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Consulting Proposal #1: The Plane Will Not Move
Eric Castro
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
BMAL 504: Leading Organizational Change
The Plane Will Not Move
Definition of Project:
The case study "The Plane Will Not Move!" examines McDonnell Douglas' difficult C-17
airplane production, demonstrating significant organizational dysfunction characterized by
operational immobility, segregated departments, and a lack of accountability. The appointment
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of Koz, the new plant manager, created an important chance for reform. Individual leadership
heroics are insufficient; systemic transformation is necessary.
This project presents a comprehensive change management approach with the goal of
eliminating cultural resistance, boosting interdepartmental collaboration, and establishing
adaptable leadership techniques. The goal is to create long-term organizational agility while
fostering a culture of shared accountability and innovation. As a consultant addressing the CEO,
this plan presents a practical change strategy that builds on Koz's momentum while scaling
reform throughout the organization.
Diagnosis of Current Situation:
According to the diagnosis, the major issue affecting McDonnell Douglas is
organizational behavior rather than technical. Teams from several departments—engineering,
production, and quality control—worked in silos, frequently deflecting responsibility and
waiting for others to take initiative. The outcome was decision paralysis. This avoidance culture
was encouraged by a leadership style that lacked urgency, accountability, and transparency.
The reasoning that caused the problem to remain was based on a dysfunctional norm:
"That's not my job." Employees had become accustomed to a system that prioritized conflict
avoidance, departmental protectionism, and bureaucratic rigidity over shared accountability.
The end result was a systemic tolerance for inertia, which allowed inefficiencies to become
normalized.
Koz's earliest attempts disrupted these standards by emphasizing three distinct priorities:
timely delivery, quality improvement, and cost reduction. His symbolic gesture of relocating the
plane halfway and leaving it in plain sight conveyed a strong message about the dangers of
inaction. However, while this technique jolted the organization into action, it also demonstrated
how deeply rooted the cultural resistance had become. Employees first reacted skeptically, and
while progress was made, it was mostly due to Koz's individual managerial style rather than
structural or cultural reform.
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The difference between the current condition and the desired future state is obvious.
Currently, McDonnell Douglas is distinguished by tight vertical communication, a fractured
culture, and fear-driven workplace dynamics. The ideal scenario includes nimble leadership,
psychologically secure teams, and cross-functional communication. The transition from the
former to the latter necessitates a complete change project that realigns leadership behavior,
team structures, and organizational values.
Recommendations:
To transform McDonnell Douglas from a state of organizational inertia to a
highperforming, agile corporation, a set of focused, evidence-based suggestions is required.
These ideas seek to address the underlying reasons of dysfunction, such as compartmentalized
operations, inactive leadership, and low psychological safety, while also developing the
capabilities required for long-term reform. The following tactics, which emphasize leadership
development, structural reform, and cultural reinforcement, give a practical road map for
longterm organizational change.
1. Restructure Workflows into Cross-Functional Teams
Break down silos by establishing cross-functional work cells focused on common goals.
These cells will bring together employees from several departments—engineering,
testing, and procurement—and provide them with joint accountability and
decisionmaking power. According to research, cross-functional teams improve
organizational learning and responsiveness. (Liberty University Custom, 2021).
2. Implement Adaptive Leadership Training
Leaders must be able to handle complexity and uncertainty. Forbes (2023) defines
adaptive leadership as encouraging leaders to participate in productive disagreement,
organize people to learn, and create safe conditions for change. Mid- and senior-level
managers should get personalized training sessions that include scenario planning, peer
mentoring, and reflective techniques.
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3. Promote Psychological Safety Across Teams
Nguyen (2021) defines psychological safety as an atmosphere in which people feel
comfortable expressing themselves without fear of repercussions. This is a prelude to
innovation and trust. Workshops should cover conflict resolution, open feedback loops,
and team debriefing models.
4. Establish Visual Accountability Tools
To monitor project progress, replicate Koz's visible plane method by implementing
physical or digital visual management solutions such as Kanban boards and status
dashboards. This not only encourages transparency but also emphasizes ownership and
urgency (Sullivan et al., 2020).
5. Create a Cultural Change Coalition (CCC)
Select a group of influential employees from all levels to serve as change ambassadors.
