Learn how to do a gap analysis that supports your organization's vision and goals. Find out how to compare the current and desired states and develop an action plan.

1.Start with Vision & Goals:Define your desired future state based on the organization's vision and strategic goals. 2.Current State Assessment:Evaluate your current performance across all aspects relevant to the goals. 3.Identify Gaps:Compare your current state with the desired state to pinpoint discrepancies. 4.Prioritize Gaps: Analyze the impact of each gap on achieving the goals and prioritize accordingly. 5. Link Gaps to Goals:Connect identified gaps back to specific strategic goals they hinder. 6. Action Plan Development:Formulate solutions to bridge the gaps, considering their alignment with goals. 7. Track & Adapt:Monitor progress, assess if solutions address the gaps effectively, and adjust as needed.

How do you align the gap analysis with the strategic goals and vision of the organization?

Gap analysis is a powerful tool for identifying the gaps between the current state and the desired state of a business process, project, or strategy. It helps you understand the root causes of the problems, the opportunities for improvement, and the actions needed to close the gaps. But how do you align the gap analysis with the strategic goals and vision of the organization? Here are some tips to help you do that effectively.

1 Understand the vision

Before you start the gap analysis, you need to have a clear understanding of the vision and mission of the organization. What is the purpose of the organization? What are its long-term objectives and values? How does it want to serve its customers, stakeholders, and society? The vision and mission provide the direction and inspiration for the gap analysis. They help you define the desired state and the criteria for measuring the performance and impact of the process, project, or strategy.

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hemant SHARMA ヅ 🇮🇳

Amazon | 16x Linkedin Top Voice | Trust of 1M+ professionals & 45M+views | Actively helping Jobseekers & Recruiters #hshelpinghand | the world is full of nice people, if u cant find one. BE ONE
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Understanding the vision and mission of an organization is crucial for conducting a meaningful gap analysis. It sets the foundation for identifying where the organization currently stands and where it aims to be. Without a clear vision and mission, the gap analysis may lack direction and fail to address key strategic objectives.

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2 Identify the strategic goals

The next step is to identify the strategic goals that support the vision and mission of the organization. These are the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) outcomes that the organization wants to achieve in a certain period. The strategic goals should be aligned with the vision and mission and reflect the priorities and expectations of the organization. They help you set the scope and focus of the gap analysis and the benchmarks for evaluating the current state.

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hemant SHARMA ヅ 🇮🇳

Amazon | 16x Linkedin Top Voice | Trust of 1M+ professionals & 45M+views | Actively helping Jobseekers & Recruiters #hshelpinghand | the world is full of nice people, if u cant find one. BE ONE
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Identifying strategic goals that align with the organization's vision and mission is crucial for effective gap analysis. These goals provide a clear direction and criteria for measuring progress and success. Without well-defined strategic goals, the gap analysis may lack focus and fail to address the organization's key objectives.

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3 Conduct the gap analysis

The gap analysis involves comparing the current state and the desired state of the process, project, or strategy and identifying the gaps between them. You can use various methods and tools to conduct the gap analysis, such as SWOT analysis, fishbone diagram, root cause analysis, or gap analysis matrix. The gap analysis should answer these questions: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current state? What are the opportunities and threats of the desired state? What are the gaps in terms of performance, quality, efficiency, effectiveness, customer satisfaction, or value? What are the causes and consequences of the gaps?

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hemant SHARMA ヅ 🇮🇳

Amazon | 16x Linkedin Top Voice | Trust of 1M+ professionals & 45M+views | Actively helping Jobseekers & Recruiters #hshelpinghand | the world is full of nice people, if u cant find one. BE ONE
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Conducting a gap analysis is like creating a roadmap to bridge the distance between where you are and where you want to be. It helps you identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to achieve your goals more effectively. By understanding the gaps, you can make informed decisions and take targeted actions to move closer to your desired state.

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4 Develop the action plan

The gap analysis results in a list of gaps that need to be addressed to achieve the desired state. The action plan is the document that outlines the steps, resources, responsibilities, timelines, and indicators for closing the gaps. The action plan should be aligned with the strategic goals and vision of the organization and should consider the feasibility, priority, impact, and risk of each action. The action plan should also include a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track the progress and outcomes of the actions.

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hemant SHARMA ヅ 🇮🇳

Amazon | 16x Linkedin Top Voice | Trust of 1M+ professionals & 45M+views | Actively helping Jobseekers & Recruiters #hshelpinghand | the world is full of nice people, if u cant find one. BE ONE
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Creating an action plan based on the gap analysis is like creating a roadmap for success. It helps you stay organized and focused on achieving your goals. By outlining clear steps and timelines, you can track your progress and make adjustments as needed to reach your desired state.

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5 Communicate and implement the action plan

The final step is to communicate and implement the action plan to close the gaps and achieve the desired state. You need to communicate the action plan to the relevant stakeholders, such as managers, employees, customers, or partners, and explain how it aligns with the strategic goals and vision of the organization. You also need to ensure that the stakeholders are engaged, committed, and accountable for the implementation of the action plan. You need to follow the action plan according to the timelines and indicators and report on the results and challenges regularly.

Gap analysis is a valuable technique for improving business processes, projects, or strategies. By aligning it with the strategic goals and vision of the organization, you can ensure that it is relevant, meaningful, and impactful for the organization and its stakeholders.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Hamed Rezk ,MBA, CIA®, ASMEC®, CCRO, CRMP, GRCP, CCP, CLBB

Regional Chief Risk Officer | Driving Growth for 200+ Companies | Executive Risk Committee Chair | Helping You Excel in Credit, MSMEs, GRC, Training, and Consulting | Lecturer | Open to Networking and Collaboration
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1.Start with Vision & Goals:Define your desired future state based on the organization's vision and strategic goals. 2.Current State Assessment:Evaluate your current performance across all aspects relevant to the goals. 3.Identify Gaps:Compare your current state with the desired state to pinpoint discrepancies. 4.Prioritize Gaps: Analyze the impact of each gap on achieving the goals and prioritize accordingly. 5. Link Gaps to Goals:Connect identified gaps back to specific strategic goals they hinder. 6. Action Plan Development:Formulate solutions to bridge the gaps, considering their alignment with goals. 7. Track & Adapt:Monitor progress, assess if solutions address the gaps effectively, and adjust as needed.

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Shaker C.

Root Cause Gap Analysis AI Systems Engineering
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Need to conduct a top down and bottom up analysis. Gap becomes evident in most cases. If it doesn’t, repeat the process until it does.

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How do you align the gap analysis with the strategic goals and vision of the organization?

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1 Understand the vision

2 Identify the strategic goals

3 Conduct the gap analysis

4 Develop the action plan

5 Communicate and implement the action plan

6 Here’s what else to consider

Gap Analysis

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