The reality of nonprofit work is that you will always have more to do for your mission. However, you cannot serve your community if you are constantly in reactive or emergency mode… and then you burn out. We don’t want you to reach that point. To create a lasting impact, your team needs to work at a nonprofit sustainable pace. We can help you determine and establish your pace.

 

Why Sustainable Pace Matters

A sustainable pace is the speed at which a team can work indefinitely without exhaustion. And the obstacle to achieving that pace, in many organizations we have seen, is that “heroic efforts” (like working through vacations or staying late) have become the norm. Although these efforts might finish a project, they damage the long-term health of your staff.

 

By using data to find your pace, you remove the need for these unsustainable habits. This approach ensures that your team remains healthy, focused, and ready to serve your constituents for years to come.

 

What Is “Yesterday’s Weather”?

In the Scrum framework, we use a concept called “Yesterday’s Weather” to plan future work. This principle suggests that the best predictor of how much work your team can do in the next Sprint is how much they actually completed in previous Sprints.

 

Just as a meteorologist looks at recent patterns to make the forecast, nonprofit leaders should look at historical data rather than “gut feelings” or optimistic guesses. This data acts as a ceiling for your upcoming work, preventing the team from over-committing.

 

Stop the burnout cycle. Watch our free webinar on Sustainable Pace to see how real nonprofit teams transitioned from needless “hero mode” to a predictable, healthy rhythm.

 

How to Calculate Your Team’s Capacity

You can track your previous pace using two primary methods, depending on how your team estimates the effort required for each project or work product.

 

Method 1: T-Shirt Sizing

If your team uses relative sizes (Extra Small to Extra Large) for estimating your work, track how many of each t-shirt size you finish in a Sprint. After three Sprints, you can see your average. For example, if you usually finish two Large and four Medium tasks, do not plan for six Large tasks in the next cycle.

 

Method 2: Story Points

For teams using numerical values for estimating, calculation is simple. Add the total points for the work your team completed in the last three Sprints and divide that sum by three. This average is your “Velocity.” When planning your next block of work, your total points should not exceed this average.

 

Download our Nonprofit’s Guide to Estimating a Backlog webinar to learn more about how to use these metrics to advocate for your team’s well-being, setting realistic expectations with leadership and your board about your team’s sustainable pace.

 

Key Takeaways

• Indefinite Success: A sustainable pace is one your team can maintain forever without burnout.
• Data-Driven Planning: Use “Yesterday’s Weather” to predict future capacity based on past performance.
• Respect the Ceiling: Never plan for more work than what your average completion rate indicates is possible.
• Reset Often: Recalculate your pace whenever a team member joins or leaves the group.

FAQ

What if our mission requires us to work more quickly just for now? Although short bursts of extra effort happen, they should be the exception. If “urgent” becomes the daily standard, your team will eventually lose its effectiveness, and turnover is likely. Use your data to show leadership why a slower, more consistent pace produces better results over time.

 

How many Sprints do we need before the data is accurate? Typically, you need at least three Sprints to establish a reliable average for “Yesterday’s Weather.”

 

Does a sustainable pace mean we are doing less work? Actually, it often means that you do more high-quality work. Because the team is not exhausted, they make fewer mistakes and stay more engaged with the Product Goal.

Protect Your Greatest Asset: Your People

Your staff members are the engine behind your mission. Protecting their energy is not just a “nice to do” task; it is a strategic necessity for your organization’s survival.

 

Download our Sustainable Pace Guide to try our helpful worksheets for calculating your team’s Velocity. To dive even deeper into building a healthy work culture, check out our full library of recorded webinars.