November 10, 2025 • 34 mins
We continue our seven-part mini-series on Creating Alignment with Your People by exploring the second dimension of alignment — Capacity Alignment.
In this episode of Building a Clear Authentic Brand, I explain how to recognize whether someone has the ability, potential, and bandwidth to truly thrive in their role — not just perform it. You’ll learn why competence isn’t the same as capacity, how to spot the difference between good and great, and how to align people with roles that bring out their best work.
Because when people have the capacity to thrive, everyone wins.
Episode Highlights
- What capacity alignment is and why it matters
- The difference between competence and capacity
- Pitfalls of hiring by experience instead of design
- How to evaluate ability, potential, and bandwidth
- Why “good” is the enemy of “great” in leadership and performance
- How to recognize when someone has hit their ceiling
- Why thriving in a role leads to meaning, excellence, and growth
Resources & Links
- Learn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.com
Related Episodes:
- Episode 12: Creating Alignment With Your People
- Episode 13: Why Defining What You Believe Is Key to Team Alignment
- Episode 14: Why Work Style Alignment Impacts Employee Engagement and Performance
- Episode 15: Why Traits Alignment Determines Who Thrives in Your Business
- Episode 16: How Defining What You Won’t Tolerate Protects What You Value
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amy Dardis (00:13):
I'm your host, Amy Dardis.
And today we're continuing ourseven-part series on creating
alignment with your people.
This episode is part six ofseven.
And so far we've unpacked thefirst dimension of alignment,
which is culture.
And that included fourcomponents: values, which is
what we believe as anorganization, work style, which
(00:36):
is how we operate, traits, whichare the personality and
character traits of the peoplewho will thrive in our
organization, and then ournon-negotiables, which is what
we won't tolerate.
It is defining the dark side ofwhat threatens our business.
Those episodes are in the shownotes.
(00:57):
And now we're moving into thesecond dimension of alignment,
which is capacity.
So if culture alignment is allabout fit and whether or not a
person will thrive in thiscompany, then capacity alignment
is about ability and whether ornot they will thrive in their
(01:19):
specific role.
So capacity is about havingwhat it takes internally and
externally to execute somethingeffectively.
And it's not just aboutwillingness, it's about having
the margin and the means to doit well and to excel.
(01:39):
And I want to really make thispoint here right now about
capacity.
So capacity is not competence.
So to me, competence is doing ajob satisfactory.
You are meeting the bar, youare meeting the standard, but
(02:00):
it's not exceptional.
You're not thriving, you're notbringing a lot of extra value,
you're just kind of meeting thebare minimum, doing what needs
to be done, but there's not awhole lot of extra above that.
Being excellent is when you areoutstanding, you are surpassing
(02:23):
those standards.
And within that gap where youdo go above and beyond, you are
bringing so much value and somuch contribution to not only
the role you're in, theorganization you're in, but into
your life as well.
And good is the enemy of great.
(02:45):
And it's so easy to get stuckand to stay comfortable in roles
where we're competent, butwe're not excellent.
We're not thriving, we're notgrowing, we're not evolving.
And because of that, we'remissing out on contribution.
We're missing out on value,we're missing out on meaning,
(03:07):
we're missing out onpurpose-driven work, which is
going to be our next episodewhen we talk about contribution,
and that will wrap up our finalepisode in this series.
But I have been stuck incompetent roles.
I have been stuck in comfort.
(03:28):
I have been stuck being inroles where I did what I was
good at, but I completely missedout on what I was great at.
So I've shared a little bitabout my story before of being
in these roles of finance andadmin.
And I spent a good 10 years ofmy career in these types of
(03:54):
roles, not only at work, butalso in serving and in
volunteering, because that'swhat I knew.
And I was good and I wascompetent.
I could manage a project.
I could organize lists andteams and people, and I could
(04:16):
take notes and be good at dataentry.
And I understood spreadsheet.
Well, let me say that with alittle bit of grace here.
Like I had a basicunderstanding of a spreadsheet.
And I thought that I was goodat it.
It wasn't until a little bitlater in my life that I realized
how how horrible I was at aspreadsheet.
But, anyways, I was in theseroles where I was good.
(04:42):
And when I was in these rolesof being good, I felt just like
I was going through the motions.
I just felt like there had tobe more to life than this.
I had to have been made formore.
I didn't know what at the time.
I had no idea, but I knew thatwhat I was doing wasn't enough.
(05:04):
It was just like it was meetingthe bar.
But in my life, I wanted morethan that.
In my life, I wanted to beexcited and I wanted to be great
at something.
And I think we all want to begreat at something.
And I think that desire isvalid because we were designed
(05:26):
to be great at something.
There is a purpose and a planto be great at something.
We were not made for average,we were not made for mediocre.
And sometimes it's our ownchoices of comfort, it's our own
choices of choosing to staywith what we know that keeps us
(05:46):
stuck.
And we miss out on excellenceand we miss out on value and
contribution.
But since we're talking aboutcapacity, I don't want to get
too far ahead of myself here.
So when we're looking atcapacity, we're we are talking
about excellence.
We are talking about thriving.
(06:07):
So what makes up whether or notsomeone aligns with a specific
role in an organization?
Well, there's really threethings that we're looking at,
and that is ability, potential,and bandwidth.
So within ability, we aretalking about the ability to
(06:27):
thrive in a role.
We are looking at someone'sskills, talents, strengths, and
personality.
