After working with hundreds of organizations, we’ve identified seven factors that consistently predict whether an agency partnership will succeed or struggle.
1. Shared Definition of Success
Both parties must agree on what success looks like before work begins — not just deliverables, but behavioral outcomes.
2. Executive Sponsorship
Projects without genuine executive support face an uphill battle for resources, attention, and organizational buy-in.
3. Dedicated Client Resources
Your agency needs access to subject matter experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers. Delays in access are the leading cause of timeline slippage.
4. Transparent Communication
The best partnerships are built on candor. Your agency should feel comfortable pushing back on ideas that won’t serve learners well.
5. Iterative Approach
Waterfall approaches to learning development produce mediocre results. Look for agencies that build, test, learn, and iterate.
6. Change Management Awareness
Learning alone doesn’t change behavior. The best agencies understand the organizational context that supports or undermines learning transfer.
7. Long-Term Thinking
One-off projects rarely produce lasting change. The most successful partnerships evolve over time as both parties deepen their understanding of the organization’s needs.