Agencies: how account and creative teams work as a pair

In an agency, every piece of work passes through two groups who see the world differently. Account holds the client's needs, budget and deadlines. Creative holds the idea, the quality and the pride in the work. When the two hand work back and forth well, it ships fast and the client is happy. When they do not, the work is revised again and again and everyone is exhausted.

Why they get stuck so often

• Account feels creative does not understand the client's constraints.
• Creative feels account passes on everything the client says without filtering it.
• The brief is unclear, so each side reads it differently and only finds out when the client sends the work back.

Most of the time this is not about bad attitudes. The two roles need a different working rhythm: one has to respond fast, the other needs time to think.

Three things that cut rework

1. A one-page brief both sides sign off on. What the client wants the audience to feel or do, what is off-limits, and how success will be measured.
2. Let creative hear the client directly, at least at the kick-off meeting. Hearing it from the source cuts down on interpretation.
3. Agree on checkpoints. Review the rough direction before going into detail, rather than finishing and tearing it down.

Match pairs to clients

Each client needs a different pair. A client who decides fast and changes their mind often needs an account person who filters well and a creative who adapts easily. A client who gives a lot of freedom may suit a creative who likes to lead, with an account person who can explain the reasoning behind the idea to the client.

Team fit shows which people in your agency lift each other, which get on but get stuck, which pairs grind, and who suits which kind of seat. Staff enter their own details; the company never sees anyone's birth date. With an employee's consent you can also create a personal work guide, which the employee sees in the same form and can withdraw at any time. It helps people who have just started working together know how the other person takes on work best.

Use it as input

The team overview makes it easier to start a conversation about pairing, but the final answer comes from real work and from listening to both sides. If a pair is stuck, ask which step they are stuck on before thinking about changing people.

Try it free with a team of 3 at team fit.