So outside of alreadyestablishing that they are a
culture fit, that they share ourvalues, that they are going to
thrive within our specificworking style, we know that they
(06:50):
have the traits, the charactertraits, and the personality
traits that we're looking for.
And they we have not found anyred flags that would indicate
that what they believe violateswhat we believe.
So now we're looking atspecifically what is the role
that we're hiring them for?
Are we hiring them for a salesrole, a marketing role, an
(07:11):
operations role, an admin role?
What role are we putting theminto?
And what are theresponsibilities and the skill
sets required in order to excelwithin this role?
And so we are looking atsomeone's natural talents, their
(07:34):
natural skill sets, theirnatural strengths.
These are the things that areingrained within them.
And to me, this is not workexperience.
And this is the trap that a lotof us get caught up in, is
because we think that if someonehas work experience in this, in
(07:58):
these areas, if they've been insales for 10 years, that must
mean that they're good at it.
That must mean that they havethe capacity for it.
That must mean that they thrivein it.
That's not necessarily thecase.
Because just like in my ownstory, I had 10 years of work
(08:19):
experience in admin roles.
Now, if you look at those 10years, none of those roles
lasted very long because therewas always something missing.
There was always something thatprompted me to leave for one
reason or another.
(08:40):
And it was be part of that partof the story is because I was
in a role where I didn't thrive.
That people are naturallyexcellent at things in their
(09:14):
life.
And if we are not putting themin roles, what they are
naturally excellent at thosethings, we are denying them
their contribution.
We are denying them value andmeaningful work.
And they're doing it tothemselves as well.
It's a two-way street, butwe're not benefiting them.
And so natural ability, when Ipaint the picture like this, I
(09:41):
when we talk about numbers orspreadsheets, I can look at a
spreadsheet.
I can hear somebody talk abouta math problem or variables or
components.
And I have no idea what thosewords mean.
And if you show me aspreadsheet that had a has a
(10:01):
bunch of numbers on it, Iremember I actually I served on
the board for a nonprofitorganization for like a local
chamber that I was a part of.
And every month we would meet,and every month the the
president would share theorganization's financials and
you know what came in, what cameout, and the profit and the
(10:25):
loss, and there were it was likethis full spreadsheet, and it
had all these categories and ithad all these columns.
And I served on this board forthree years, and for three
years, I had no idea what thatspreadsheet said.
No idea.
And it was not for a lack oftrying.
(10:45):
Like it was not for a lack oftrying to like pay attention and
listen as he was explaining it,but there was no connection
happening, there was no gearsturning.
It was like completely dear inthe headlights.
I I under, I'm trying tounderstand, but I'm not
(11:05):
understanding.
And I recognize that this isjust not my skill set.
This is not something I am goodat.
Whereas there were some otherpeople in the room who could
look at the spreadsheet and itwas just, it would just click
for them.
They would just know what itmeant and it would tell a story,
(11:27):
the numbers and the data.
They would see the patterns andthey would understand the
information that was beingcommunicated because that's how
their brain worked.
That was unique to them.
Whereas for me, I was far moreinclined to listen to someone's
(11:49):
life story and see the patternsand be able to make connections
and understand what was beingcommunicated and even be able to
pull things together that theythemselves hadn't been able to
pull together.
(12:09):
So when I stepped into a rolewhere I did get to work with
people and I did get to tellstories, and I did get to help
communicate, I thrived.
Like not only was I really goodat it, but I also grew in that
(12:32):
area.
And the business grew because Iwas in a role that matched my
unique gifting.
And that was a journey to findwhat that was, to find what it
was that I brought to the table.
(12:52):
And that honestly set up a justa passion in me to help
individuals find what they'rereally good at and be in roles
where they are operating intheir strengths, where however
their brain works, that's whatthey're doing.
I have two kids.
I have a son and a daughter.
(13:13):
And my son is very analytical,very mathematical.
He can see pieces and isamazing at putting things
together.
Like when we have like boughtfurniture before, you know, and
they come with the directions tobe able to build it, like if
(13:34):
you're building something fromIKEA or something.
I have literally just gone inin the room with him, handed him
the directions, had a cup ofcoffee, and sat down and just
supervised while he read throughthese directions and just knew
exactly what to do.
(13:54):
It it made sense to him and hewas able to put the furniture
together quickly, efficiently,competently, excellently.
Like he thrived doing that.
And so he has, we've given himLegos and he's built designs,
(14:15):
and he's so interested in howcomponents and pieces work
together.
So even as a child, he hasalready natural gifting and
strengths developing for beingan engineer, for being a
builder, for being an architect,like that has been evident in
(14:38):
his life since he's been atoddler.
And then I have a daughter whojust has a natural capacity, a
natural ability to actually bereally amazing in the kitchen.
So she has been baking from avery young age.
She's currently 10.
(14:59):
She can make birthday cakes andtreats and frosting and all of
these things from scratch.
She can cook gluten-free anddairy-free, and she understands
texture and consistency and baketime and the way flavors go
together or complement or don't.
(15:19):
She's not afraid to look at arecipe and make some of her own
adjustments.
And she's 10.
One time she added some pumpkinspice to some like sugar
cookies, and it was likephenomenal.
And I was like, How did you howdid you think of that?
And she was like, I don't know.
I just thought it would, I justthought it would taste good.
(15:40):
And I was like, wow, you justare far surpassing me in the
kitchen at a very, very youngage.
So those are the differencesbetween someone's natural
ability and what excellencelooks like.
