In this solo episode, Jesse tackles a question that comes up constantly with in-house creative teams: should there be a mandate requiring stakeholders to work with you instead of external agencies? Jesse shares his honest perspective on why mandates often backfire, when they might actually make sense, and what it takes to build a team that stakeholders choose to work with rather than one they're forced to use.

• Why mandates can signal weakness and create the perception that your team can't compete on merit
• The backfire effect: getting compliance without enthusiasm, trust, or early strategic involvement
• The benefits when stakeholders work with external vendors (exposure to new approaches and concrete case studies for your value)
• Three scenarios where limited, temporary mandates might be strategic

• Learn more about Jesse's work at www.infocusconsulting.net
• Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessekrinsky/
• Have a creative ops challenge you're facing? Want to be a guest on the show? Reach out to Jesse at [email protected]

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