Do You Have Enough Resources to Fulfill Your Big Plans for the Year?

As a leader, CEO, startup founder, or pastor, you’ve likely felt the tension between dreaming big and executing effectively. You sit in a room during your annual EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) strategy session, crafting an inspiring plan filled with clear goals, measurable outcomes, and well-defined initiatives. But as the excitement of strategic planning simmers, the practical question looms: Do we have enough resources to make this plan a reality?

It’s a question of capacity—human, financial, and operational. Overcommitting leads to burnout, underperformance, and unmet goals. Undercommitting leaves potential untapped and stifles growth. So, how can you accurately assess your team’s capacity and ensure your goals are ambitious but achievable? Enter the PACE framework.

Understanding Capacity: The Key to Strategic Success

Capacity refers to your organization’s ability to deliver on your strategic objectives within a set timeframe. To determine capacity, you need to:

1. Define the work. Break your goals into actionable projects and tasks.
2. Quantify resources. Assess the availability of your team, tools, and budget.
3. Analyze effort. Understand the time and energy required for each initiative.
4. Balance ambition and reality. Align your goals with realistic execution capabilities.

This is where tools like EOS and the PACE framework come in. EOS provides the structure for strategic planning and execution, while PACE helps you assess and manage capacity in a practical, measurable way.

The PACE Framework: A Tool for Resource and Capacity Planning

PACE—an acronym for Prioritize, Allocate, Calculate, and Evaluate—is a framework designed to help organizations understand and optimize their resource capacity. Let’s break it down:

1. Prioritize: Define and Rank Your Goals

Not all goals are created equal. Prioritizing ensures your team focuses on initiatives that align with your mission and generate the most impact.

• Use an Impact-Effort Matrix. Categorize tasks into high impact/high effort, high impact/low effort, etc., to prioritize what matters most.
• Create Rocks. In EOS, “Rocks” are the big, quarterly goals that drive progress. Ensure these are clear, specific, and tied to your organization’s vision.

2. Allocate: Assign Resources Strategically

Once priorities are set, allocate resources—people, time, and money—to ensure each goal is adequately supported.

• Use a Resource Planning Tool. Tools like TeamGantt, Asana, or ClickUp allow you to visualize resource allocation and identify gaps.
• Consider Time Blocking. Dedicate specific blocks of time to key projects, ensuring focused effort.
• Map Team Strengths. Match individuals’ skills to tasks, optimizing their contributions.

3. Calculate: Measure Capacity and Effort

This is where you quantify the effort required to achieve your goals versus the available capacity.

• Measure Individual Capacity. Use a time-tracking tool like Toggl or Clockify to understand how much time your team spends on tasks.
• Estimate Effort. Break projects into tasks and estimate the hours required for each. Multiply this by the frequency to determine total effort.
• Compare to Available Hours. Subtract non-project hours (meetings, admin tasks) from total available hours to identify true capacity.

4. Evaluate: Assess and Adjust

Capacity planning isn’t static; it requires regular evaluation and adjustment.

• Hold Weekly Check-Ins. Use EOS’s Level 10 Meetings to review progress, roadblocks, and resource needs.
• Monitor Burnout. Watch for signs of team fatigue and adjust workloads accordingly.
• Adapt Quarterly. Reassess capacity at the end of each quarter to refine plans.

Practical Steps to Assess and Optimize Capacity

1. Audit Your Current Workload

Before tackling new initiatives, understand your team’s current workload.

• Survey Your Team. Ask employees how they’re spending their time and where they feel overextended.
• Analyze Data. Use tools like RescueTime to analyze time spent on tasks.

2. Build a Capacity Model

Create a simple spreadsheet or use capacity planning software to model your team’s workload.

• Columns: Team member, total hours available, hours required per task, percentage of utilization.
• Rows: Each project, broken into tasks.
• Formula: Compare total required hours to available hours to identify gaps.

3. Leverage Technology

Technology can streamline capacity planning and help you stay on track.

• Project Management Tools: Trello, Monday.com, and Basecamp for task tracking.
• Resource Management Software: Float, Mavenlink, or Hub Planner for resource allocation.
• Automation Tools: Zapier or Make.com to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up capacity.

4. Hire or Outsource Wisely

When internal resources aren’t enough, consider:

• Hiring Full-Time Staff. For ongoing needs, bring in dedicated team members.
• Using Freelancers. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr connect you with skilled professionals for short-term projects.
• Outsourcing Agencies. For specialized work, partner with agencies that can scale to meet your needs.

5. Communicate Transparently

Capacity planning requires buy-in from your team. Be clear about priorities, timelines, and expectations.

• Set Realistic Deadlines. Avoid overpromising and underdelivering.
• Involve Your Team. Let employees provide input on what’s feasible and where they need support.
• Celebrate Wins. Recognize achievements to maintain morale.

The Balance Between Challenge and Feasibility

Setting goals that are ambitious yet achievable is both an art and a science. Here’s how to strike that balance:

1. Know Your Limits. Push your team, but don’t exceed sustainable capacity.
2. Set Stretch Goals. Include a few goals that challenge your team to grow.
3. Embrace Agility. Be willing to pivot if priorities change or capacity decreases.
4. Use Data. Continuously track and measure outcomes to make informed decisions.

Why It Matters

Proper capacity planning isn’t just about meeting deadlines—it’s about stewarding your resources wisely. Whether you’re leading a startup, church, or established organization, understanding capacity ensures that:

• Your team operates at their best.
• Goals are met with excellence.
• Resources are maximized for impact.

This year, don’t let your inspiring strategy falter under the weight of unrealistic expectations. Use EOS and the PACE framework to plan effectively, assess capacity, and position your team for success. With the right tools and a clear process, you can turn big plans into tangible results.

Let’s make this year your most impactful yet.