This coalition will convey the transformation vision, model desired behaviors, and
provide feedback to leadership (Vito & Sethi, 2020). Their function is critical in reducing
resistance and enforcing new norms.
6. Align Performance Management with Collaboration
To effectively drive cultural transformation and collaborative performance at McDonnell
Douglas, existing incentive systems must be redesigned to prioritize cross-functional
success over individual task execution. This move encourages departments to align their
goals and performance with shared objectives. Incorporating collaboration indicators
into performance evaluations, such as interdepartmental coordination, team problem-
solving, and information sharing, ensures that organizational behavior is consistent with
strategic aims. Furthermore, implementing 360-degree review systems provides a
comprehensive perspective of leadership impact and peer contributions, assisting in
identifying both enablers and barriers to team effectiveness. Gong et al. (2022) found
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that firms that implement cross-functional feedback loops and collaborative incentives
achieve more substantial cultural transformation and long-term performance benefits.
Implementation Plan:
More than strategic intent, implementing organizational transformation takes a
systematic, intentional approach that gradually aligns people, processes, and culture. To
guarantee that the recommended recommendations are adopted successfully, this
implementation plan outlines a structured roadmap that includes awareness, capability
building, pilot testing, and institutionalization. Each phase is intended to increase momentum,
decrease resistance, and integrate new behaviors into the organization's regular operations.
Clear timetables, quantifiable milestones, and feedback channels will help steer the
transformation and ensure long-term viability.
Phase 1: Awareness and Planning (Months 1-2)
The CEO will kick off the endeavor with a clear communication campaign stating the
vision for transformation. Cultural assessments will be undertaken by surveys and
interviews, while the Cultural Change Coalition will be chosen and taught.
Phase 2: Capacity Building (Months 3-5)
Adaptive leadership training at all levels of management will begin. Concurrently,
psychological safety seminars will be implemented throughout departments. Pilot teams
will be identified and trained on collaborative working tools and processes.
Phase 3: Pilot Project Deployment (Months 6-8)
Cross-functional work cells will begin executing real-time projects, starting with the C-17
team. Daily huddles, visible progress boards, and continuous coaching will support
implementation. Key metrics—team morale, cycle times, and rework rates—will be
monitored.
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Phase 4: Scale and Institutionalization (Months 9-12)
Following a review of the pilot results, successful methods will be formalized and
expanded. The firm will adapt its performance management tools to incorporate
collaborative values, and the lessons learned will be gathered into an internal change
playbook.
The timetable allows for flexibility while ensuring that short-term wins promote long-term
improvement.
Summary:
The C-17 example at McDonnell Douglas exemplifies what can go wrong when
organizational culture and leadership are misaligned with strategic objectives. While Koz's
leadership provided a spark, long-term transformation takes more than charisma—structure,
alignment, and a shift in thinking. McDonnell Douglas can move from an organization paralyzed
by inaction to one driven by cooperation, responsibility, and innovation if the above guidelines
are followed.
The plan provides both physical (better delivery timeframes, less rework, and enhanced
productivity) and intangible benefits such as increased morale, engagement, and organizational
pride. With CEO support and a planned change roadmap, the effort may be scaled across
factories and sustained well beyond Koz's term.
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References
Chung, H., & Kim, H. (2020). Organizational inefficiency in state-owned enterprises: A case
study of British Airways before privatization. Journal of Public Administration and
Policy Research, 12(3), 45–58.
Forbes, A. (2023). Adaptive leadership. In Springer eBooks (pp. 233–253).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21544-5_10
Gong, L., Jiang, S., & Liang, X. (2022). Competing value framework-based culture transformation.
Journal of Business Research, 145, 853–863.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.019
Nguyen, N. (2021). The Fearless Organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for
learning, innovation, and growth. The Learning Organization, 28(3), 321–323.
https://doi.org/10.1108/tlo-04-2021-266
Liberty University Custom: Create (2021). Leading Organizational Change. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill/Create. ISBN: 9781307709094.
Sullivan, J., Stankosky, M., & Choi, Y. (2020). Empowering Lean change agents in aerospace
engineering: Visual systems and accountability. Journal of Organizational Change
Management, 33(5), 1023–1041.
Vito, R., & Sethi, B. (2020). Managing change: role of leadership and diversity management.
Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(7), 1471–1483.
https://doi.org/10.1108/jocm-04-2019-0116
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