📣 Please note, these events are for Agency Hackers’ members only.

If your agency isn’t a member yet, get in touch with Anne.

When Glen Duncan worked as the chief operating officer for a digital product agency, he attended meetings he would refer to as “the gunfight”.

Every team had a representative fighting for their work to be prioritised.

“I came in with something that could save us 20 hours of admin a week – a clear win. But it didn’t even make the sprint,” says Glen.

But his idea didn’t make the cut.

A proposal that could bring in £1 million in revenue got the green light instead.

At first, he felt like his suggestion was too good an opportunity to miss, that both ideas should go ahead. After all, when you work in operations, everything feels urgent – especially something with such a clear, quantifiable impact.

Then Glen had a realisation.

“Not everything gets solved. And that’s OK. That’s strategy,” says Glen.

“Sometimes you have to choose inefficiency, because some solutions are lower value than others.”

Before Glen’s perspective shifted, he would often find himself:

• Trying to fix everything all at once.
• Struggling to separate urgency from importance.
• Letting other people’s priorities dictate his day.

In this session, Glen will explain what it really means to “choose inefficiency” – and why letting a few wins fall by the wayside can actually help you deliver bigger, better outcomes.

You’ll learn: 

• When to choose inefficiency – why letting some things go can help the bigger picture.
• How to prioritise – a simple, strategic framework to identify your highest-value work, compare competing demands, and make confident decisions about what comes first.
• How to protect your energy – avoid burnout by learning how to manage your mental load, set realistic expectations, and stay calm when everything feels urgent.

“When you shift your mindset from ‘I have to fix this’ to ‘What will create the most value?’, that’s when things change,” says Glen.

If you’re constantly putting out fires, stretched too thin, or stuck trying to solve everything at once – it’s time to reset, stop reacting, and start leading with confidence.