This review will discuss Christine Canabou’s article “Fallon Worldwide Change” (originally titled “Free Innovation”, Fast Company, 2011). Canabou’s article is about innovation induced change. Canabou questions if a small ad agency who is struggling in their identity crisis is able to survive the mixed challenges from their clients and world economy, find new innovative ways of improving their creativity, and provide a comfortable home in the giant corporation for their employees. The article explains that change is needed in order to survive and there must be a development of new attitude and implementation of strategies in order to see or make change. The article is significant in giving an example of a successful business in managing changes that follows Lewin’s three steps models of change. However, while the sections are very clear in describing each step of the change, the article would only be telling a success story without really take a deeper look into the process of change.

After a brief background story of the acquisition by a global advertising company, the author turns to the stages of change experienced by the agency. Using the most familiar model of change known today, Lewin’s three steps models, the author presents Unfreeze, Transition, and Freeze steps that the agency underwent. The article also affirms what Lewin’s model and Kotter’s model agree to each other in this case. As Lewin’s model requires on-going process exists while the change is undergone; therefore, there is a reward system for those who are supporters of the new development. According to Kotter’s Error 5 model, it is necessary to support what sustains change thus we may need to eliminate what are resistant to change. Canabou points this in the article clearly where in the end the agency has to do its first ever lay-offs.

The author introduces some valuable and expressive data. Most of the data taken is from interviews with top management of the agency who performs as the change managers. While this is undeniably substantial, the author seems to ignore the perspectives from lower rank managers and the staff. Data from the interviews of the participants of change would create a complete picture of the organisational change since people is the key element of change. The extent to which people comprehend the change that needs to be undergone will be a contributing factor to whether the change is successful or not.

Change can be implemented through a continuous process. This is pointed out by Deming in his model of PDCA Cycle. I agree with Deming’s stance here as this is more natural in the process that in order to improve its outcomes, an organisation continues making changes. Deming’s model describes change as a cycle of PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT. The cycle starts from planning what have to be done and the strategies in executing it. Then it continues to the implementation of the plan. After the plan is executed then comes the evaluation part of the work performed to see if the outcomes are as expected. The result of the evaluation, whether the performance is good or bad, will be the ground of moving forward. We can make adjustments if the performance fails or reinforce what has been performed successfully.

Deming cycle can be seen in a shipping company as the example of practice. The interaction between the company and its clients is intensive that it allows the cycle to work more effectively. Furthermore, because of the nature of the business that it handles, it focuses on service only, the company is able to predict what the outcomes would most probably be and making adjustment where necessary responsively enough. Agency like Fallon can definitely apply this model too. Fallon doesn’t have to go through a big change every time they face a problem since problems can be prevented to the minimum. Once they reach the shape that the agency aims at then they can start to apply Deming cycle, as explained earlier, to continuously produce change through PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT.

In conclusion, Canabou’s article provides an illustration of the application of theoretical model of change from Kurt Lewin with depictions from the top change agents’ point of view. Besides it suits perfectly with the Lewin model, Kotter’s Error 5 model seems to apply in accordance with the final step of the model where the agency comes to a stable stage. Still relevant to this case is the application of Deming cycle in the follow up of the change process in the agency. This seems feasible as the agency reaches its stable condition, it allows the organisation to make better predictions and designs future plans in a more structured way. Moreover, resistance can be minimized as people do not have to adjust to a sudden transformation. People learn from past trials or acts and they are able to make improved future modification.

References: www.fastcompany.com/44083/free-innovate www.nwacademy.nhs.uk/sites www.change-management-consultant.com/kurt-lewin.html http://www.change-management-consultant.com/deming-cycle.html