Don’t Overestimate Your Capacity

Do you have too many projects? Who doesn’t? Sure, I do too, but for some reason it never occurred to me that I could do something about it in a way that could help me to be more successful. Who in their right mind would throw away a perfectly good project? Apparently some very smart, productive people; people and businesses that by the way are more successful than I am and probably less stressed too.

I was introduced to this concept by Anne Messenger, a colleague of mine of Messenger Associates Inc., after she returned from a WPO conference this spring. One of the speakers, Dr. Rebecca Henderson, of the Harvard Business School had given an address on overloading your capacity. She called this concept “Kill Project #26.

It is really a very basic philosophy when you stop and think about it.

Most people, especially entrepreneurs and small business owners consistently overestimate their capacity.

So, take a few minutes to examine all of your projects and possible commitments with a critical and realistic eye; whether they are ongoing, in the planning phase or tabled for a later date.

• Do you have any projects that have been hanging around for quite a while?
• Projects that have been started, but are just dragging on and don’t seem to get completed?
• How about projects that everybody is in favor of, but nobody has the time to tackle?
• The toughest are the projects that you are just so attached to and desperately want to get off the ground, but you don’t have quite enough time to get to today, or this week or this month.

Hint: If you find yourself saying, “I’ll get to that tomorrow,” “maybe I’ll schedule some time for that next week,” “after the busy season is done,” it is a tip off that it is a doomed project.

These projects are wonderful, worthwhile and possibly valuable undertakings. The problem is that there just aren’t enough resources to devote to them. The kicker being that even if you did clear the decks and power through the aforementioned project; it would turn into a “time-suck,” draining resources and time away from the rest of your business or your life.

What do you do then? I like Dr. Henderson’s advice, but “kill” seems so unkind and 26 seems so overwhelming to me. I would be overcapacity way before # 26. I prefer, “Terminate project 10.” Why? Simple, because “terminate” brings to mind having to let go of an employee that everyone loves and has such a great personality, but just can’t do the job. It’s similar to terminating a friendship or relationship that you have been clinging to, but has just turned into a toxic drain. I chose 10, because that seems like such a nice, round, even number. It would seem to your mind that you should be able to do 10 projects at once; it sounds reasonable, but it isn’t.

It won’t be easy. In fact it may be painful if you are emotionally attached to a certain endeavor, but for your own sanity and the health of your company you must say farewell. Do you want to retain your competitive advantage or not?

Your task, should you choose to accept it: Get out the ax and terminate project 10!

Then toast “Bon Voyage” and let it go.