The frustration described is all too common in agencies that have the ambition and desire to scale to new heights, but where the agency hasn’t reset its modus operandi from the ground up to prepare and deliver the change.

New ways of working are needed. This change of gear needs more than just talented candidates – it needs clear objectives and structure combined with authority, empowerment and real accountability. Miss or under deliver on these vital pillars and the intended commercial and operational impact of the leadership team won’t be realised to the on-going detriment of the business’ performance and its culture.

But get this right, and your business will thrive.

A successful Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will be transformational for any agency – it’s a major step that a founder can take towards genuinely playing in position at the helm of a business, setting the vision, providing genuine leadership (not management) and focussing on the most valuable and empowering specialist inputs rather than taking a broad-brush approach to the entire business. Get this right and not only will the business thrive and the joys of running a business come to the fore again, but you will create a more stable, predictable and ultimately more prosperous business that combines creative flair with structure and process.

However, set up the transformation process wrongly and you’ll set off without the clarity and foresight necessary to make your SLT work. This will result in a business that has set new ambitions, but one that is working to the rules of a smaller and very different model, and which is likely to overheat and fall short of its new objectives.

To deliver the best possible transition from owner managed business to one that can scale, there’s a three-stage approach which ensures you are preparing the ground for building an engine that couples the benefits of consistency and efficiency with the best of individual brilliance.

Phase One: Defining success

The old adage goes “What’s got you here, won’t get you there”, and as a starting point it’s beneficial to clear your mind of the old ways and practices that have built the success you have had so far. Focus on the future and identify what your transformed business will look like. Success will emerge from looking forward and imagining a new world, not justifying why the status quo needs to remain.

In essence, the basis and starting point of a transformation to a successful SLT led business doesn’t start with appointing the people that will form your SLT.

The work starts with considering and defining the project plan for the SLT’s purpose, its introduction and its accountability.

Key questions to consider include:

• What do we actually want the business to achieve?
• What exactly is the role and expectation of the SLT in this?
• How do our systems and processes need to evolve to accommodate our new future?
• Do I have the right people with the rights skills to deliver this?
• How do we allow for future growth of the SLT team?
• How will we measure the SLT’s success?
• How will I make them accountable as a team and as individuals?
• How will I have confidence to let go and lead rather than manage?
• Does our culture need updating to accommodate a new style of leadership?

For the best and longest lasting results, approach this phase with mindful consideration – the answers are likely neither simple or quick to obtain.

Phase Two: Implementation

With the initial groundwork complete you’re now ready to plan and roll out the SLT structure and roles and responsibilities you have defined. You will need to display patience and persistence as you build empowerment in the SLT. Considerations at this stage include:

• How do we ensure the founder and SLT are aligned and are pulling in the same direction?
• How will the SLT communicate?
• How will the SLT morph between business leadership and senior client project delivery?
• How can we recognise that Rome wasn’t built in a day?
• How can we encourage curiosity, innovation and experimentation?
• What are the rewards of success?

At this stage, your SLT team should be clear on expectations and should have bought into the challenge ahead and their new role within the business. 

Phase Three: Determining success

With a SLT up and running, bringing accountability to the fore and ensuring the efforts of the SLT lead to decisive and focussed action is key. Determining success will require you to discuss and to agree:

• What do we do with the measurement data we collect?
• How will we discuss challenges and celebrate successes?
• How will we agree the actions that emerge from the SLT to deliver results and a spirit of continuous improvement?

The process of instilling an SLT will require patience and a calm head but get it right and your business will be ready for its next stage of growth commercially, culturally and operationally.

Seek support and counsel

Embarking on this transformation alone, or with the existing senior members of your team, can be a daunting, potentially unproductive and slow process. Seeking third party counsel from experienced advisors can provide focus and expertise to fast track the process, and bring tools and techniques that have had prior proven success.

About Jeremy Paterson