Episode 179:

The number one barrier to growth for agencies in 2019 is staffing. Agencies are struggling to find and keep good talent. And that conversation always leads to the topic of culture. When we think about culture – we often think about the fun stuff – parties, bonuses, and recognizing people for going above and beyond for clients.

All of that is super important but it is also equally critical to instill a culture that seeks, celebrates, and rewards growth. What are the attributes of a growth culture – and how do you make sure your agency has it?

A longtime practitioner in this area of creating a growth culture inside your agency is my guest on this episode: Doug Austin. In this episode, we talk about why that is the key to, in Doug’s words, “having permission to win that business.”

Doug has been doing agency work for many years and now spends his time as a consultant, working with agency owners and leaders to create a culture of growth in their business. We’re going to dig deep into what a growth culture means and how to get it.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

  • The steps of a four-tiered plan for growth and innovation
  • Why it is important to know your client’s business inside and out
  • How to build training in the industries you serve into your overall training program
  • How to write a brief that makes sense to your client
  • Best practices for setting up training for agency employees
  • Creating a culture of growth
  • Building a culture based on the worth of all people and doing the best work you can
  • The connection between continuous learning and a culture of growth
  • How to perform a service audit of your agency
  • Dealing effectively with culture culprits

    • The Golden Nuggets:

    “To demonstrate your authority in a field, figure out where the points are, figure out what the opinions are, and then have one yourself.” – Doug Austin Click To Tweet “If you’re going to grow, know what you’ve got, know what you’re good at, and know where the opportunities are. Then you can assemble the right team for the work.” – Doug Austin Click To Tweet “We need to stop talking about sales and biz dev, and start talking about growth and innovation.” – Doug Austin Click To Tweet

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