And the goal is to alignsomeone who is going to thrive
(16:02):
in that role, whether it'sregardless of what the role is.
So then we have potential tothrive in the role.
So first we have ability, andnow we have potential.
So with potential, this is notonly what they bring to the
table, but it's it's two partsreally.
(16:24):
It is their ability to learnquickly.
It's because their mindprocesses information in a
specific way, their ability tocomprehend and learn and grow
and understand this role helpsthem to continue to grow and
(16:51):
learn and develop within therole, not for just what you
envision for it, but for allthat it can become.
Like they will take this roleand they will grow the role and
they will grow theresponsibilities because of what
they're able to do with justthis untapped potential.
(17:16):
So there are so many industriesnow where there's like,
especially in the trades, theexperienced workforce is
limited.
Like there are not enoughtrained expert people to hire
into positions.
(17:36):
And so there are so many likegreen, like brand new people
that we are having to like hireand train on the job, like train
within it, knowing that youdon't have the experience or the
background.
However, they have thepotential to learn quickly and
(18:00):
grow and thrive because theirbrain is able to like understand
it, comprehend it, and thentake it for further and then be
creative with it, and then comeup with more.
So this is what I mean,potential is amazing because it
(18:22):
opens up potential for yourbusiness.
This is where your businessstarts to grow because of what
they bring to the table, becausethey're working in their
natural strengths, because theyhave the ability to do the role,
because it aligns with theirunique God-given gifting.
Now the potential for growth isamazing.
(18:45):
It's it's limitless.
And you have these goals andthese expectations of what
you're trying to get to, butpotential is their ability to
blow past it.
Their potential is your team'sability to break through
ceilings and keep going.
(19:07):
That is the ultimate goal,really, of when we have
alignment with our people inculture as well as in role.
This is how we grow.
This is how we grow as abusiness.
It's through the the uniquegiftings and passions of your
(19:28):
team.
Because they are what driveprocesses, they are what drive
creativity and innovation andcustomer service and marketing.
Like it is people's brilliancethat shape a business, that
change lives, that come up withnew ideas.
And that's so exciting.
(19:49):
So when we're looking atalignment with a person in a
role, we're looking at not onlydo they have the ability, the
inherent skills, talents, andstrengths.
So it should be evident intheir life, not just, we don't
need examples of previous workexperience.
We need examples of how theseskills, like leadership skills,
(20:14):
those show up in school, thoseshow up in church, those show up
in your family, those show upin your group friends.
Like you don't need for them tohave been a manager.
You are looking for consistencyof these traits and
characteristics throughout theirlife.
And then we're also looking atthe potential, which when you're
(20:36):
interviewing, this isn't alwayseasy to figure out.
But we are looking at, okay,how much how do you learn or
what things interested interestyou?
Like, do you have an analyticalmind or do you have like a
relational mind?
Do you have an intuitiveness orI don't know, there's all kinds
(21:02):
of different we could get stuckon this point for a little bit.
But how does their mind processinformation and within your
work style, do all of thosethings match up?
And then the third area that wewant to look at as far as
capacity goes is bandwidth.
(21:25):
So their bandwidth to thrive inthe role.
And this is your biggestvariable because even the most
skilled, high potential personwill struggle if their bandwidth
is maxed out.
And bandwidth is oftendetermined by outside forces and
(21:49):
your season of life.
And this is very important tolook at.
And this is why we need to lookat the person as a whole.
We cannot just look at what'sgoing on in their life from
eight to five Monday throughFriday.
Because what's happening intheir life as an individual, it
(22:12):
impacts how they show up atwork.
So a couple examples of this.
So we have someone's mentalbandwidth.
So this is their abil abilityto focus and to be able to make
decisions.
And they have the space intheir mind.
So they're not overwhelmed withanxiety, they're not worried
(22:35):
about something else going on intheir life right now that is
taking them away from being ableto focus on work.
And like I said, this is thisis life.
This is the life component ofalignment.
And we won't always know thesethings when we're interviewing,
but you will absolutely knowthese things and be able to pick
(22:58):
up on these things when thisperson is on your team.
And sometimes these are seasonsthat we love them through and
we grow with them through and weguide them through and support
them through.
And sometimes these are seasonsthat create a fork in the road.
(23:19):
And sometimes there, the there,these are the things that
happen in life that can changewhether or not a person
continues to work for you bytheir own choice or by yours.
So we're looking at mentalbandwidth, we're looking at
emotional bandwidth, we'relooking at spiritual bandwidth,
(23:42):
physical bandwidth, and time andresources bandwidth.
And these are all prettyself-explanatory.
I mean, emotional bandwidth,it's, I mean, maybe, maybe this
person is going through adivorce.
Maybe this person is dealingwith a child at home right now
who's going through some reallydifficult things.
(24:02):
And that is taking a lot oftheir emotional bandwidth, and
it is limiting what they areable to give at work.
Spiritual, maybe they arebattling some faith stuff.
Maybe they're battling someinner demons that are kind of
eating away at them.
(24:24):
Physical, maybe they are notsleeping well, maybe they're not
eating well, maybe they'redealing with inflammation or
sickness or cancer.
I mean, these are just theseare things that come up in our
life that can totally derail ourplan.
(24:45):
You know, it's like if ifyou're great with your skills
and you have the potential tothrive and you're completely
aligned, but then you get sickor your wife gets sick, and that
changes your life because nowthere's treatments and now
there's rest and now there'sside effects.
