An agency team that owns outcomes and decisions.
“It feels like a glorified freelancing company.”
We work with owners of £100k to £3M agencies on team structure, hiring and leadership. We put a name against each outcome, agree the decisions that come with it and build the support people need to carry the work without sending it back to you.
Signs the team needs clearer ownership
- We've added people, but I'm still making every decision.
- Our best creative is now a manager with no time to manage.
- Two people think the other one owns the client.
- We hire when we're desperate, then worry about the salary.
- The team brings me problems, but never a recommendation.
How we fix it
- Map the work before the job titles
- We separate client-facing responsibilities from creative delivery and identify the gaps between them. Then we name the owners of commercial, delivery, client health, finance and operations. One person can hold more than one function while the team is small.
- Tie the next hire to real demand
- We review contracted work, capacity and the cost of the role before committing. A freelancer bridge lets us test whether the demand lasts and what help is actually needed. The next role should release useful capacity for the business.
- Train responsibility in stages
- We use watch, help, lead, solo for responsibilities people have not carried before. We show what good looks like and give feedback as they practise. Being good at production does not automatically prepare someone to lead a presentation or a team.
- Agree decisions and escalation
- We write down what each owner can decide and what needs to come back to you. The 1-3-1 rule asks for one problem, three possible solutions and one recommendation. We redirect questions to the named owner so their authority holds.
- Review outcomes together
- We put the key numbers and commitments into a weekly meeting. Each commitment has an owner, a due date and a definition of done. We check whether decisions and urgent escalations are reducing as the team takes responsibility.
What changed at Squint Creative
First hire made and integrated with KPIs and performance management
“Connor is genuinely brilliant. Every session helps us cut through the chaos and focus on what really matters. He's made such a positive impact on our business, not just in clarity and confidence, but in real, tangible progress. The investment has been more than worth it for the value we've gained.”Read the Squint Creative case study
Connor McAuley, Founder. As specialists join, each area gets its own lead here.
Read more on agency teams
Structure and leadership
Hire around the business
For agencies under £100k, start with the Scorecard and the YouTube channel. We do not book calls below this level.
Questions on agency team structure
How should we structure a small agency team?
Separate the client-facing work from creative delivery, then name who owns commercial, delivery, client health, finance and operations. In a small team one person can own several functions. Clear responsibility matters more than adding job titles.
When is the right time to hire?
Start with contracted demand and delivery capacity. Use freelancers to test whether a busy spell lasts and whether the gap is really production, coordination or something else. Check that the work and cash can support the role before committing to a salary.
Should our best creative become a team leader?
Production skill alone does not prepare someone to lead. Give them clear outcomes and staged practice: watch, help, lead with support, then solo. Review the new responsibilities separately from the craft they already know.
How do we stop every decision coming back to the owner?
Name the functional owner, give them a decision boundary and agree the exceptions that need escalating. Ask for a recommendation with each problem. Keep redirecting operational questions to that person, then review outcomes together each week.
Start with your team.
Score this area alongside the others and see which one to fix first.