The Evolution of Agencies: Transforming with Humanity

Today’s transformations demand the right balance of theory and genuine empathy. I firmly believe that humanity is our most powerful lever for navigating change successfully.

2025 marked 20 years of agency life for me. Two decades spent questioning our craft and drawing creative energy from the organized chaos that defines agency culture. I’ve always been drawn to complex problems, and I’ve had no shortage of them. But what we are experiencing today is unprecedented in terms of transformation. And it’s not simply that experience brings clarity as the hair starts to grey. The stakes are higher than ever. We’re playing for keeps. And that’s a good thing.

Rest assured, this isn’t yet another piece cataloguing industry shifts. I won’t dwell on market consolidation, the impact of AI on workflows, specialization, productization, role recalibration, or the familiar debate around value. Instead, I want to speak candidly about what we’re all living day to day.

This year, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the tension between organizational change theory and the realities on the ground. John P. Kotter’s well-known model outlines eight steps for change, and while it offers valuable guidance, it requires nuance to reflect our current context. It’s a matter of strategic acuity, but also of empathy, including empathy toward ourselves.

From Intention to Impact: Eight Practical Steps

1. Establishing a sense of urgency

Kotter begins with (1) establishing a sense of urgency. On that front, we’re well served. The shockwaves hitting our industry are hard to ignore. The challenge, however, is that the landscape shifts with every new technological headline, practically daily. Where we once had a certain grip on the medium and long term, we now operate within a range of possible futures. The opportunity lies in listening more closely, reading the right signals from the market and from our people, and disciplining ourselves to step back and gain perspective.
 

2. A strong, influential coalition

Transformation also rests on (2) a strong, influential coalition. This is where real tensions are playing out inside agencies. Between continuity and bold change. Between developing existing talent and bringing in fresh perspectives. It’s rarely as simple as it seems. Embracing a diversity of viewpoints isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a responsibility for today’s leaders. It requires the courage to rethink teams, give voice to experts with varied backgrounds, and foster trust. We talk a lot about psychological safety right now, and for good reason. When ego and entrenched habits give way to listening, that’s when real progress happens.
 

3. Developing a clear strategic vision

No one will be surprised by step (3): developing a clear strategic vision. We do this for our clients, and for ourselves. Yet orchestrating transformation amid constant change is no small feat. Predicting what comes next is increasingly difficult, and we have to make peace with that. We’re still very much in an adoption and learning phase. At the same time, we must maintain strategic rigour and, when the moment is right, crystallize a clearer vision with good timing and sound judgment. When transformation is viewed not as the pursuit of a perfect solution, but as the adoption of a resilient path, pressure lifts. We create a culture better equipped to navigate change openly.

4.  Communicating that vision

Step (4) is about communicating that vision to build buy-in. As leaders, we’re expected to guide with clarity and precision. But are we putting undue pressure on ourselves to have all the answers at all times? I believe our teams can trust our ability to steer through change while also being invited into our questions. Taking time to reflect isn’t a weakness; it’s a sign of ambition.

5. Enable others to act

An adaptive organization empowers people, clarifies expectations, and removes barriers to initiative. In short, we must (5) enable others to act. Transformation requires experimentation. Yet in agency life, financial pressures create a bias toward short-term performance. Faced with profitability demands, R&D investment still skews too heavily toward external products and services, often at the expense of internal learning. Time for experimentation is frequently sacrificed for immediacy. We need to get more creative and find ways to hack our own systems to inject more opportunities for learning and R&D.
 

6. Generate short-term wins.

Amid this momentum, we must (6) generate short-term wins. In agencies, a strong success story quickly gains traction and sets off a chain reaction. But are we putting the right mechanisms in place to transfer knowledge in such a fast-moving environment?

7. Build on those successes 

Beyond quick wins, it’s essential to (7) build on those successes to fuel further change. By leveraging early achievements, we create momentum and allow early adopters to accelerate learning across teams.

8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture

Finally, step (8) is about anchoring new approaches in the culture. Here, we all risk overvaluing technical demonstrations of new tools and processes while overlooking the human and social dimensions: perceptions, symbols, and identity shaped by agency history. Applying change without adapting it to culture inevitably generates resistance. Experts are clear: for change to last, it must be embedded in culture. That means listening to teams, investing in training, adjusting processes, and rewarding behaviours aligned with the new vision. Above all, it requires staying close to those on the front lines, whose engagement is critical to adoption and cultural evolution. This transformation isn’t a short cycle. It must become second nature.

So how do we reconcile transformation with a sense of calm?
 

Ultimately, the gap between theory and practice isn’t a barrier. It’s a lever if approached with humanity. Managerial empathy, sometimes mistaken for a lack of firmness, is in fact the most powerful capability we have right now to guide agencies through change with care and precision. By cultivating collaboration, trust, and resilience, we can turn disruption into a catalyst for growth.

And one final word to my fellow leaders: extend that same empathy to yourselves. We’ll all come out of this stronger and happier.

This article was originally published in the Chronicle section of Grenier aux nouvelles on December 16, 2025.