Wingspan Labs

Decision guide

Is this a capacity problem or a workflow problem?

It may be both. Before adding more work or more people, look at demand, ownership, handoffs, waiting, rework, and decisions that repeatedly return to the same person.

Work through the questionsLearn about nonprofit consulting

Four questions

Pause here before choosing.

You do not need perfect answers. The point is to make the uncertainty visible.

  1. Is there simply more work than available time?

    Compare recurring demand with the hours and skills genuinely available.

  2. Where does work wait?

    A long queue may come from an unclear decision, missing information, or a handoff—not only too few people.

  3. Who can make the decision?

    Work slows when responsibility is broad but decision authority is narrow or hidden.

  4. What happens when one person is absent?

    A process that depends on one person’s memory often needs documentation and shared capability.

Reasons to move forward

Continue when these are mostly true.

  • Demand remains higher than realistic capacity after the process is clarified.
  • Required skills are genuinely missing.
  • Essential coverage cannot be sustained.
  • The organization has stopped lower-priority work and the gap remains.

Reasons to pause

Wait when these remain unresolved.

  • Work is repeatedly redone.
  • Ownership changes from case to case.
  • Requests arrive without needed information.
  • Most decisions wait for one person even when others could act.

A simple starting point

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