If your goal is to grow your agency, it’s time to take a look at some agency management best practices to see where you can improve. The way you approach agency management is just as important as the services you provide, and you are in control of your agency’s future.
In this article, we’ll discuss some agency management techniques you can use to start your journey to an eight-figure agency.
The House Management Model
When it comes to managing your agency, you need structure to keep everyone working towards a common goal. At 8 Figure Agency, we use the house management model, which builds agency management best practices in the same way you’d build a house – from the ground up.
Foundation
The first part of a house and a good management strategy is the foundation. In our approach, we start with laying out the elements that hold the agency up.
Org Charts
Your agency needs to be defined by a clear organizational structure that every employee understands. Create an org chart that outlines the reporting structure of the entire business. Make the chart accessible to your employees and update it often to reflect any personnel changes.
Goals
If your team doesn’t know what they’re working toward, they’re never going to get there. It is imperative that each new hire is provided with short and long-term goals that will define their success. Craft the goals so they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound.
KPIs
If you want your employees to meet goals, you need to clearly lay out the criteria by which their progress will be measured. As you create your strategic plans, outline key performance indicators, and make clear who is responsible for what. Consider evaluating your employees on how well they embody the values of your business.
Clear Expectations
For your employees and, ultimately, your agency to be successful, everyone must fully understand what is expected of them. Set a precedent early on for open communication about what is expected of your team. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks and assign action items so nothing slips through the cracks.
Using Onboarding to Lay Your Foundation
New-hire onboarding is the perfect time to start laying the foundation of your agency management. Before your new employees even start on a client-facing task, they should be fully trained on the foundational elements of your business.
Map out what the first 90 days of employment will look like for each employee and provide a detailed plan for how they will be trained. Prioritize training employees on the content that they will immediately be putting to use and work outward.
Bricks
After you lay a strong foundation for your agency, you can begin setting the bricks, or the business elements that help the agency take shape.
Checklists
Standardize as many of your workflows as possible with checklists. This adds consistency to your operations and makes it less likely for careless mistakes to be made. Checklists make it easier to train employees on various tasks and can be very valuable for business continuity in the event of certain emergencies.
Execution
Once all these elements are in place, it is up to you to follow through and make sure each task is being executed as they should be. Check in regularly with your team and offer support as needed.
Cement
The final layer in the agency management house model is the cement that holds the structure together.
Audits
Regularly monitor the elements of your agency management best practices to see what is working and what is not. It might be necessary to adjust your approach from time to time.
Feedback
Create a culture where your team feels comfortable giving and receiving feedback to help everyone achieve their goals. Regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative, it should be shared in a constructive and helpful way.
One-on-Ones
A great way to share feedback with employees is through one-on-one sessions. Scheduling time with each employee gives them the ability to have your full attention, and that may make them feel more comfortable sharing feedback with you and accepting feedback from you. These sessions should be held regularly, at least once a month.
Removing Barriers
Your regular communication with your team will give you valuable insight into what barriers may be blocking their path to success. It is important to ask your employees what you can do to offer support so they don’t feel like they are alone in their journey toward meeting their goals. Be sure they understand that your success depends on their success.
Regular Reviews
It is a good idea to schedule regular reviews with your employees. Consider reviewing employee performance more often than just once a year. Semi-annual or quarterly reviews can uncover issues that need to be addressed sooner than a year from now.
Build A Foundation of Best Practices
If you’re ready to build best practices that launch your agency on the path to eight figures, our experienced and motivated team is here to guide and support you. Schedule a free consultation with 8 Figure Agency today and we’ll show you where to go from here.