(25:05):
Maybe you cannot continue inthat role, or in that role to
that same capacity, or withinthat schedule, or those
expectations.
Like this is just part of life.
And then time and resources.
So this is just like theinfrastructure and the support
(25:27):
and the systems that exist inour life that help us show up
and be our best self at work.
So it can even be somethinglike your kids' school schedule
or their sports schedule.
Or maybe you did go through adivorce and now you're uh
co-parenting, and some weeks youhave a lot of responsibility,
(25:51):
and some weeks you don't, andyou're having a really hard time
figuring out the balance orthis new transition, or maybe it
just doesn't work.
There are all of these thingsthat can affect alignment that
we have to consider.
We have to be aware of, we haveto be conscientious of and
(26:15):
realistic about because we justcannot separate the human and
the life from work and business.
It's it's all intertwined, itall affects each other.
And a red flag that you couldfind within a like an interview
process, bandwidth having to dowith something like let's say
(26:39):
they're struggling withaddiction, or let's say they're
struggling with some unhealthyfamily boundaries where there's
a lot of drama there.
And while they're an amazingperson and they have all the
giftings that you would want,because of their ability to not
(27:02):
set healthy boundaries with somefamily members, you just don't
see how they would be able tohave the bandwidth to thrive in
a role.
So there are all of thesedifferent dynamics at play.
And obviously in an interviewprocess, we can only find out so
(27:22):
much.
But if we're specific aboutwhat we're looking for and we
kind of know what the red flagslook like, it can just help us
prov it can help prevent us frommaking a decision that just
might not work out down the roadsimply due to a bandwidth
(27:47):
issue.
So the question really is onthat is does that person have
the margin and the space intheir life and in their mind,
their emotions, theirrelationships to perform at
their best?
And that's why we do check-inswith employees.
(28:07):
That's why we build trust andrelationships, that's why we
have quarterly conversations andweekly team meetings where
there is space, there isintentionality, there is an
environment so that we wereunderstanding the people and
we're continuing to get to knowthem as individuals and we're
(28:29):
aware of what's going on intheir life.
And there's an environment thatsupports that and facilitates
that within how we hold eachother accountable and how we
hold our brand and our cultureand our values accountable.
So if we have misalignment,some of those signs are gonna be
(28:52):
some roles that a person whojust does not have the skills or
the personality traits justnaturally to thrive in that
role.
Or they're in a role wheretheir strengths aren't being
used and the role itself is verydraining, it's very stressful,
(29:13):
it's very overwhelming.
Or they are continuing to likemake mistakes and forget things
or be easily distracted orprocrastinating because their
bandwidth is tapped out.
Like there's there's just toomuch on their plate.
(29:33):
And sometimes there are thingswith bandwidth that we can
control.
Sometimes if we're growing asan organization and we are
maxing out their bandwidthbecause we keep adding
responsibility and we keepadding work to their workload
and they just can't continue tokeep up, then that's a sign of
(29:56):
like, oh, maybe this person,maybe we need to hire an
additional person.
Or maybe we need to automatesome things, or maybe we need to
reallocate some resources.
Those are things where it'slike we can actually do
something about that withintheir bandwidth that helps maybe
mitigate and minimize thosemistakes and that forgetfulness
(30:17):
and that frustration or thatstress.
But sometimes that stress orthat frustration or overwhelm is
coming from their ability tonot go any further.
Like they have capped, theyhave hit their ceiling, they
have hit this.
(30:38):
Okay, I am competent and thisis the best I can do.
Like I am doing my best and youwant more from me, and I can't
give it.
And you're coaching me andyou're correcting me and you're
trying to train me more, and andwe're just not getting there
because that's the best thatthey have to give.
(30:58):
And you have to be able torecognize that as a leader that
this might not be the role forthem.
And you're missing out, and soare they, because the more we're
in a role where we know we'recapped, it will eat at us, it
will drain us, it willdemotivate us, there will be
(31:20):
disengagement, we will want toprocrastinate, we will be more
distracted because we know thatwe're made for more and we are
not living up to that potential.
And whether we can put words tothat or not doesn't change how
it comes to fruition in ourlife.
It doesn't change the fact thatit still happens, even if we
(31:44):
can't acknowledge it orunderstand what's happening at
the time.
So when we have alignment, whenyou have the right person and
they're in a role where theyhave the capacity to thrive,
they have the abilities, theyhave the potential, they have
the bandwidth, your businessbenefits from that.
(32:07):
Like you will see an increasein productivity, consistency,
and quality.
It will be fun, it will beengaging, it will be exciting.
You will see the result of themoperating at their highest
level.
And for them, they get thatbenefit as well.
(32:27):
Not because they are justhelping the business grow, but
because in their soul, in theirheart, in their mind, they know
they are being challenged, theyare being inspired, they are
being motivated, they aregrowing, they are developing,
they feel this purpose andmeaning.
And that is rewarding, that isfulfilling, that gives us a
(32:51):
sense of accomplishment.
Like God designed us that waybecause we're supposed to work
and we're supposed tocontribute, and we're supposed
to get to experience thismeaning in our life.
And so we can go home at theend of the day and we can be
like, I did something today, Icontributed in a meaningful way,
(33:14):
and it felt good.
I felt like I was firing on allcylinders, I felt like I was
coming up with all these ideas,I felt like I was catching all
these mistakes and and keepingus safe and keeping us on this
on the right path.
