--- title: "Capacity Planning for Change: Balancing Operations and Project Work" description: We review what's required for successful organizational capacity planning, the delicate balance between operations and project work, and how to assess capacity. image: https://blog.beingfirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Balancing-Rocks-Balance.jpeg --- [![Being-First-Official-Logo_175x162v2](https://blog.beingfirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Being-First-Official-Logo_175x162v2.jpg?width=175&height=162&name=Being-First-Official-Logo_175x162v2.jpg "Being-First-Official-Logo_175x162v2")](http://Being%20First,%20Inc.) [![Being First, Inc.](https://blog.beingfirst.com/hubfs/BF%20Logo.svg "Being First, Inc.")](http://Being%20First,%20Inc.) [![Being First, Inc.](https://blog.beingfirst.com/hubfs/BF%20Logo.svg "Being First, Inc.")](http://Being%20First,%20Inc.) - [BREAKTHROUGHS](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/) - [Achieve Breakthrough Overview](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/) - Business Results - [Breakthrough Business Results](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/business-results/) - Conscious Leadership - [Executive, Leadership & Team Performance](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/executive-leadership-and-team-performance/) - [Self Mastery](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/self-mastery/) - High-Performing Teams & Partnerships - [Executive, Leadership & Team Performance](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/executive-leadership-and-team-performance/) - [Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/multi-stakeholder-partnerships/) - [Culture Change & Organization Transformation](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/culture-change/) - [Culture Change](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/culture-change/) - [Organization Transformation](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/organization-transformation/) - [Enterprise Change Leadership Capability](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/enterprise-change-leadership-capability/) - [Leading Strategic Change Initiatives](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/leading-strategic-change-initiatives/) - Conscious Change Leader & Consultant Development - [Conscious Change Leader Development](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/conscious-change-leader-development/) - [Conscious Change Consultant Development](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/conscious-change-consultant-development/) - [Enterprise Change Leadership Capability Development](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/enterprise-change-leadership-capability/) - Social Justice & Environmental Sustainability - [Social Justice & Environmental Sustainability](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/social-justice-and-environmental-sustainability/) - [Healthy Communities](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/healthy-communities/) - [Police Culture](https://beingfirst.com/breakthroughs/police-culture/) - [APPROACH](https://beingfirst.com/approach/) - [Approach Overview](https://beingfirst.com/approach/) - [Conscious Change Leadership](https://beingfirst.com/approach/conscious-change-leadership/) - [Vertical Leadership Development](https://beingfirst.com/approach/vertical-leadership-development/) - [The Breakthrough Process](https://beingfirst.com/approach/the-breakthrough-process/) - [The Change Leader's Roadmap Methodology](https://beingfirst.com/approach/the-change-leaders-roadmap-methodology/) - [SYSTEM](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/) - [System of Transformation](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/) - [Training & Development](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/) - [Training & Development Overview](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/) - [Leading Transformational Change: 10 Strategies for Breakthrough Results](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/course-directory/leading-transformational-change-10-strategies-for-breakthrough-results/) - [Leadership Breakthrough: Walk the Talk of Change](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/leadership-breakthrough/) - [4Sight: Advanced Conscious Change Leadership Development](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/4sight-conscious-change-leadership/) - [Change Leader's Roadmap Navigator School](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/clr-navigator-school/) - [All Programs](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/training-and-development/#programs) - [Strategic