Do you feel like something’s not working in your agency?

You’ve got processes that are outdated (or just plain not documented). You’ve got tools that aren’t the right fit or you’re not getting enough out of.

Even though you feel the need for change, it terrifies you.

If so, you’re not alone, I was at an agency-focused conference in Denver just a few weeks back, and several agency owners I spoke with said that they knew they needed to make a change with a major software platform that helps run their agency, but they were scared to make the switch.

Rob Sayles, is an ex-agency founder, a seasoned operations guru, & now veteran agency advisor. In today’s episode, he takes some of the fear and uncertainity out of change management for agency leaders.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• The 3 symptoms to look for to ensure you actually need to change a major tool or process
• What Toyota’s approach to continuous improvement can teach you about change management
• The 5 steps to make a major change in your agency without causing a revolt among your staff (& sleepless nights for yourself)

Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

An Agency’s Guide to Measuring And Improving Billable Utilization (Ebook): https://bit.ly/3UWWNVc

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robsayles/

The Client (a film by Umault): https://youtu.be/qwpC2tGibqk

Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://a.co/d/dixp5y2

Tools of Titans Tim Ferriss: https://a.co/d/5FOQueH

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0884271951

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00:00 What Change Does Your Agency Need?

01:19 A Horror Story of Change Management

05:53 Steps to Effective Change Management

09:26 Indicators of Larger Issues

12:31 Building a Culture of Innovation

14:30 Implementing Kaizen Principles

19:32 Engaging the Team in Change

23:10 Future Planning and System Extensibility

29:47 The Importance of Early Buy-In

32:44 Phased Rollout Benefits

35:07 Handling Legacy Data

36:22 Engaging Quiet Team Members

41:14 Agency Life Fast Five

49:43 Shoutouts and Final Thoughts