Pilots need to understand their mission, plan, position, the environment (terrain and weather), and the aircraft state in making judgements about what actions they need to take next. Change agents need similar information when they embark on the equally hazardous journey of change management.

The environment for organizational change

Talk about the environment for organizational change, and tie that back into the aircraft analogy

Consulting and assessments, when offered as a part of an overall organizational change management effort, are often seen as a distraction, or source of tension, by the groups which the interventions are meant to assist. This can be especially true when this consulting is offered from another part of an organization. It can be helpful to examine the root causes for these feelings, how they naturally translate into resistance, and what can be done about it. Such thinking is best performed by considering various scenarios from multiple frames of reference: that of the change agent, the sponsor, the manager of the organization which is targetted for change, and the employee which must implement the change:

1. Change agents feel primary loyalty to their home organization rather than to the company as a whole; they tend, at times, to feel themselves outside of the organization. Managers, on the other hand, feel primary loyalty to their organization. As a result of this tension, ...
2. Change agents are typically rewarded for finding things wrong, rather than for helping people get their work done. Managers, on the other hand, are rewarded for getting the job done, whether things were wrong or not. As a result of this tension, ...
3. Change agents tend to be perfectionists that focus on particular problems in depth. Managers tend to be ''accommodators'' rather than ''synthesizers'', i.e. they tend to look for workable, rather than perfect or ideal solutions. They also tend to be generalists, focusing on getting many imperfect things to work together and get a job done, rather than perfecting any one part of the job. As a result of this tension, ...
4. A change agent's job tempts him to evaluate the line operation and to propose solutions. The manager, on the other hand, wants descriptive (nonevaluative) feedback, so that he can design his own solutions. As a result of this tension, ...
The following strategies are most likely to be successful within this climate: *''line involvement'': *''horizontal rather than vertical reporting'' *''reward for helping rather than policing'' *''useful feedback'' The more that these strategies are employed, the more likely the 'situational awareness' will be increased in such a way that true change will be realized.