And there's there is life thatcomes out of that, and that is a
(33:36):
ripple effect for them as theindividual, for the the people
that they are around and thatthey influence, and then for the
business as a whole.
And we'll dive more into thatcontribution aspect in the next
episode.
But really, when we're lookingat capacity, we are looking for
(33:58):
ability, potential, andbandwidth.
And when people are in roleswhere they were created and
designed to thrive, theneverybody wins.
So make sure to stay tuned forthe next and final episode on
(34:20):
this series of creatingalignment with your people.
We will diving intocontribution and impact.
You can learn more at ClearAuthentic Brands.com.
That's all for this episode.
See you next time.
I'm your host, Amy Dardis.
And today we're continuing ourseven-part series on creating
alignment with your people.
This episode is part six ofseven.
And so far we've unpacked thefirst dimension of alignment,
which is culture.
And that included fourcomponents: values, which is
what we believe as anorganization, work style, which
(00:36):
is how we operate, traits, whichare the personality and
character traits of the peoplewho will thrive in our
organization, and then ournon-negotiables, which is what
we won't tolerate.
It is defining the dark side ofwhat threatens our business.
Those episodes are in the shownotes.
(00:57):
And now we're moving into thesecond dimension of alignment,
which is capacity.
So if culture alignment is allabout fit and whether or not a
person will thrive in thiscompany, then capacity alignment
is about ability and whether ornot they will thrive in their
(01:19):
specific role.
So capacity is about havingwhat it takes internally and
externally to execute somethingeffectively.
And it's not just aboutwillingness, it's about having
the margin and the means to doit well and to excel.
(01:39):
And I want to really make thispoint here right now about
capacity.
So capacity is not competence.
So to me, competence is doing ajob satisfactory.
You are meeting the bar, youare meeting the standard, but
(02:00):
it's not exceptional.
You're not thriving, you're notbringing a lot of extra value,
you're just kind of meeting thebare minimum, doing what needs
to be done, but there's not awhole lot of extra above that.
Being excellent is when you areoutstanding, you are surpassing
(02:23):
those standards.
And within that gap where youdo go above and beyond, you are
bringing so much value and somuch contribution to not only
the role you're in, theorganization you're in, but into
your life as well.
And good is the enemy of great.
(02:45):
And it's so easy to get stuckand to stay comfortable in roles
where we're competent, butwe're not excellent.
We're not thriving, we're notgrowing, we're not evolving.
And because of that, we'remissing out on contribution.
We're missing out on value,we're missing out on meaning,
(03:07):
we're missing out onpurpose-driven work, which is
going to be our next episodewhen we talk about contribution,
and that will wrap up our finalepisode in this series.
But I have been stuck incompetent roles.
I have been stuck in comfort.
(03:28):
I have been stuck being inroles where I did what I was
good at, but I completely missedout on what I was great at.
So I've shared a little bitabout my story before of being
in these roles of finance andadmin.
And I spent a good 10 years ofmy career in these types of
(03:54):
roles, not only at work, butalso in serving and in
volunteering, because that'swhat I knew.
And I was good and I wascompetent.
I could manage a project.
I could organize lists andteams and people, and I could
(04:16):
take notes and be good at dataentry.
And I understood spreadsheet.
Well, let me say that with alittle bit of grace here.
Like I had a basicunderstanding of a spreadsheet.
And I thought that I was goodat it.
It wasn't until a little bitlater in my life that I realized
how how horrible I was at aspreadsheet.
But, anyways, I was in theseroles where I was good.
(04:42):
And when I was in these rolesof being good, I felt just like
I was going through the motions.
I just felt like there had tobe more to life than this.
I had to have been made formore.
I didn't know what at the time.
I had no idea, but I knew thatwhat I was doing wasn't enough.
(05:04):
It was just like it was meetingthe bar.
But in my life, I wanted morethan that.
In my life, I wanted to beexcited and I wanted to be great
at something.
And I think we all want to begreat at something.
And I think that desire isvalid because we were designed
(05:26):
to be great at something.
There is a purpose and a planto be great at something.
We were not made for average,we were not made for mediocre.
And sometimes it's our ownchoices of comfort, it's our own
choices of choosing to staywith what we know that keeps us
(05:46):
stuck.
And we miss out on excellenceand we miss out on value and
contribution.
But since we're talking aboutcapacity, I don't want to get
too far ahead of myself here.
So when we're looking atcapacity, we're we are talking
about excellence.
We are talking about thriving.
(06:07):
So what makes up whether or notsomeone aligns with a specific
role in an organization?
Well, there's really threethings that we're looking at,
and that is ability, potential,and bandwidth.
So within ability, we aretalking about the ability to
(06:27):
thrive in a role.
We are looking at someone'sskills, talents, strengths, and
personality.
So outside of alreadyestablishing that they are a
culture fit, that they share ourvalues, that they are going to
thrive within our specificworking style, we know that they
(06:50):
have the traits, the charactertraits, and the personality
traits that we're looking for.
And they we have not found anyred flags that would indicate
that what they believe violateswhat we believe.
So now we're looking atspecifically what is the role
that we're hiring them for?
Are we hiring them for a salesrole, a marketing role, an
(07:11):
operations role, an admin role?
What role are we putting theminto?
And what are theresponsibilities and the skill
sets required in order to excelwithin this role?
And so we are looking atsomeone's natural talents, their
(07:34):
natural skill sets, theirnatural strengths.
