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Exploring how superfounders build amazing agencies — and sharing what I learn in the Agency Espresso and Agency Leaders Playbook. |🏅 Top 10 Inspirational Agency Leader | 4x Founder | 📖 Author | 🎤 Ex BBC Journalist

Agencies need T-shaped talent. People who have very broad skillsets and experience, but who go deep in a specialist field. Yet most agency recruitment is to fit somebody into a very boxy job title. Project Manager. Business Development. Designer. Copywriter. And so on. What the best talent loves about working in agencies, though, is the variety. The chance to learn and grow. So if boxy job titles aren't what the agency needs, or the talent wants, how about we ditch them? Imagine if your recruitment invited people to assemble a job with their ideal portfolio of roles. "We need someone with a deep specialism in ____, and we also currently need these other broad roles fulfilling in the business... When you apply, design the portfolio that would be ideal for you." That way someone could apply to be your video editor, but also organise your monthly internal knowledge-sharing sessions, run your agency newsletter, and take charge of a project to develop your client onboarding. Agency careers can be portfolio careers, and that can attract talent in a way no corporate job can compete with. --- #agencyespresso #agency #agencyleadership #agencygrowth #agencyowner

It’s a very good point. A single, narrow talent won’t cut the mustard. Rather than T-shaped, we refer to “comb shaped” skills as being broad to cover communication, management, leadership, being social or just human and then deeper skills in specific technology or subject matter (eg education or health etc). That way we can have high functioning teams able to lead, communicate, advise, manage and include those “making and doing” skills to build solutions. Honestly, everyone has gaps and so a culture of continuous improvement is important. Close some gaps and choose your deep strengths and become a serious pro!

Ivan Stegic

I'm CEO of TEN7, a digital agency that builds, rescues and cares for Drupal sites • ten7.com/quote

12mo

I love this Steve! Cc Danielle Adelman Megan Glover

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