“Would You Fly This Airline?” Rethinking What We Consider ‘Essential’ in Organizational Performance

Dear Change Leader,

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Would you fly on this airline?

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“We will no longer perform regular maintenance on our aircraft.”

“Due to our hiring freeze, there will only be one pilot on the flight deck.”

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Imagine an airline making these announcements in the name of cost-cutting. Your reaction would likely be a mix of disbelief and outrage. You’d probably be booking your next flight with a different carrier before finishing this paragraph.

Don’t worry – this is a thought experiment. No airline would dare compromise such visible safety measures.

But what if the same airline announced: “We’re canceling all team-building activities.” “All promotions are frozen until further notice.”

Did your sense of alarm decrease? If so, ask yourself “why?” Is it because these cuts feel less critical to safety and performance? Or have we simply grown accustomed to viewing certain organizational supports as “optional?”

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The Hidden Architecture of High Performance

In aviation, we instantly recognize the critical nature of aircraft maintenance and proper staffing. But in our organizations, we often overlook equally vital systems that keep our teams flying high.

Consider these scenarios:

• Sarah, your top performer, has taken on increasing responsibilities and consistently delivers exceptional results. When told she can’t be promoted due to budget constraints, her initiative begins to fade. Within months, she’s updating her resume.
• The Wilson team, known for its clockwork efficiency, loses three veteran members to retirement. New team members join remotely, but without structured team building, they struggle to develop the trust and understanding that made their predecessors so effective. Miscommunication grows. Quality slips.

We’d never treat an aircraft the way we sometimes treat our people – expecting peak performance while neglecting essential maintenance.

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Building Better Flight Plans: The 5 Essential Supports

Just as every successful flight requires multiple systems working in harmony, organizational excellence depends on five key support structures:

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Effective Teams Think of your teams as sophisticated engines. They require:

• Shared goals that align everyone’s energy
• Clear accountability that prevents dropped balls
• Trust-based relationships that enable swift problem-solving
• Healthy conflict management that turns disagreement into innovation

Capable People Your people are your pilots. They need:

• Continuous skill development
• Mentoring relationships that transfer wisdom
• Regular coaching to maintain peak performance
• Opportunities to learn from peers and experts

Empowering Culture Your organizational culture is your flight path. It should provide:

• Equitable treatment that brings out everyone’s best
• True inclusion that values diverse perspectives
• Psychological safety that encourages innovation
• Leadership that models continuous learning

Hybrid Mastery Today’s workplace is like flying in varying conditions. Teams need:

• Skills to build trust across physical and virtual spaces
• Tools and practices that make collaboration seamless
• Regular relationship renewal opportunities
• Flexibility to adapt to changing work patterns

Adaptive Leadership Your leaders are your navigation system. They must:

• Monitor organizational weather patterns
• Listen deeply to signals from all altitudes
• Stay curious about new routes to success
• Balance stability with necessary course corrections

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Your Pre-Flight Checklist Don’t wait for turbulence to check your organizational supports. Ask yourself:

• Which of these five systems most needs attention in your organization?
• What “invisible scaffolds” are you taking for granted?
• Where might small investments now prevent major problems later?

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Your Next Step

Choose one of the five areas above. Spend 30 minutes this week mapping out its support structures in your organization. What’s strong? What’s wearing thin? What one improvement would make the biggest difference?

Remember: Just as no pilot would skip their pre-flight checklist, no change leader can afford to neglect these essential organizational supports.

Wishing you smooth flying,

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Michael

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Want to learn more about these five areas? They make up the Drivers of Sustainable Change. Read more and download a summary. And contact me to chat about how to invest in these enabling scaffolds!

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Join Me At These Upcoming Events!

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February 12, 2025: I’m speaking at the HR Alliance, DC Metro’s premier HR association monthly meeting on psychological safety. If you’re in the greater Washington DC region, I’d love to see you at this in-person workshop! More Information.

Ask me about getting 50% discount for this event!

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February 28, 2025: I’m hosting the next RCA Change Leaders Working Session. Join me for this free, practical two-hour session on “Navigating Your Stakeholder Ecosystem with Confidence.” More Information

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March 7, 2025: I’m hosting a second session of the RCA Change Leaders Working Session. Join me for this free, practical, two-hour session on “Navigating Your Stakeholder Ecosystem with Confidence.” More Information

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EFFECTIVE CHANGE RESULTS FROM INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP

We’re a leadership and organization development consultancy. My team and I work with leaders like you to prepare for and lead successful change processes.

Here’s why our clients call us:

• Leadership Coaching: I support leaders as they navigate transitions into new roles or expanded responsibilities.
• Group Coaching and Learning Programs: Bringing groups of leaders together, I facilitate learning experiences and months-long programs that equip people to be effective change leaders.
• Effective Teams and Stronger Organizations: I work with leaders and their teams with tailored processes that increase their effectiveness, building layers of aligned teams that transform organizations.

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