What is a strategic gap?
A strategic gap is the distance between an organisation's current state — its performance, capabilities, market position, or resources — and the future state it has defined as part of its strategic plan. Identifying strategic gaps is a critical part of the strategic planning process because it reveals the work that needs to be done to close the distance between where the organisation is and where it wants to be.
Strategic gaps can exist in many areas: revenue, market share, product capabilities, talent, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, or brand positioning. Each gap represents an area where focused action is required.
How to identify strategic gaps
Strategic gap analysis typically begins with a clear statement of the desired future state — the organisation's vision, goals, or target performance levels — and then maps the current state against that future state. The difference between the two is the gap.
Tools like SWOT analysis, benchmarking, and performance reviews can help identify where the most significant gaps exist. It is important to prioritise gaps based on their strategic importance rather than trying to close all gaps simultaneously.
Closing strategic gaps
Once a strategic gap has been identified, the next step is to develop a plan for closing it. This might involve building new capabilities, hiring additional talent, investing in technology, changing processes, or entering new partnerships. The plan should include clear milestones and metrics so that progress can be measured.
It is also worth considering whether every gap needs to be closed internally. Some gaps may be better addressed through partnerships, acquisitions, or strategic outsourcing.
Strategic gaps and prioritisation
Not all strategic gaps are equally important. Some gaps, if left unaddressed, will critically undermine the organisation's ability to achieve its goals. Others are less urgent or represent areas where the current performance is "good enough" given available resources.
Prioritising which gaps to close first is itself a strategic decision. It requires an honest assessment of the organisation's resources, the urgency of each gap, and the potential impact of closing it.
How Empiraa supports strategic gap analysis
Empiraa makes it easy to visualise the gap between strategic goals and current performance. By tracking goals alongside real-time progress data, leaders can clearly see where the organisation is on track and where significant gaps remain.
This ongoing visibility reduces the risk of gaps going unnoticed until they become critical, and helps leadership teams make timely decisions about where to invest attention and resources.