Traditional job descriptions hold agencies back by emphasizing activities instead of outcomes. When employees are told how to work instead of being empowered to decide how they’ll achieve results, accountability and ownership suffer. By defining each role’s unique objective, outlining intended outcomes, and giving people the autonomy and decision-making rights to shape their own responsibilities, agencies unlock greater engagement, speed, and performance. True accountability emerges when people design their own path to success.

Traditional, siloed organizational structures are one of the biggest hidden vulnerabilities inside today’s agencies. Designed for a century-old industrial era, these models slow teams down, fracture collaboration, and create unnecessary handoffs that drain time, energy, and effectiveness. As client expectations accelerate, the agencies that continue relying on command-and-control hierarchies will struggle to keep pace. This post breaks down why outdated structures hold teams back — and what modern leaders must do instead.