These are the things that areingrained within them.
And to me, this is not workexperience.
And this is the trap that a lotof us get caught up in, is
because we think that if someonehas work experience in this, in
(07:58):
these areas, if they've been insales for 10 years, that must
mean that they're good at it.
That must mean that they havethe capacity for it.
That must mean that they thrivein it.
That's not necessarily thecase.
Because just like in my ownstory, I had 10 years of work
(08:19):
experience in admin roles.
Now, if you look at those 10years, none of those roles
lasted very long because therewas always something missing.
There was always something thatprompted me to leave for one
reason or another.
(08:40):
And it was be part of that partof the story is because I was
in a role where I didn't thrive.
That people are naturallyexcellent at things in their
(09:14):
life.
And if we are not putting themin roles, what they are
naturally excellent at thosethings, we are denying them
their contribution.
We are denying them value andmeaningful work.
And they're doing it tothemselves as well.
It's a two-way street, butwe're not benefiting them.
And so natural ability, when Ipaint the picture like this, I
(09:41):
when we talk about numbers orspreadsheets, I can look at a
spreadsheet.
I can hear somebody talk abouta math problem or variables or
components.
And I have no idea what thosewords mean.
And if you show me aspreadsheet that had a has a
(10:01):
bunch of numbers on it, Iremember I actually I served on
the board for a nonprofitorganization for like a local
chamber that I was a part of.
And every month we would meet,and every month the the
president would share theorganization's financials and
you know what came in, what cameout, and the profit and the
(10:25):
loss, and there were it was likethis full spreadsheet, and it
had all these categories and ithad all these columns.
And I served on this board forthree years, and for three
years, I had no idea what thatspreadsheet said.
No idea.
And it was not for a lack oftrying.
(10:45):
Like it was not for a lack oftrying to like pay attention and
listen as he was explaining it,but there was no connection
happening, there was no gearsturning.
It was like completely dear inthe headlights.
I I under, I'm trying tounderstand, but I'm not
(11:05):
understanding.
And I recognize that this isjust not my skill set.
This is not something I am goodat.
Whereas there were some otherpeople in the room who could
look at the spreadsheet and itwas just, it would just click
for them.
They would just know what itmeant and it would tell a story,
(11:27):
the numbers and the data.
They would see the patterns andthey would understand the
information that was beingcommunicated because that's how
their brain worked.
That was unique to them.
Whereas for me, I was far moreinclined to listen to someone's
(11:49):
life story and see the patternsand be able to make connections
and understand what was beingcommunicated and even be able to
pull things together that theythemselves hadn't been able to
pull together.
(12:09):
So when I stepped into a rolewhere I did get to work with
people and I did get to tellstories, and I did get to help
communicate, I thrived.
Like not only was I really goodat it, but I also grew in that
(12:32):
area.
And the business grew because Iwas in a role that matched my
unique gifting.
And that was a journey to findwhat that was, to find what it
was that I brought to the table.
(12:52):
And that honestly set up a justa passion in me to help
individuals find what they'rereally good at and be in roles
where they are operating intheir strengths, where however
their brain works, that's whatthey're doing.
I have two kids.
I have a son and a daughter.
(13:13):
And my son is very analytical,very mathematical.
He can see pieces and isamazing at putting things
together.
Like when we have like boughtfurniture before, you know, and
they come with the directions tobe able to build it, like if
(13:34):
you're building something fromIKEA or something.
I have literally just gone inin the room with him, handed him
the directions, had a cup ofcoffee, and sat down and just
supervised while he read throughthese directions and just knew
exactly what to do.
(13:54):
It it made sense to him and hewas able to put the furniture
together quickly, efficiently,competently, excellently.
Like he thrived doing that.
And so he has, we've given himLegos and he's built designs,
(14:15):
and he's so interested in howcomponents and pieces work
together.
So even as a child, he hasalready natural gifting and
strengths developing for beingan engineer, for being a
builder, for being an architect,like that has been evident in
(14:38):
his life since he's been atoddler.
And then I have a daughter whojust has a natural capacity, a
natural ability to actually bereally amazing in the kitchen.
So she has been baking from avery young age.
She's currently 10.
(14:59):
She can make birthday cakes andtreats and frosting and all of
these things from scratch.
She can cook gluten-free anddairy-free, and she understands
texture and consistency and baketime and the way flavors go
together or complement or don't.
(15:19):
She's not afraid to look at arecipe and make some of her own
adjustments.
And she's 10.
One time she added some pumpkinspice to some like sugar
cookies, and it was likephenomenal.
And I was like, How did you howdid you think of that?
And she was like, I don't know.
I just thought it would, I justthought it would taste good.
(15:40):
And I was like, wow, you justare far surpassing me in the
kitchen at a very, very youngage.
So those are the differencesbetween someone's natural
ability and what excellencelooks like.
And the goal is to alignsomeone who is going to thrive
(16:02):
in that role, whether it'sregardless of what the role is.
So then we have potential tothrive in the role.
So first we have ability, andnow we have potential.
So with potential, this is notonly what they bring to the
table, but it's it's two partsreally.
(16:24):
It is their ability to learnquickly.
It's because their mindprocesses information in a
specific way, their ability tocomprehend and learn and grow
and understand this role helpsthem to continue to grow and
(16:51):
learn and develop within therole, not for just what you
envision for it, but for allthat it can become.
Like they will take this roleand they will grow the role and
they will grow theresponsibilities because of what
they're able to do with justthis untapped potential.
