The Best things I learned in Training: Gap and gain

When you think about your life, career even the projects you work on do you focus on the gap or the gain?

Gap Thinking

involves focusing our thoughts more towards the “gap” between where you

are now, and where you want to get to

Gain Thinking

focuses on how far we have come or the "gains" we have made

A couple of examples to illustrate

You start the year at 248 pounds and want to lose weight with your target being about 200 pounds. By mid March you weigh 229 pounds.With Gap thinking you tell yourself you still have 29 pounds to go, you are focussed on the gap and the gap can make you feel unsuccessful. With Gain thinking you are likely to tell yourself you have already lost 19 of the 48 pounds you wanted to lose. You're recognising progress

As a sales leader do you highlight year to date target attainment versus target - and highlight how much you have left to close? (Gap) or do you focus on year on year growth or the momentum of the year to date numbers (Gain)

Consider the impact of which you use...