Operational Maturity: Building a Team That Runs Without You

who the company is:

Social Grace Marketing Agency

Stage of business:

Scaling

The Challenge:

Before working with Fierce Decorum, the agency faced challenges with internal systems and processes that affected team collaboration, efficiency, and innovation. The team, dispersed across various locations, relied heavily on Slack, which occasionally led to miscommunications and less streamlined workflows.

The founder, preparing for maternity leave, needed to trust her team to handle operations smoothly in her absence. Initially planning for a short leave, she hoped her team could manage client calls, projects, and day-to-day operations independently. Thanks to the successful implementation of new systems and support structures, she was able to extend her maternity leave, confident in her team's ability to lead effectively while she enjoyed valuable post-baby time.

As the agency continued to grow, new operational needs emerged—including hiring additional support staff to strengthen their service delivery. Fierce Decorum partnered with the agency once again to lead the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of a copywriter to expand their content capabilities.

Areas that needed attention:

• Operations & Systems: Lack of structured workflows, heavy reliance on Slack, manual processes causing inefficiencies.

• Team & Delegation: Unclear roles, isolated remote team members, limited collaboration, and lack of strategic hiring.

• Growth & Strategy: Difficulty in innovating and scaling due to operational bottlenecks.

The Solution & Our Impact:

Fierce Decorum stepped in as a Fractional Operations Director and implemented a comprehensive, customized ClickUp system tailored specifically to the agency’s workflow. We also assisted in hiring a new account manager to sustain operations during the founder’s maternity leave. This resulted in:

• Enhanced Team Collaboration: Transformed isolated remote employees into a cohesive, collaborative team, significantly improving internal culture and morale.

• Streamlined Operations: Shifted operations from Slack to a robust, fully customized ClickUp setup, dramatically increasing efficiency and productivity.

• Innovation & Growth: Freed the founder's time, enabling her to delegate effectively, fostering an environment of innovation and strategic growth.

Due to the newfound confidence in her team's capabilities, the founder extended her maternity leave, enjoying valuable post-baby time without constant check-ins or concerns about the business.

scope of work:

• Operations Strategy

• Team & Leadership Development

• System Builds & Automation

• Hiring & Onboarding Support

• Maternity Leave Support

Deliverables:

Comprehensive ClickUp build customized to agency needs

• Optimized workflows for task assignments, deadlines, and project management

• Detailed audit of existing processes and tailored templates for enhanced efficiency

• Full support in hiring and onboarding a new account manager

• Strategic reassignment of team roles to align strengths and interests