People before process: How strategic empathy builds high-performance teams

People are the real engine of this industry, we operate on grit, resilience and relationships. However, we often forget the strong foundation that people bring and skip straight to creating a process, removing all emotion from our work and over-indexing on rationality. This understanding and empathy aren’t a soft skill; it’s a strategic tool that drives results.

Empathy as a strategic lever

Strategy doesn’t just happen in client decks and pitch rooms. Strategy starts with how you build, protect, and develop your teams.

When employees feel valued and understood, they bring their best thinking to the table. Empathy allows us to recognise when someone is at their limit, when they need mentorship, or when flexibility will help them thrive. By supporting them in those moments, we unlock discretionary effort; the kind that no process manual can dictate.

This is not about lowering standards. On the contrary, empathy creates the environment where people can stretch themselves without fear of breaking. It creates a culture where ideas can be challenged without egos being bruised. That balance is what fuels sustained high performance.

Protection and accountability

In my view, running a team or agency requires a delicate balance between how we support, safeguard and defend our team members whilst maintaining a culture of accountability. Strategic empathy doesn't mean ignoring issues; it means having honest conversations, setting high standards, and making sure everyone understands the reasons behind their tasks. When people feel safe and supported, they are more likely to meet those high standards and continue to focus on producing excellent work.

Training, mentorship, and flexibility

High staff turnover is a reality across our industry. Long hours, tight deadlines, and the constant pressure of client service take their toll. It is important that we continue to invest in our people, ramp up mentorship programmes, equip them with the right tools, and put in place the correct plans to drive their growth.
Flexibility is another cornerstone. Life happens – whether it’s family, health, or personal challenges. By recognising people as whole human beings, not just job titles, we earn loyalty. Flexibility doesn’t weaken delivery; it strengthens it, because it builds trust.

Why people before process works

Processes are necessary, but they’re not enough. They can ensure compliance, but they can’t inspire brilliance. In a high-pressure industry like ours, where strategic thinking sets agencies apart, brilliance is non-negotiable.

By putting people first, we don’t abandon rigour, we enhance it. Teams that feel supported are more engaged, more creative, and more resilient. They don’t just execute; they innovate. They don’t just survive the churn of the industry; they thrive within it.

A closing thought

Our clients don’t hire us for flawless processes. They hire us for ideas that shift markets, strategies that grow brands, and teams that deliver consistently in a volatile environment. Those outcomes only happen when the people behind the work feel seen, supported, and not stretched.

That is the paradox of leadership in media today: by leading with empathy, you don’t compromise on performance, you unlock it. People before process is not just a philosophy; it’s a proven way to build high-performance teams in one of the toughest industries in the world.

Contributed by Shihaam Abrahams on behalf of the AMF Board.

About the AMF

The Advertising Media Forum (AMF) is a collective of media agencies and individuals including media strategists, planners, buyers and consultants through whom 95% of all media expenditure in South Africa is bought. The AMF advises and represents relevant organisations and aims to create open channels of communication and encourage and support transparent policies, strategies and transactions within the industry.

For more information on the AMF, visit www.amf.org.za.

For comment on the industry issue covered in this editorial, please contact Koo Govender, AMF chairperson | Cell: 083 272 0063 | Email: moc.sicilbup@rednevog.ook or Karen Phelan, board member | Cell: 082 901 9467