How Agency Owners Can Provide Structure with Clodagh Higgins
Key Takeaways
- There is a distinct mindset difference between agency owners and team members - what energizes entrepreneurs creates anxiety for employees
- Hire people suited to specific roles rather than trying to clone yourself as the agency owner
- As teams grow, appointing someone dedicated to team management becomes critical for maintaining structure
Andrew Dymski welcomes Clodagh Higgins, agency consultant at Grow It Group and author of A Happy and Healthy Digital Agency, to discuss a topic that trips up many agency founders: the gap between how entrepreneurs think and what their team members actually need.
The Mindset Gap
Clodagh starts with a fundamental observation. Agency owners are wired for uncertainty. They thrive on the energy of building something new, pivoting when needed, and navigating ambiguity. This mindset is what makes them entrepreneurs. But here is the problem: most employees are wired differently. They need clarity, predictability, and defined expectations to do their best work.
When agency owners run their organizations the way they personally like to work - with constant change, fluid priorities, and minimal documentation - they inadvertently create an environment that stresses their team. The very qualities that make someone a good entrepreneur can make them a challenging boss if they do not adapt their leadership style.
Hiring for Roles, Not for Clones
One of Clodagh’s most practical recommendations is to stop hiring people who are miniature versions of yourself. Many agency owners instinctively gravitate toward candidates who share their entrepreneurial energy and tolerance for chaos. But those are not the qualities that make someone a great project manager, designer, or account executive.
Instead, Clodagh recommends hiring people who complement the existing team and fit the specific demands of the role. A great project manager needs to be organized, detail-oriented, and process-driven - qualities that many entrepreneurs lack. A strong developer needs to be focused and methodical. Hiring for these specific qualities, rather than for general entrepreneurial spirit, builds a more effective team.
Building Structure Without Killing Creativity
Clodagh acknowledges the concern many agency owners have: that adding structure will kill the creative, fast-moving culture they have built. She argues the opposite is true. Structure does not limit creativity - it frees people to be creative within a clear framework.
When team members know what is expected of them, when work is due, and how decisions get made, they can focus their energy on doing great work rather than navigating confusion. The most creative agencies Clodagh has worked with are also some of the most structured, because their teams are not wasting energy on ambiguity.
Scaling Requires Dedicated Management
As agencies grow past a handful of employees, Clodagh emphasizes the importance of appointing someone responsible for team management. In the early stages, the founder can handle people management alongside everything else. But once the team reaches a certain size, the founder’s attention becomes too fragmented to give team members the support they need.
This does not necessarily mean hiring a full-time HR manager. It means designating someone - whether it is an operations manager, a team lead, or an external consultant - who is responsible for onboarding, performance feedback, career development, and the day-to-day questions that keep team members engaged and productive.