I have been having conversations for a few weeks now with people and finding the definition of Capability = Capacity + Ability is being seen as more and more relevant.

I ask people what capacity they have to perform, i.e. the space to operate differently and I hear back a lot about workloads. I hear less about priorities, resources, systems, or culture.

Capacity isn’t just about how much work you do – it’s about the opportunity to shape the culture, feed back on systems, create and develop new relationships, and contribute to the organisation’s direction.

Without challenging capacity, you’re supporting people and helping their skills develop with no expectation they will be able to use, apply, or demonstrate them. And that’s not especially inspiring.