give enough detail, you won't tell them what they need to know to sign the project off.
When you analyze your future situation and current state, use metrics where information can be quantified (such as "Salary costs account for 50 per cent of the cost of the product."), and general statements when metrics aren't available (such as "Creativity is valued within the organization.")
Also remember that your assessment of the current situation and the desired future state can be both quantitative and qualitative.
For instance:
| | Current Situation | Future State | | Quantitative | Total costs are $100 per unit. | Total costs will be $60 per unit. | | Qualitative | Team members work in isolation. | Team members will work collaboratively. |
Note:
This article illustrates a very simple use of Gap Analysis. However, Gap Analysis can be very extensive and complex, for example, when it is used to identify software modifications needed as part of IT projects. Don't underestimate how much work your Gap Analysis may involve! |
Key Points
Gap Analysis compares your current situation with the future state that you want to achieve once a project is complete. By conducting a Gap Analysis, you can identify what you need to do to "bridge the gap" and make the project a success.
You can use Gap Analysis at any stage of a project to analyze your progress, but it's most useful at the beginning. To use it, first identify your project's objectives - this is your "future state." Then analyze your current situation, making sure that you gather information from the right sources.
Finally, identify how you'll bridge the gap between your current situation and the desired future state.
| Share this article: |  |  | | In the Next Issue...
In our next newsletter, we're showing you how you can develop a good reputation, and we'll look at how you can boost your career by building expertise.
See you then!
 | James Manktelow
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Mind Tools
Essential Skills for an Excellent Career! |
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