Capacity Reality
We all have different capacity. What makes one person sweat is a warmup for another. We all have “40 hours,” but what gets done can be lightyears apart. At my best, I have the power to light up the midnight sky. A lightning bolt. At my worst? A candle blowing in the wind, a flickering votive (about to go out).
Balance of Power
Thankfully the goal of a dynamic team is not to all be 100-watt high beams. That’s not only NOT possible but would be totally annoying! Great teams are a mix of role players and stars, desk lamps and fog lights.
Look no further than the 2023 New York Rangers playoff bid for proof. As a die-hard Rangers fan, I watched with excitement as we signed one star after another leading up to the playoffs. And just when I thought we couldn’t add any more star power, we landed Patrick Kane, a bonified superstar. Here we go!
The best teams include brights, lights, dulls, and darks.
The problem? We had stars. We needed a grinder—someone who could create space for the other stars to shine by skating hard, hitting harder, and getting off the ice. That’s not what we got. Turns out Patrick also had a bad hip. But ultimately, the reason we blew it in the 2023 playoffs is clear: Not enough role players, too many stars.
Unlike the Rangers, when we strike the right balance, all the individual lights create one big spotlight of focused light. I call this “dynamic capacity.”
This blog will help you:
1. Embrace your team's capacity—so you can get more done as a team, NOT at the expense of your team. 2. Assess your team’s current capacity—so you know what’s true and possible in this season. 3. Teach your team how to think—so they don’t need YOU to know what to DO!
Let’s get practical. (My specialty.)
1. Embrace your team’s capacity BEFORE you replace...
Our living room drives me nuts. Every time I walk into the room and flip the switch, I’m disappointed. It’s always too dark. In MY darkest moments, I threaten to rip it out and make an angry call to a handyman who can put in recessed lighting.
The problem is the fixture itself has a 40w max. And therein lies the parallel.
- Some of you are frustrated with team members who are giving you their all. (Maybe they are in the wrong role, maybe there’s something going on at home, but effort is not the issue.)
- Some of you are leading teams that should be crushing (like the 2023 Rangers), but it’s all high beams and no humility.
The problem with 40-watt bulbs is we can get frustrated with them for being themselves and be tempted to swap them out for a 60 or, dare I say 100. Again, we think we want all bright lights. But what if their max output is 40? Is there room for a lowly 40-watter to thrive? Is there a place for dim bulbs to shine?
Let’s see…
Capacity: What is possible?
If you lead a team, some people truly are 40-watt bulbs. At their best, they’re still not very “bright.” No offense. (Also, we are talking capacity, not intelligence.) These are your role players. Others are giving off 40-watt light with serious power in reserve. These are your quiet quitters. Their dimmer switch has a lot of headroom.
So how do we discern the difference?
Start by asking. Then let’s look at a simple capacity exercise that will help you facilitate a conversation around capacity and output. This is your chance to be one of those whiteboard leaders.
“The Flux Capacity Scale”
2. Assess your team’s current capacity to live in reality…
Introducing…
“The Flux Capacity Scale.”
Candle 40w 60w 100w Lightning
STEP 1: First, ask your team to self-identify where they would put themselves on the scale between a candle and a lightning bolt. The key is “self.” Where do they see their current capacity? (Most people are 60s.)
STEP 2: Then, ask them what bulb they think they could be operating at and what would need to change. (Is it a hunger issue? A structure issue? A clarity problem?)
This will give you a better understanding of how they perceive their own capacity and open your eyes to a few more things:
- Why you gravitate to the same people over and over for projects.
- Who needs to be challenged.
- Who needs a break.
- Who might need to be replaced.
(If, for example, you discover a 100-watt bulb giving you 40-watt light because they just don’t care. Or someone who is delusional and sees their contribution in the 100w range when it’s a solid 20.)
Also, this is not science; it’s a simple way to start a critical conversation.
Challenge: What is true right now?
You can’t talk about capacity without also talking about challenge. Doing this with our team produced an honest conversation about workload and initiative and even touched on deeper issues like purpose. People often tie their self-worth to their work, and this exercise will help you understand the way your team thinks and lead them more effectively.
STEP 3: Underneath your flux scale, add a correlating challenge level.
[Candle 40w 60w 100w Lightning]
[Bored Busy Challenged Breakdown]
STEP 4: Now ask them to select the word that best describes their current challenge.
Ideally, everyone is between busy and challenged. But you can have busy candles and dying flashlights on the brink of breakdown AND bored lightning bolts. No rhyme or reason, and it can change depending on the season.
