Take Agency - For you and them

The new use of "agency" has fascinated me. By now, you have undoubtedly heard someone refer to "human agency" in a sentence, "He has a sense of agency."?This is different from what we have known the term to be used before, meaning a 3rd party that contracts to do work on behalf of another company.

?When I went looking for a definition to understand the new use of agency when referring to an individual, I found it in the National Library of Medicine:

What does it mean for a person to have agency?  

Sense of agency refers to the feeling of control over actions and their consequences.        

Digging in a bit deeper, the explanation below offered more context.

When we make voluntary actions we tend not to feel as though they simply happen to us, instad we feel as though we are in charge.  The sense of agency refers to this feeling of being in the driving seat when it comes to our actions.        

I enjoy nerding out on the definition of words and frequently Google them to understand their traditional and alternative meanings better. In this case, I will "take agency" in describing why I find using 3rd party agencies to be a strategic advantage in a business sense of agency. (Caution! Rabbit holes ahead!!!!)?

In our Commercial Strategy org chart, you will find both names with titles (employees) and names with companies (agencies) equally represented as part of our internal organization. This is a progressive org chart that defines the alignment within our organization as efficiently as a traditional org chart, however, offering the full story of the value of our partners within our organization by including them in the chart.

At the Kessler Collection, our Commercial Org Chart is considered "progressive"; we include our 3rd party agencies in our org chart in alignment with our employees. This is rarely seen in a traditional org chart. In other companies, 3rd party agencies are part of the "construct" (Oooh, another new word use…I digress) within the organization but typically camouflaged behind the internal employees within those respective departments. At Kessler, we don't hide our agencies but call them out as we consider them to be as much a part of our Commercial Organization as if they were on our payroll. We pay them for a service they are held accountable for, and therefore, regardless of where that payment lands on the P&L, they are treated no differently than our employees.

The reason we align our agencies with our internal employees is simple; if the relationships between the two are seen as equal, so is the expectation. For example, our Branding Director relies as heavily on our Creative Agency as on our internal marketing team. The relationship between the two, much like coworkers, creates a success that neither has to share, unlike coworkers. A win for the agency is a win for the director; however, the success is optimized because both have "agency" over their respective companies and departments. (I told you there would be rabbit holes!)

The place where I have found 3rd party agencies to be critical to our success is in those disciplines that are evolving. The most immediate example is in Marketing. Marketing has evolved dramatically in the last ten years from "Traditional" to "Digital."?The skillset to lead and execute digital marketing tactics is far more complex and less subjective. It requires a skill set that is well-versed in the current digital marketing trends while keeping its finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving discipline.?

Using marketing as an example, the use of an agency is premium because you are getting the expertise of a "team" versus that of one individual. Further benefits to having an agency on board is the ability to push harder for more thorough reporting, new strategies, and relentless accountability. When hiring someone in-house to do the same job, their skillset and bandwidth will limit the capacity of the digital marketing reach and, therefore, the company's ability to stay ahead of the curve. This is not to say that they replace the one person on the internal team, but rather that that person now has an entire agency to work through to expand their reach, and, therefore, the company's success is optimized.?

Pivoting back to the concept of "human agency," you, as the leader, can control the outcomes by managing the commitment with 3rd party agencies devoid of HR implications. Said more bluntly, if you do not want to continue with the agency for any reason, you can exercise termination. This example of "agency" is supreme control to continue trying various strategies and skill sets, fail fast, and move on. For a Commercial Organization coming out of a pandemic, this has been supreme to our success in being able to change directions quickly as our customer continues to evolve from leisure, to corporate, to welcoming groups back, all the while navigating through economic uncertainty.?

I want to challenge you to look at your 3rd party agencies. Think beyond those that call themselves "agencies" and review every contract for service you have signed. Are you pushing hard enough? Have you seen their service change with the change in travel over the last three years? Are these services still relevant post-pandemic? More importantly, ask the internal team if and how they are using the agency. As the agency's service is no longer needed, you may need to shift to new, more relevant agencies to further the strategy.?

As the leader, "take agency" over your Commercial Strategies. Change the norm and, in tandem, your org chart. Hire one person on your team that knows the skillset and then align them with an agency that can reach beyond their singular bandwidth. Use the agencies to empower your internal team. Allow your employees "agency" by giving them control over their job through the work of teams of people at 3rd party agencies that can accomplish far more than one individual.

As we emerge from the rabbit hole, here is the benefit to you…

• Employees stay because they feel empowered and enriched.
• Agencies that will commit to your company because of the "agency" you offer them in NOT treating them like an "agency."
• You, the leader, can stay at a higher altitude, creating strategies that previously might have felt out of your reach due to a lack of staff or expertise.?

Ultimately, everyone wins because we all want to control our environments without fighting for that control or agency. When one wins, we all win. #Winning