How to Define the Performance Gap in Observable Terms
Turn a vague complaint into a statement someone else could verify before you diagnose anything. Rewrite the behavior instead of the trait, put numbers on both sides of the gap, and keep the cause out until the gap is defined.
Developing
Start here. Build the foundation.- 1
When a concern lands on your desk, rewrite it as the action you can see rather than the label. 'Submits three of ten reports late' is usable; 'is careless' is not. Check it against a stranger's read: someone who has never met the person should spot the same gap from your sentence alone.
- 2
State the current level against the expected level with a number or a frequency, so both sides of the gap are visible. 'Closing 12 percent of demos against a 25 percent target' gives you a gap; 'underperforming' gives you an opinion. Without a named standard there is nothing to diagnose.
Proficient
Build consistency and rhythm.- 3
Back the gap with something another person could check: a dated example, a dashboard figure, or a piece of the person's own output. When a concern rests on 'I just feel like,' find the instance behind the feeling and cite that. Evidence anyone could look up is what separates a gap from an impression.
- 4
Delete any clause that starts with 'because' from the gap statement. Save the cause for the diagnosis that comes after, not before, so the wording does not pre-decide the answer. State only the observable fact, such as 'tickets sit unresolved for six days.'
Mastered
Operate at the highest level.- 5
Write the gap into a shared record with four fields: the observable behavior, the current level, the standard, and one dated piece of evidence. File it only once all four are filled in. An entry that stands alone lets another manager reuse the wording without rewriting it.
Common Pitfalls
Avoid the common failure modes.- The statement still centers on a trait word like lazy or disengaged. Rewrite it as the specific action or count you can see.
- The current level is named but the standard is not. Find the standard first; without it there is no gap, only an opinion.
- The cause is folded into the gap statement. Strip it back to the gap alone and state the cause separately once the diagnosis is open.