For those of you who don’t know…

Self-determination refers to a person’s ability to make choices and manage their own life.

Being self-determined means that you feel in greater control, as opposed to being non-self-determined, which can leave you feeling that your life is controlled by others.

We all probably felt that way from 2020-2022!

Self-determination theory seeks to explain how being self-determined impacts motivation. It suggests that people feel more motivated to take action when they think that what they do will have an effect on the outcome.

The self-determination theory grew out of the work of psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, who first introduced their ideas in their 1985 book Self-Determination and Intrinsic Motivation in Human Behavior.

They developed a theory of motivation that suggests people tend to be driven by a need to grow and gain fulfillment.

Think about your agency-client relationship as it relates to the theory of self-determination.

Tie your agency down and only let them do what you tell them to do, and they’ll do it, but they probably won’t love it.

Give your agency the freedom to step outside the boundaries on occasion and you’ll see a happier agency, higher levels of productivity, and better output.

I’d argue that agencies are on some level in control of their own determination.  Even if you, the marketer, views your agency as a mere order taker, doesn’t mean they have to live and die by your orders.  If they’re worth their weight, they should be stepping out on occasion to share new ideas, approaches, and strategies that you can potential deploy. You may reject every single one of  them, but allowing them the freedom to choose and, to some extent, control their own destiny will afford them a higher level of satisfaction.

Not suggesting to you marketers that you hand the keys over to your agency, but I suggest you start the car for them and then see where they take it.

You hire agencies for a reason, whether it’s to help with overflow work or, in the case of some marketers, (like a major hospital system in Texas that brought in our firm, RSW/AgencySearch to help them find a new agency) to look for fresh thinking and new ideas.

Agencies matter and they can make a real positive difference in your life – if you let them.

If you need any help finding the self-determined agency, give us a shout at 513-293-6785 or mark@rswas.com.