Advising & Consulting](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/strategic-consulting/) - [Methodologies](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/methodologies/) - [Coaching](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/breakthrough-coaching/) - [Assessments](https://beingfirst.com/transformation-system/assessments/) - [RESULTS](https://beingfirst.com/client-results/) - [ABOUT](https://beingfirst.com/about/) - [About Us](https://beingfirst.com/about/) - [Our Team](https://beingfirst.com/about#team) - [Affiliates](https://beingfirst.com/affiliates) - [Contact Us](https://beingfirst.com/contact-us/) - [DEVELOPMENT](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/) - [Upcoming Events & Programs](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/event-calendar/) - [Free Webinars](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/webinars/) - [All Courses](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/course-directory/) - [All Resources and Tools](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/resources-tools/) - [Executive Retreat Center Rental](https://beingfirst.com/center/executive-retreat-center-rental/) - [About The Center](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/) - [BLOG](https://blog.beingfirst.com) - [PODCAST](https://beingfirst.com/askdrchange/) - [JOIN OUR COMMUNITY](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/register/breakthrough-membership) # Capacity Planning for Change: Balancing Operations and Project Work by [Being First Team](https://blog.beingfirst.com/author/being-first-team) | Aug 1, 2017 Capacity is what enables people to get their work done, be it their normal day-to-day work or their change work. Having adequate workload capacity to do both when required is essential to their success and the success of change! If your organization does not have or generate the capacity for change, you are at risk of failing to achieve your expected results. Without people knowing there is adequate capacity to accomplish their change work, they will always do their operational work first, as that is what they are measured on. So how do you know if you have adequate capacity for change? You must assess it first for successful capacity planning. ## Assessing Organizational Capacity In assessing capacity, consider your organization's required workload for both current operations AND conducting change activities. Adding any work requirements to either side of the equation—operations or change—consumes a certain amount of your organization's capacity. It is a zero-sum game; the organization has only 100% of its capacity, even when people are working very hard and very efficiently. Your workload for both operations and change can only add up to 100% capacity, or you have a capacity issue to resolve! ## Operations and Change Capacity: A Delicate Balance When assessing capacity for change, keep two key strategies in mind: first, determine how much capacity it will take to succeed in your change efforts, and second, how much capacity you can “borrow” from current operations and still enable it to continue at your chosen level of performance. [There is a delicate balance to maintain, or either operations or the changes will be impaired.](https://blog.beingfirst.com/capacity-the-number-one-challenge-in-leading-change-successfully) Capacity management for change requires that you determine the time and attention your change work will require of both project team members and your stakeholders who must make the change happen. Each require capacity. ## The Change Capacity Review Process [This tool](https://www.beingfirst.com/resource/steps_to_conduct_change_capacity_review_to_build_capacity/) lists the steps to assess capacity by conducting a change capacity review. Before any planning or [capacity building](https://blog.beingfirst.com/free-up-change-capacity-change-ensure-successful-outcomes) can be done, first you need to find out where you stand. [![Click here for tool: 13 Steps to Conduct a Change Capacity Review](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/518489/1c184085-b031-4efd-b271-882ab6a74550.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/518489/1c184085-b031-4efd-b271-882ab6a74550) [![DOWNLOAD THE TOOL](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/518489/a51bb4a5-a9bb-45ce-a6ed-adaa4392506e.