My agency isn’t delivering. What should I do?

When an agency isn’t delivering, the most important question is whether the relationship can realistically be fixed, or whether it’s time to move on.

Many leaders find themselves in this position after doing everything “right.” They ran a thorough, competitive search and hired an agency that felt like a strong fit. But a year in, the partnership isn’t delivering.

When agency relationships go off track, the instinct is often to start over. Before jumping into another search, pause to assess whether this is an agency issue, an internal issue, or a combination of both (see: How do you know when it’s time to change agencies?).

If your agency isn’t delivering, start here:

• Take stock of what is actually broken and how material it is to the business.

• Be direct with the agency about what isn’t working and why it matters.

• Listen carefully to where they believe the breakdown is happening.

• Reset expectations around priorities, roles, and success metrics.

• Watch closely to see whether the work improves once those conditions change.

In other words, give the agency a real opportunity to respond and course-correct.

If the same issues persist despite clear direction and accountability, the problem likely isn’t fixable within the current relationship. In that case, starting over isn’t a failure. It’s a strategic decision.