(17:16):
So there are so many industriesnow where there's like,
especially in the trades, theexperienced workforce is
limited.
Like there are not enoughtrained expert people to hire
into positions.
(17:36):
And so there are so many likegreen, like brand new people
that we are having to like hireand train on the job, like train
within it, knowing that youdon't have the experience or the
background.
However, they have thepotential to learn quickly and
(18:00):
grow and thrive because theirbrain is able to like understand
it, comprehend it, and thentake it for further and then be
creative with it, and then comeup with more.
So this is what I mean,potential is amazing because it
(18:22):
opens up potential for yourbusiness.
This is where your businessstarts to grow because of what
they bring to the table, becausethey're working in their
natural strengths, because theyhave the ability to do the role,
because it aligns with theirunique God-given gifting.
Now the potential for growth isamazing.
(18:45):
It's it's limitless.
And you have these goals andthese expectations of what
you're trying to get to, butpotential is their ability to
blow past it.
Their potential is your team'sability to break through
ceilings and keep going.
(19:07):
That is the ultimate goal,really, of when we have
alignment with our people inculture as well as in role.
This is how we grow.
This is how we grow as abusiness.
It's through the the uniquegiftings and passions of your
(19:28):
team.
Because they are what driveprocesses, they are what drive
creativity and innovation andcustomer service and marketing.
Like it is people's brilliancethat shape a business, that
change lives, that come up withnew ideas.
And that's so exciting.
(19:49):
So when we're looking atalignment with a person in a
role, we're looking at not onlydo they have the ability, the
inherent skills, talents, andstrengths.
So it should be evident intheir life, not just, we don't
need examples of previous workexperience.
We need examples of how theseskills, like leadership skills,
(20:14):
those show up in school, thoseshow up in church, those show up
in your family, those show upin your group friends.
Like you don't need for them tohave been a manager.
You are looking for consistencyof these traits and
characteristics throughout theirlife.
And then we're also looking atthe potential, which when you're
(20:36):
interviewing, this isn't alwayseasy to figure out.
But we are looking at, okay,how much how do you learn or
what things interested interestyou?
Like, do you have an analyticalmind or do you have like a
relational mind?
Do you have an intuitiveness orI don't know, there's all kinds
(21:02):
of different we could get stuckon this point for a little bit.
But how does their mind processinformation and within your
work style, do all of thosethings match up?
And then the third area that wewant to look at as far as
capacity goes is bandwidth.
(21:25):
So their bandwidth to thrive inthe role.
And this is your biggestvariable because even the most
skilled, high potential personwill struggle if their bandwidth
is maxed out.
And bandwidth is oftendetermined by outside forces and
(21:49):
your season of life.
And this is very important tolook at.
And this is why we need to lookat the person as a whole.
We cannot just look at what'sgoing on in their life from
eight to five Monday throughFriday.
Because what's happening intheir life as an individual, it
(22:12):
impacts how they show up atwork.
So a couple examples of this.
So we have someone's mentalbandwidth.
So this is their abil abilityto focus and to be able to make
decisions.
And they have the space intheir mind.
So they're not overwhelmed withanxiety, they're not worried
(22:35):
about something else going on intheir life right now that is
taking them away from being ableto focus on work.
And like I said, this is thisis life.
This is the life component ofalignment.
And we won't always know thesethings when we're interviewing,
but you will absolutely knowthese things and be able to pick
(22:58):
up on these things when thisperson is on your team.
And sometimes these are seasonsthat we love them through and
we grow with them through and weguide them through and support
them through.
And sometimes these are seasonsthat create a fork in the road.
(23:19):
And sometimes there, the there,these are the things that
happen in life that can changewhether or not a person
continues to work for you bytheir own choice or by yours.
So we're looking at mentalbandwidth, we're looking at
emotional bandwidth, we'relooking at spiritual bandwidth,
(23:42):
physical bandwidth, and time andresources bandwidth.
And these are all prettyself-explanatory.
I mean, emotional bandwidth,it's, I mean, maybe, maybe this
person is going through adivorce.
Maybe this person is dealingwith a child at home right now
who's going through some reallydifficult things.
(24:02):
And that is taking a lot oftheir emotional bandwidth, and
it is limiting what they areable to give at work.
Spiritual, maybe they arebattling some faith stuff.
Maybe they're battling someinner demons that are kind of
eating away at them.
(24:24):
Physical, maybe they are notsleeping well, maybe they're not
eating well, maybe they'redealing with inflammation or
sickness or cancer.
I mean, these are just theseare things that come up in our
life that can totally derail ourplan.
(24:45):
You know, it's like if ifyou're great with your skills
and you have the potential tothrive and you're completely
aligned, but then you get sickor your wife gets sick, and that
changes your life because nowthere's treatments and now
there's rest and now there'sside effects.
(25:05):
Maybe you cannot continue inthat role, or in that role to
that same capacity, or withinthat schedule, or those
expectations.
Like this is just part of life.
And then time and resources.
So this is just like theinfrastructure and the support
(25:27):
and the systems that exist inour life that help us show up
and be our best self at work.
So it can even be somethinglike your kids' school schedule
or their sports schedule.
Or maybe you did go through adivorce and now you're uh
co-parenting, and some weeks youhave a lot of responsibility,
(25:51):
and some weeks you don't, andyou're having a really hard time
figuring out the balance orthis new transition, or maybe it
just doesn't work.
