saw two agencies, one struggling and one doing well.

What did they look like?

At the struggling agency, everyone was very busy, running around, multi-tasking, fighting fires, fixing mistakes, trying to help…

It resembled a hamster wheel… run, run, run… but there was no forward progress… just lots of activities.

This agency was creating more heat than light.

The creative department was extra busy - - interpreting briefs that were really drive-thru orders. The work reflected no insight. The decks were long, because there was no focus. The work was all over the place because there was no guidance. And the ideas were yesterday’s news, because they kept having to ‘make shit up’.

The group was disorganized. There were no profits. There were write-offs and mistakes and stuff slipped through the cracks. Outside vendors had to be used, because the work flow was unpredictable. There was a lot of complaining about clients, work load, budgets, each other etc etc.

Drama was high. Gossip was rampant. Everyone was distracted. People were confused about the direction, their roles, their performance, and their future. The leaders were too busy servicing clients and fighting fires to instill any stability, discipline, structure or strategy.

Business development was haphazard at best. There was no concerted outbound/outreach efforts or reputation development. There was no elephant hunting, because there were no tools, promises, cases, or contacts. Most clients were small, and demanding.

This agency did not live up to its promise. Clients cut budgets and shifted work. Employees drifted off, fed up with the reality. The leaders blamed each other and others. It was a nice idea, but never really took root. It became like so many other small agencies. Small and common.

Then, there was an agency rocking along…

It had:   Satisfied clients, who gladly

served as references for the agency to other clients

  Energized employees, who brought in other highly talented friends. And when an employee left, it was to a much bigger job.

  The phone ringing with inbound calls from potential clients and employees… its’ reputation was strong and magnetic

Satisfied clients

Energized employees

Phone ringing

How did these three things occur?

First, this agency had clearly articulated goals, strategies, a positioning, and a promise. Everyone knew these by heart, could recite them, believed in them, and lived by them.

Nothing phony baloney.

Second, only the best people were hired. No laggards, no slackers, no complainers. Only people who knew how to perform, how to deliver, how to improve things every day.   Contributors   Catalysts   Innovators   Promoters

Third, these people worked within a very disciplined structure, with clear processes, sharp tools, defined hierarchy, with no ambiguity or confusion. They could rely on the ‘system’ to make them efficient, so that they could worry about being effective.

Fourth, the great people and helpful ‘system’ begat fabulous work, and clients were well-pleased. It was almost effortless to get the work done, because the agency embodied problem-solving talent. Insightful, focused, methodical, innovative, inspired. It wasn’t easy for them to get to this point.

forming

storming

norming

performing

In fact, they went through the typical maturity curve:

But, interestingly, they went up the curve deliberately and quickly. While most groups get stuck along the way, or settle for a lower stage, this group made it a clear goal to be high-performing, and they were relentless in getting there. They were ambitious about running the agency like a swiss watch. (the struggling agency couldn’t get past the ‘storming’ step, mainly because there were too many agendas, too much hubris, and no real leadership)

Fifth, the true sign of success at this agency was their business development approach. They:   Invested in biz dev   Had a systematic approach

that was ongoing   Ran outbound direct and

mass messages   Trained everyone to ‘perform’

  Developed very sharp tools to use in development and in pitching

  Made sure everyone and everything supported the agency promise and the biz dev efforts

Just by looking at their new business efforts, you could tell that they were highly successful.

So, the successful agency had a meaningful promise, strong performers, happy clients, and above average profits and bonuses. It was an agency that resonated in the marketplace, that made a difference to client’s brands, that was known for being innovative and a great place to work, and that was highly disciplined so as to enable better work. Employees were confident and proud, deservedly so. And they were really happy to work hard, because they knew that their work would be a real contribution and that they would be well recognized.

he end The moral of the story: It’s easy to struggle, to be common, to be victims

And it’s hard to be special, to rise above, to really be high-performing.

jim.holbrook@emak.com