Brief, reality-based business fables are all the rage these days, as consultants, strategists, and other savvy professionals seek interesting, reader-friendly ways to present their latest ideas. Zap the Gaps! continues in this genre by weaving a highly practical and easily adaptable program for improving workplace performance into a solidly informative tale--this time about the trials and tribulations at a large computer firm's troubled customer service center--that most corporate denizens will quickly identify with. Ken "The One-Minute Manager" Blanchard teams here with problem-solving specialists Dana Robinson and Jim Robinson to present the enlightening story of Dyad Technology's discovery and implementation of their anachronism-based GAPS approach for finding and resolving the root causes of many common business problems: (G)o for the Shoulds, (A)nalyze the Is, (P)in Down the Causes, and (S)elect the Right Solutions. By demonstrating how an "actual" company might absorb and initiate their strategy, the authors clearly show how it can aggressively bridge the spaces "between what is and what should be" and realize the true meaning behind their emphatically punctuated title. --Howard Rothman


Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times bestseller, Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive
A gem of a management book, guaranteed to help improve your company's performance no matter what business you're in!


Book Description
Through business classics like The One Minute Manager and Raving Fans, bestselling author Ken Blanchard has become a nationally recognized business guru, presenting revolutionary new approaches to management, leadership, customer service, and more. Now Blanchard teams up with Dana and Jim Robinson to tackle the crucial issue of human performance in Zap the Gaps!, an entertaining business parable that combines Blanchard's storytelling talents with the Robinsons' pioneering problem-solving approach.Managers at all levels within organizations often see a problem and jump to a solution. Many times the solution does not solve the problem, however, because the manager did not uncover the root cause. Blanchard and his coauthors are here to teach you how to avoid this often-destructive pitfall. In Zap the Gaps!, Bill Ambers, the director of customer service in a high-tech firm, encounters a business problem: His call center is not making its numbers. With the help of Michael St. Vincent, gardener and legendary head of Saint's Nurseries and Landscaping, he learns to systematically dig to the root of the problem, discovering along the way both the GAPS approach to performance improvement and a tool called the Gap Zapper.With its engaging story line, vivid examples, and reader-friendly approach, Zap the Gaps! is a must read for anyone seeking to identify and correct the factors that negatively impact performance -- so that the ultimate impact is both meaningful and measurable.


Book Info
Management book guaranteed to help improve your company's performance no matter what business you're in. Now Blanchard teams up with Dana and Jim Robinson to tackle the crucial issue of human performance.


About the Author
Ken Blanchard lives in San Diego, California, and is the Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies.He is the coauthor of The One Minute Manager and eleven other bestselling books.His books have combined sales of more than twelve million copies in more than twenty-five languages.Blanchard was recently seen in the PBS special Gung Ho! Succedding in a Changing World.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the 1980s, Ken Blanchard introduced a revolutionary concept to management books: brevity. His One-Minute Manager practiced what it preached. It presented direct, concise, targeted advice about real-world management situations. Zap the Gaps! offers an entertaining and memorable parable that suggests innovative approaches to both management and customer service. Using mnemonic devices and catchy stories, Blanchard and his coauthors reveal the secrets behind performance improvement.

FROM THE PUBLISHER