7.2 Workload Planning

Workload planning is not about allocating resources to specific projects or tracking the actual time spent on a role. Instead, it focuses on distributing the available time across all assigned roles. This is the only way to communicate expectations and establish clear priorities.

Example:

• A person is employed full-time, meaning they have 1 FTE available.

• They have three roles in their profile.

• You could assign each role 0.33 FTE, which would make them equally important, requiring an even time distribution.

• Or you could allocate 0.8 FTE to one role and only 0.1 FTE to each of the others.

• This makes it clear which role is the priority, and everyone should understand that not much will happen in the other two roles.

• If you want to change this, you need to shift time—take some from one role and add it to another.

This way of thinking helps avoid unrealistic expectations, and discussions can take place on a logical, transparent level.

Full details in the Knowledge Base.

1. Peyton has 1 FTE available but is only scheduled for 0.5 FTE. That’s why the workload pill is yellow.

2. Harley has 0.7 FTE available but is scheduled for 1.5 FTE. That’s why her workload pill is red.

3. Finley is scheduled exactly according to his availability. His pill is green.

4. This team wants to allocate 1.25 FTE to "PPT Design" and has done exactly that, so the pill is green.

5. "CO2 Reduction" is overstaffed, so the pill is red—someone would need to be removed or the planned FTE increased.

6. "Programming" is understaffed, which is why the pill is yellow.

7. At the top, you can see the planning overview across the entire team (Available / Planned / Distributed).