It’s discouraging how in-house agencies often have to suffer with poor process, dysfunctional org structure, insufficient staff, and inadequate infrastructure but must accept these circumstances that are seemingly outside of their control (and budget). To add insult to injury, they many times have to stomach it when upper management pounds them with criticism about poor performance even when those stakeholders are the very ones who have refused to invest in the agency in ways that will enhance agency performance – both operationally and creatively.
I also get that there are little to no openings or incentives to voice needs that will usually land on deaf ears. Even if concerns are expressed, it often results in gaslighting where upper management makes the agency’s failings the fault of the creative team and its leads. However, the long-term consequences of unmet needs are never good for IHAs and should probably be addressed regardless that there is only a meager chance that progress can be made.
In the rare instance where upper management’s lack of focus and support is a result of misunderstanding and ignorance of the creative process and requirements for success, then it’s on us to educate stakeholders by providing anecdotal and quantitative rationale for greater investment in the agency with an emphasis on the benefits (read ROI) of that investment for the company.
In the case where upper management understands the challenges your team is facing but is still unmoved, proactively lay out in writing the associated risk assessments and what the negative impacts of inaction are.
Speaking this kind of truth to power is frightening, to say the least. The blowback could be accusations that you’re not a team player or worse that you’re not the right fit for the job (read as incompetent) and you could get fired. But if you don’t objectively lay out the consequences of not addressing gaps within the agency, it’s on you when the top brass come back when your team fails and say they didn’t know there even was a problem.
Whatever you do, if your stakeholders refuse to provide additional and needed external support in the way of increased headcount, consultants, or new technology and instead demand that you use existing resources to fix the problems, push back hard but respectfully by showcasing the already maxed-out bandwidth of your team who are busy doing their damnedest to meet and exceed client expectations and how your tech infrastructure is creaking under the weight of increased use and feature demands. It’s kind of hard to retrofit the plane while it’s already in flight with duct tape and chewing gum.
Look, everyone is getting pressured to “do more with less” – a mandate that defies logic at best and is insulting to our intelligence at worst. Your managers are most likely facing the same financial demands and challenges as you and your in-house agency. Having some empathy for them is a good idea, but that doesn’t mean you should back off from doing what’s right for your team and ultimately your company. You owe it to yourself and your coworkers to fight for the kind of financial, infrastructure, and staffing support you truly need to provide the level of creative your clients and the greater organization expect and need.
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