The Gap Between Capabilities and Work

Many organizations map capabilities but stop short of linking them to the work that expresses them. As a result, capability models remain theoretical, disconnected from structure, cost, and value.

Many organizations treat capability mapping as a one-time exercise. Teams define lists of capabilities  and group them into categories such as core, enabling, or strategic. But once the map is complete, it  rarely informs structural or investment decisions. Leaders continue allocating resources and designing  jobs with only cursory reference to the capability model. This gap persists because capabilities, by themselves, are not operational. They describe potential, not execution. 

To make capabilities meaningful, they must be tied to the specific activities that represent them. Only  then can leaders see whether the organization’s structure, cost, and effort actually align with its stated  strengths. Without this connection, capability mapping stays conceptual, insightful in theory, but  irrelevant to decisions about work, value, and performance.

Why This Connection Matters

In organization design, Target Operating Models (TOMs) provide the strategic context for capabilities,  but capabilities quickly become part of the everyday language of the enterprise. Unfortunately, despite  their obvious importance, methods for reliably measuring capabilities have been largely unsuccessful.  The key to correcting this lies in activities. 

When structured properly, activities reveal what the organization is actually designed to do, not just  what it hopes to achieve. They provide the missing link between strategy and execution, showing where  work, cost, and value truly reside. By connecting capabilities to the activities that express them, leaders  can measure whether the organization’s effort and investment align with its stated priorities. Without  this connection, capability maps remain conceptual, and their potential to guide real decisions is lost.

How Orgsure Bridges the Gap

Orgsure was designed in-part to close this gap. It links every activity in the organization to a capability  group and specific capability, then connects each capability to one or more strategy types. This  structure creates a direct line of sight from strategy to work. Orgsure includes 13 strategy types, which  serve as the connective layer between operational data and strategic intent. Because strategic  objectives can also be linked to these same strategy types, the system allows organizations to measure  not only how work supports capabilities but also how capabilities and activities collectively support the  objectives they are meant to achieve. In other words, Orgsure translates abstract strategy into  measurable operational reality. 

The system measures FTE, cost, and value associated with every capability, enabling users to see  exactly how much organizational effort and investment support each one. Leaders can test whether the  distribution of work matches the organization’s stated priorities, and whether the return on that  investment aligns with strategic importance. If a strategic capability shows limited activity or declining  value, Orgsure surfaces the imbalance. If a support capability consumes a disproportionate share of  FTEs or pay, the system highlights inefficiency. By grounding capability mapping in activity-level data  and linking both to strategy types, Orgsure transforms it from a static diagram into a working model of  how strategy is executed. 

The Core Insight

Capabilities are only meaningful when they connect to the work that expresses them. Orgsure creates  that connection by linking activities to capabilities, and capabilities to strategy types that tie directly to  organizational objectives. This framework makes capabilities measurable in terms of FTE, cost, and value, turning conceptual maps into operational intelligence. It helps leaders see where the  organization’s effort and investment truly reside, and whether those patterns match the strategy they  are meant to serve. 

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The Role of Pay Distribution in Value Analysis

Most organizations view pay purely as a cost, but Orgsure treats it as a signal of value. By analyzing where each position sits within its pay range, Orgsure adjusts value calculations to reflect real return on compensation.

The Case for Strain

Traditional capacity measures like utilization and productivity overlook how work is actually experienced. Orgsure introduces strain—a capacity-response measure that captures the tension between workload and the ability to absorb it.

Why Measuring Both Expertise and Intensity Matters

Not all work is created equal — some requires deep expertise, others relentless intensity. Yet most systems treat them the same.