Mind the Gap

Closing the Performance Gap: Why People Operate Below Their Level and How to Fix

Have you noticed how, in your organizations,

people are holding back, not playing at the

level they’re truly capable of?

It often starts on the factory floor. The frontline staff, the ones closest to the work, run into problems they can't quite solve. And instead of fixing it at the source, the issue ripples upward. Supervisors, managers, and even leadership are pulled in to handle things that shouldn’t land on their desk.

And what happens? Everyone gets dragged down a level, distracted from their real work, from the strategic thinking they should be doing. The whole system slows down, productivity dips, and potential gets left on the table. All because the right problems weren’t solved in the right place.

The question is: how do YOU break this cycle? We maybe able to help!

How?

Well one of our guiding principles is clear problem definition.

Can you keep a secret?

Training providers and consultants wont want you to know this.

Head over to our Learning Zone to discover the free Behaviour Engineering Model (BEM) by Gilbert.

If you define the problem Correctly You Almost Have The Solution - Steve Jobs

If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions - Albert Einstein

We use the Behaviour Engineering Model (BEM) as our foundation to define organizational problems.

What we do. Where we start

OR where you start.

  1. Lack of Clarity in Role Expectations (Information)
    Job descriptions or expectations are often not clearly communicated. According to Gilbert, the information dimension relates to whether employees understand what is expected of them. When there is ambiguity, people focus on what they know, instead of pushing themselves to grow into their full role.

  2. Skills or Knowledge Gaps (Knowledge/Skills)
    Employees may lack the required skills or knowledge to perform at the level their title demands. This falls under the knowledge/skills aspect of Gilbert’s model. Insufficient training or lack of resources to keep pace with changes in technology or industry can prevent employees from stepping up.

  3. Comfort Zone/Complacency (Motives)
    Some employees remain within their comfort zone, sticking to familiar tasks due to fear of failure, low motivation, or a lack of guidance. This connects to the motives element in Gilbert’s model, where an individual’s personal motivation or fear inhibits performance growth.

  4. Poor Organizational Design or Structure (Environmental Support)
    When an organization’s structure doesn’t provide the right environmental support—such as feedback, guidance, or clear role design—employees may be left without the tools or mentorship needed to step up into their role. This can lead to role drift or stagnation.

  5. Leadership or Management Issues (Incentives/Environmental Support)
    Weak leadership affects both incentives and environmental support in Gilbert’s model. Leaders who fail to challenge or hold employees accountable create an environment where people operate at a lower level. Micromanagement or lack of delegation can cause employees to feel restricted or underutilized.

  6. Cultural Factors (Incentives)
    An organization’s culture heavily influences performance through incentives. If the culture does not reward proactivity, innovation, or growth, employees are less likely to strive for higher-level performance. Lack of recognition or advancement opportunities further contributes to this.

  7. Workload and Prioritization Issues (Environmental Support/Resources)
    Overloading employees with low-level tasks leaves them unable to focus on higher responsibilities. Gilbert’s model highlights the importance of resources and environmental support—if resources aren’t allocated properly, employees can’t excel in their primary roles.