Resourcing should be Switzerland: advice from former resource leaders at Facebook and Metalab

What do resourcing and Switzerland have in common? At first glance, not much. But to Justin Watt, Co-Founder of Switchboard, who recently spoke about capacity planning during a Float live session, there are clear parallels between the role and a country famous for its neutrality 🇨🇭 

“I was told by a wonderful boss that resourcing should be Switzerland; [that] <highlight>using data is not an offensive mechanism to get what you want, but to get everyone on the same page to help make a decision</highlight>,” Watt says. 

In the same session, Jacquie Ford, Head of Consumer Operations at News Corp, agrees that “planners should be pragmatic. They shouldn’t make decisions.”

And we, at Float, couldn’t agree more. Resource managers act as mediators in resource conflicts, balancing various stakeholder interests while skillfully steering the teams in the right direction. 

Rewatch the session below: 

👉 Join us for our next live session: We need to talk about estimation happening on 21 November. Register here.

Resource managers as brilliant negotiators

Just like Switzerland can’t force countries toward a particular path, resource managers can’t insist on a course of action. This is challenging, of course, because you might have an idea of the best solution—but neutrality is exactly what sustains your place as a negotiator  🏳️

Resource managers may not be negotiating between nations, but they do act as neutral parties when managing conflicting interests and resource demands within an organization.

And much like Switzerland is often invited to help resolve conflicts because its neutrality makes it a great mediator, a resource leader brings stakeholders together to figure out the best way to resource projects or overcome roadblocks. It might not change the world, but it’s an important role! 🦸

Data is your negotiating superpower

Watt, who was previously Director of Operations at Metalab, argues that “if your goal is to be Switzerland, then you need as much data as you can, as people will look to you for it.”

Both he and Ford agree about the importance of owning and using resource data to offer possible solutions to stakeholders. Data is key in the negotiation because it’s not subjective; it’s facts, uncolored by interests. It also gives all parties involved a holistic view of the organization—and usually, the resource manager is the person/role with the most access to it. 

<pull-quote>

<quote>

Your role is to [equip] your partners with the data they need to make confident, informed decisions.

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<pull-quote-author>Jacquie Ford</pull-quote-author>

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Looking at resource data, you can see all the possibilities and solutions, making you an integral part of moving discussions forward. For example, Ford, who is also a former Global Operations Lead, Creative X at Facebook, specifically recommends “using scenario modeling data to guide decisions. For example, if we bring in more people, we can speed up the work—here’s what that looks like. Or, if we stick with our current capacity, we know the project will take longer.”  

Spreadsheets are not the tool for resourcing data

So where does all this data exist? Conversations with dozens of customers have shown us that the status quo for most resource managers is to store their resource allocation, utilization, and planning data in the trusty spreadsheet. 

We get it—it’s affordable. It’s easy to set up. 

But while spreadsheets appear to be a friend you can lean on in the early days, they quickly become a fiend you have to wrestle with for accurate data later on. According to Ford, spreadsheets are "fantastic for doing what they do best but not scalable for bigger teams, particularly if you’re looking for accuracy and reliability.”

Or, for an even spicier take:   

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<quote>

Spreadsheets are the junk food of resource management—they’re easier and more satisfying in the short term, but they’ll make you sick if you rely on them too long.

</quote>

<pull-quote-author>Justin Watt</pull-quote-author>

</pull-quote>

One small change to your VLOOKUPs, and everything goes up in flames 🔥 Not to mention that they're not updated in real time and don't sync with other tools for managing people and project data. 

As Watt says, “If you don’t have [data] in place, that’s when things start to fall apart resource-wise.”

Resource management software to the rescue

According to Watt, a better alternative to spreadsheets is “any tool that allows you to start to break down people’s capacity at an individual level, manage time off, plan tentatively, and provide reporting.”

Dedicated tools are intentionally designed for efficient work scheduling and resource allocation. They offer a bird’s-eye view of your team and projects, allowing you to see everyone’s capacity and manage workloads in real time 🕜

For example, Float was built by former agency folks who knew the pains of managing capacity from spreadsheets. As such, it has everything a spreadsheet can’t give you: 

• A centralized schedule with real-time data on allocations and capacity
• Support for planning unconfirmed projects  
• Visual reports as projects progress
• An API that allows you to send data collected within the tool to other platforms, making it easy to share and analyze accurate information

You’re an enabler, not an enforcer of decisions

Resourcing should operate like Switzerland—a neutral party focused on managing resource conflicts and providing options for moving forward. As a resource manager, your role isn’t to dictate outcomes but to offer data that helps others make the best decisions.

And the best way to access this data? Using dedicated resource management software (like Float 👋 ) that gives you deep insights into capacity and allocations while putting people and their needs at the forefront.