What is a Gap Filler?

When I get inspired to write an article, something just hits me a certain way. Today, it was my gratitude journal, that reminded me why the Gap fillers in our life are the most important people. I then started to think a bit about our own organization and had a few light bulbs that went off that I thought would be worth sharing?

Our company is a 50 Year Old plus company and in the last few years, starting to create a new and exciting infrastructure to prepare for growth. With that comes, new job roles, new systems and honestly, brand new ways of looking at things, that maybe our company hadn't the need to. That ship has sailed, and the world has changed with the need to identify where the core strengths and weaknesses of the company are, and what will be vital to the success of the roadmap the company is building.

In an organization like ours, that has grown from a very small company now on the path to a much larger company, you will need all types of people. One of the premises of my gratitude journal is the body is made of many parts and all parts are needed, they are just different, with different roles and also different capabilities. I love that, don't you? Because it really says we are all very special and needed in our own way, it just may look different or be different, but when you add to the whole, its simply just perfect. In a company, its very similar, talents and strengths are critical to each role to help each company, be the very best. You can't have all operations for the company, can you? Or all financial people? There is always a need for Human Resources, Sales (My favorite!) and on and on. Their strengths will fill the gaps that are needed when working on a project, selling a project, installing a project etc. When they all work together, its simply perfection, especially if you are delivering execution quality to a customer.

Gap fillers are also made up of executives sometimes. Recently I made a change in my role from the EVP of Sales to the EVP of National Accounts. We felt like the EVP of Sales role needed some additional strengths and our National Accounts program needed a gap filler like myself to begin to create a strong and successful program for the company to grow. We were incredibly blessed to find an amazing EVP of Sales, and full transparency, she can kick my but, in many areas, I just wasn't as skilled as I should have been. Now together? Boom, we might just be unstoppable given the chance. Sky certainly is the limit when you find the right person or role to fill in those gaps in your company.

Now, most important in the process is your team, each individual, leadership, etc. that will have to recognize the need for Gap Fillers, or this will not be successful. Insecurity from each person or jealousies will kill it. If you don't recognize what is needed to fill those gaps, roles, etc. and have confidence that all pieces and parts, and strengths and weaknesses are necessary, the Gap fillers will no longer feel needed or appreciated. What is critical, is that each part recognizes the value of the other part or person. Once that is done and truly embraced, it's like clockwork as they say, teamwork, culture, everything just works, and your team will be the strongest they ever been once they recognized the need for those people to fill in those gaps. Adding the muscle in knowledge, leadership and skillsets with people that set you and your company apart as best in class will be only an upward trajectory and the company transparent enough to recognize what you were not and needed to get there.

So onward to the Expert Gap Fillers! And who knows, someday that might just be a title on a business card somewhere. Stranger things have happened!