The Difference Between “Capacity” and “Get It”

As you may know, one of the core tools and disciplines for helping a leader determine whether someone is in the right seat is GWC™, which is an acronym for making certain that a person gets it, wants it, and has the capacity to do his or her job. If any of the three are a “no,” that person is in the wrong seat. It’s very simple and very powerful.

With this truth, there’s some confusion and assumed overlap between “get it” and “capacity.” Hopefully, this will help clear it up.

Get it:

“Get it” has to do with culture and MO. When someone gets it, all of the neurons in his or her brain connect when it comes to functioning in the role. He or she has a feel for the position’s dynamics—all of the ins and outs. A helpful—though sometimes debatable—point is to think about how salespeople don’t get finance people and finance people don’t get salespeople.

Capacity:

Capacity has to do with skills, abilities, time, and knowledge. When someone has the capacity, he or she is capable of doing the work that needs to be done. Sometimes a “no” here is solvable. A “no” in getting it or wanting it, however, is not. While a problem of capacity can be solved, it is rare. If you believe the person can gain the capacity and you’re willing to invest the time, resources, and energy for him or her to do so, do it. It’s just that most growing organizations need the seat filled completely now and don’t have the luxury of waiting one to three years for someone to gain the capacity. Sometimes it’s a time capacity issue that can be solved by helping the person delegate and elevate to have enough time to do the job well.

With “get it” and “capacity” now clear, think about all of your people right now. Is anyone sitting in a seat who doesn’t get, want, or have the capacity to do the job? If any of the three are a “no,” you must make a change. You owe it to the company and to that person.