Organizational consultation is often viewed as a four-stage process: entry, diagnosis, intervention, and evaluation. A fifth stage, preparation of organizations to conduct diagnosis and change, is frequently neglected. In the preparation stage, organizational consultants must deal with resistance by creating conditions for the consideration of the effects of change. Consultants must help organizations to develop structures to facilitate diagnosis and change, and to build an understanding of the change process after initial diagnosis. Occasionally, significant intervention and change are needed prior to diagnosis, including some conditions in which: (1) diagnostic methods are unfamiliar; (2) individuals most affected by change do not normally interact in problem-solving; (3) the objective of the change process require changes in the organizational structure and process; (4) the organization is "underbounded"; and (5) intergroup conflict exists. Consultants must recognize this preparatory dimension of their work; and the field of organizational consultation must also expand training, norms, and knowledge to help consultants effectively handle this aspect of their role. (NRB)