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/518489/a51bb4a5-a9bb-45ce-a6ed-adaa4392506e)   - - - - #### About the author Being First Team [Follow me on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BeingFirstInc) [Follow me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1200498) [Follow me on Twitter](https://twitter.com/beingfirst) We guide visionary leaders to transform themselves and their organizations to Achieve Breakthrough in business results, culture, leadership, and executive team performance, while building world-class change leadership capability. We are pioneers teaching Conscious Change Leadership, and provide a complete System of Transformation to our executive clients. We are not your typical consultants. Since our beginning, our primary business strategy has been to walk our own talk—to learn, grow, transform, and breakthrough to ever-increasing heights in who we are as people and what we can do as professionals. We strive every day to become models of the best humans we can become, while delivering the most innovative and impactful transformational solutions. While we don’t always achieve these goals, they are forever our intent and practice. Topics:   [Change Leader's Roadmap Methodology](https://blog.beingfirst.com/tag/change-leaders-roadmap-methodology) ### Related posts [The Power of Using Wake-Up Calls to Anticipate and Navigate Change](https://blog.beingfirst.com/power-of-wake-up-calls-to-navigate-change) [Navigate Complex Transformation Waters with the Change Leader's Roadmap](https://blog.beingfirst.com/navigating-complex-transformation-with-the-change-leaders-roadmap) [The "Bless and Delegate" Change Sponsor: A Predictable Threat to Transformation](https://blog.beingfirst.com/the-bless-and-delegate-sponsor-transformational-change) [Unlocking Transformation: The Power of Conscious Change Leadership](https://blog.beingfirst.com/unlocking-transformation-the-power-of-conscious-change-leadership) [How to Reduce the Chaos When Launching Change: Conditions for Success](https://blog.beingfirst.com/reduce-tchaos-when-launching-change-conditions-for-success) [![BF_Logo_White_180101-088547-edited](https://blog.beingfirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos_BF_2018/BF_Logo_White_180101-088547-edited.png?width=218&height=150&name=BF_Logo_White_180101-088547-edited.png "BF_Logo_White_180101-088547-edited")](http://Being%20First,%20Inc.) *Equipping leaders with the ability to solve complex challenges and catalyze transformation in themselves, their organizations, communities and cultures.*   #### USEFUL LINKS - [Upcoming Events & Programs](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/event-calendar) - [Courses](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/course-directory/) - [Resources & Tools](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/resources-tools/) - [Contact Us](http://beingfirst.com/contact-us) FOLLOW US [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BeingFirstInc) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1200498) [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/beingfirst) SUBSCRIBE NOW Get the latest thought leadership, tips and tools on Conscious Change Leadership and achieving personal and organizational breakthrough direct in your inbox.   [SUBSCRIBE](https://info.beingfirst.com/cs/c/?cta_guid=746227c4-10bb-44b3-87fc-aa89eaa44c62&signature=AAH58kGvd0y5ngmSIUjPolyhT7-L9Ezz6A&placement_guid=5ff782ce-4828-4519-a8c9-b1dad9acb13c&click=4ce2b898-a5cb-4ecc-b062-daa60aca3fb7&hsutk=6f6ef3c22aad9de47e9351d0f82de550&canon=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakthrough.beingfirst.com%2F&portal_id=518489&redirect_url=APefjpEttadornAKsRWEoOak-oqp31EyN4Q_dmtQLdEDMtXYlolW7x4Ez4XdRbq49Et_O1UTvfXKjC0oKDwLT402IfKBU8Zqh10COpDpehY0reOQiqBsfDPlvY5d_tu6GIjgu8c5odAS2pgIE50ZwzoF0aZZrc8o2LUIE-8KMT7MBh0HoWC0OD6lb7RNze2ZH0F45pecdWOHyxt9x1W6vivLioWhoPHZnHR1DTT40v0tle4t0cFhcbqtcZJH6ZNxCDd_jSI5tMNGV9XhisFziRYYbZp8w-UEhdLAWDnlAIaFqeo3cjrG4TF6RatsTOHFoqPUhg5G9Au6&__hstc=168045118.6f6ef3c22aad9de47e9351d0f82de550.1686799174230.1694537083141.1694540426246.104&__hssc=168045118.3.1694540426246&__hsfp=2926660606) © 2023 Being First, Inc.  |  [Privacy Policy](https://breakthrough.beingfirst.com/privacy-policy/) |  [Terms of Service](https://beingfirst.com/terms-of-service/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Being First Team", "url" : "https://blog.beingfirst.com/author/being-first-team" }, "dateModified" : "2020-05-05T06:16:33.545Z", "datePublished" : "2017-08-01T11:22:00.000Z", "headline" : "Capacity Planning for Change: Balancing Operations and Project Work", "image" : [ "https://blog.beingfirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Balancing-Rocks-Balance.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.beingfirst.com/capacity-planning-for-change-balancing-operations-and-project-work", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.beingfirst.com/hubfs/BF%20Logo.svg" }, "name" : "Being First, Inc." } } ```