There are all of these thingsthat can affect alignment that
we have to consider.
We have to be aware of, we haveto be conscientious of and
(26:15):
realistic about because we justcannot separate the human and
the life from work and business.
It's it's all intertwined, itall affects each other.
And a red flag that you couldfind within a like an interview
process, bandwidth having to dowith something like let's say
(26:39):
they're struggling withaddiction, or let's say they're
struggling with some unhealthyfamily boundaries where there's
a lot of drama there.
And while they're an amazingperson and they have all the
giftings that you would want,because of their ability to not
(27:02):
set healthy boundaries with somefamily members, you just don't
see how they would be able tohave the bandwidth to thrive in
a role.
So there are all of thesedifferent dynamics at play.
And obviously in an interviewprocess, we can only find out so
(27:22):
much.
But if we're specific aboutwhat we're looking for and we
kind of know what the red flagslook like, it can just help us
prov it can help prevent us frommaking a decision that just
might not work out down the roadsimply due to a bandwidth
(27:47):
issue.
So the question really is onthat is does that person have
the margin and the space intheir life and in their mind,
their emotions, theirrelationships to perform at
their best?
And that's why we do check-inswith employees.
(28:07):
That's why we build trust andrelationships, that's why we
have quarterly conversations andweekly team meetings where
there is space, there isintentionality, there is an
environment so that we wereunderstanding the people and
we're continuing to get to knowthem as individuals and we're
(28:29):
aware of what's going on intheir life.
And there's an environment thatsupports that and facilitates
that within how we hold eachother accountable and how we
hold our brand and our cultureand our values accountable.
So if we have misalignment,some of those signs are gonna be
(28:52):
some roles that a person whojust does not have the skills or
the personality traits justnaturally to thrive in that
role.
Or they're in a role wheretheir strengths aren't being
used and the role itself is verydraining, it's very stressful,
(29:13):
it's very overwhelming.
Or they are continuing to likemake mistakes and forget things
or be easily distracted orprocrastinating because their
bandwidth is tapped out.
Like there's there's just toomuch on their plate.
(29:33):
And sometimes there are thingswith bandwidth that we can
control.
Sometimes if we're growing asan organization and we are
maxing out their bandwidthbecause we keep adding
responsibility and we keepadding work to their workload
and they just can't continue tokeep up, then that's a sign of
(29:56):
like, oh, maybe this person,maybe we need to hire an
additional person.
Or maybe we need to automatesome things, or maybe we need to
reallocate some resources.
Those are things where it'slike we can actually do
something about that withintheir bandwidth that helps maybe
mitigate and minimize thosemistakes and that forgetfulness
(30:17):
and that frustration or thatstress.
But sometimes that stress orthat frustration or overwhelm is
coming from their ability tonot go any further.
Like they have capped, theyhave hit their ceiling, they
have hit this.
(30:38):
Okay, I am competent and thisis the best I can do.
Like I am doing my best and youwant more from me, and I can't
give it.
And you're coaching me andyou're correcting me and you're
trying to train me more, and andwe're just not getting there
because that's the best thatthey have to give.
(30:58):
And you have to be able torecognize that as a leader that
this might not be the role forthem.
And you're missing out, and soare they, because the more we're
in a role where we know we'recapped, it will eat at us, it
will drain us, it willdemotivate us, there will be
(31:20):
disengagement, we will want toprocrastinate, we will be more
distracted because we know thatwe're made for more and we are
not living up to that potential.
And whether we can put words tothat or not doesn't change how
it comes to fruition in ourlife.
It doesn't change the fact thatit still happens, even if we
(31:44):
can't acknowledge it orunderstand what's happening at
the time.
So when we have alignment, whenyou have the right person and
they're in a role where theyhave the capacity to thrive,
they have the abilities, theyhave the potential, they have
the bandwidth, your businessbenefits from that.
(32:07):
Like you will see an increasein productivity, consistency,
and quality.
It will be fun, it will beengaging, it will be exciting.
You will see the result of themoperating at their highest
level.
And for them, they get thatbenefit as well.
(32:27):
Not because they are justhelping the business grow, but
because in their soul, in theirheart, in their mind, they know
they are being challenged, theyare being inspired, they are
being motivated, they aregrowing, they are developing,
they feel this purpose andmeaning.
And that is rewarding, that isfulfilling, that gives us a
(32:51):
sense of accomplishment.
Like God designed us that waybecause we're supposed to work
and we're supposed tocontribute, and we're supposed
to get to experience thismeaning in our life.
And so we can go home at theend of the day and we can be
like, I did something today, Icontributed in a meaningful way,
(33:14):
and it felt good.
I felt like I was firing on allcylinders, I felt like I was
coming up with all these ideas,I felt like I was catching all
these mistakes and and keepingus safe and keeping us on this
on the right path.
And there's there is life thatcomes out of that, and that is a
(33:36):
ripple effect for them as theindividual, for the the people
that they are around and thatthey influence, and then for the
business as a whole.
And we'll dive more into thatcontribution aspect in the next
episode.
But really, when we're lookingat capacity, we are looking for
(33:58):
ability, potential, andbandwidth.
And when people are in roleswhere they were created and
designed to thrive, theneverybody wins.
So make sure to stay tuned forthe next and final episode on
(34:20):
this series of creatingalignment with your people.
We will diving intocontribution and impact.
You can learn more at ClearAuthentic Brands.com.
That's all for this episode.
See you next time.
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