Then what’s the point? I’ll tell you! This one-two punch will simply paint the picture. Once we understand our team’s capacity and capability, it’s time to harness that energy. (Or in some cases, spark it.)
Becoming “Fluxible.”
If you’re new to this blog, I make up words. That said, is your team fluxible? Meaning do they know how to go above and beyond? Or are they waiting on you?
Low-performing teams are mired in the tasks of today. There is no time to come up for air or even take a breath for tomorrow. The highest-performing and healthiest teams find time to invest in the future. They are fluxible, one better than flexible—they see and fill gaps and have each other’s backs. It’s seasonal and relational. They are freed up to lead out of their wide range of strengths. Great teams are always fluxible. Is yours?
Above and Below Capacity
We all have basic responsibilities that make up the lion’s share of our job. The difference between a 40w and a 100w almost exclusively plays out in what I would describe as above and beyond or future work. It’s the stuff you go after once you’ve finished all your daily and weekly tasks.
Growing up, these were the kids who finished their tests early and got to erase and wash the chalkboard. Remember that? What an honor. Smart boards can’t do that!
A small percentage of your team will see a gap and fill it. Unfortunately, this gap-filling instinct seems to be less innate with each generation. But these are the people that make your job easy, the load lifters, the go-getters, the board washers. For everyone else, teach them how to find and fill gaps.
3. Teach your team HOW to think.
The Million-Dollar Question: When it comes to challenge level and workload, how much of it is on you to manage (as the leader) and how much is on them?
Answer: It’s not our job to spell out “what to do.” It’s our job to teach them “how to think.”
Teach your team to think in terms of today, tomorrow, and the future.
For instance:
- Today (What do I need to do today?)
- Tomorrow (What can I do to prepare for tomorrow?)
- The Future (Now that I’m caught up, how can I contribute to our collective future?)
The Future.
Today and tomorrow are self-explanatory. Let’s break down this third category reserved for the most ELITE teams. The future. Tapping into future work is the only way to make real waves. If you feel like your team is treading water, this is likely the reason. They’re waiting on you for orders. And here’s the problem with that:
Micromanaging only works if you do.
Future—Self Work
One of the most obvious ways to work on the future is to work on yourself. Self-development counts as future work. Give people permission to pour into their own development—on work time—when today and tomorrow are taken care of. This could be anything from online courses to cohorts with other organizations, conferences, etc. Don’t overthink it. Instead, create an expectation of self-development.
Better people, better everything.
Future—Team Work
Find your “Barbed Wire Pile.”
My former pastor, Bob Merritt, talked about a pile of barbed wire in his backyard that was not only an eye sore but too big to move, at least, all at once. Because it was so overwhelming, there was only one way to tackle it—one small piece at a time—whenever he walked by the pile… for years.
This was not a “roll up your sleeves” situation; it was a “look back and see” what happens when you consistently chip away.
What is your team’s barbed wire pile?
Identify it. Free people up to chip away at it (when they have capacity), then let it compound over time. A little bit here and there adds up, especially when everyone on the team knows how to contribute. Capacity increases when time is on your side.
For us, a few projects are ongoing, never-ending, and always going to need attention when people have more to pour. Things like investing in our volunteers and contractors can never be checked off the list. We can always do more.
That’s our barbed wire pile. What is it for your team? Maybe it’s calling potential customers or engaging with an online community. Whatever it is, make sure YOU know what it is. Because if you don’t, I can assure you—your team doesn’t.
Time to shine.
Now what? Take a meeting to check in with your team, have fun with the flux scale, and adjust accordingly. If nothing else, your team will feel better understood. Ultimately, my hope is you will feel more equipped to lead them. To review…
- Embrace your team’s capacity; get more done as a team, NOT at the expense of your team.
- Assess your team’s reality; lead with confidence knowing what’s true and doable.
- Lastly, teach your team how to think—so they don’t need you to move!
Do all three, get out of the way, and watch the magic of dynamic capacity on a team.
Don’t be the Rangers.
Fight to understand and embrace the different wirings that make up the team in front of you. And remember, you don’t have to be the brightest bulb to be the leader, just the best at knowing which bulb works best for the job.
Thank you for reading!
This blog is for you. Are there topics you want me to cover? Tell me. Thank you for commenting. I love hearing your feedback and your unique take on leadership. If you haven’t subscribed yet—join this tribe. We are better together!
