Comments on: Pathways Beyond The Barriers http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/ Your NASA, My NASA, OUR NASA Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:33:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Maj Dan Ward, USAF http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-11180 Maj Dan Ward, USAF Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:41:11 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-11180 I love the "trust, optimism & openness" concept - those three concepts are hugely powerful, and there's a lot of data supporting the idea that they are superior to distrust, control, cynicism and stuff like that. You guys are definitely pushing in the right direction. A few years back, I wrote a little article in a military technology magazine about the importance of trust. It might be a little extra ammunition for you as you seek to establish new pathways to move beyond barriers. You can find it here: http://www.dau.mil/pubs/dam/05_06_2004/war-mj04.pdf Keep up the great work! I love the “trust, optimism & openness” concept – those three concepts are hugely powerful, and there’s a lot of data supporting the idea that they are superior to distrust, control, cynicism and stuff like that. You guys are definitely pushing in the right direction.

A few years back, I wrote a little article in a military technology magazine about the importance of trust. It might be a little extra ammunition for you as you seek to establish new pathways to move beyond barriers. You can find it here: http://www.dau.mil/pubs/dam/05.....r-mj04.pdf

Keep up the great work!

]]> By: rquintanilla http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-10972 rquintanilla Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:27:47 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-10972 Justin, I really like the post. The video was amazing, and it really hit close to home. Although I think that she was relatively lucky to get an audience with various people in the chain. I agree with most of your post. I do have to warn that a manager should have enough technical experience to manage. A manager with above average people skills and newby technical experience can be a bad choice. “People skills” is a subset of emotional intelligence. The great thing about emotional intelligence is that it is a skill, not an ability. Increasing emotional intelligence should be taught to everyone, regardless of discipline or “leadership” potential. Some people bloom late. Some people never get a chance to bloom - unfortunately. I am a strong believer in Servant Leadership. Many times those who seek leadership do so with the intention of personal glory or pay. I am lucky that I have known many great servant leaders growing up. I must admit, that I considered them crazy when I was growing up, but eventually their example settled in. I have been thinking lately, that Innovation should be as big a priority as Safety is currently. Imagine having an Innovation day, like the Safety day we had yesterday. Currently Safety is embedded in the contract award score of many contractors, so I wonder why Innovation isn’t. Methods of measuring innovation are already out there (Making Innovation Work by Tony Davila). Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am appreciative of the work that is being done. Justin, I really like the post. The video was amazing, and it really hit close to home. Although I think that she was relatively lucky to get an audience with various people in the chain.

I agree with most of your post. I do have to warn that a manager should have enough technical experience to manage. A manager with above average people skills and newby technical experience can be a bad choice. “People skills” is a subset of emotional intelligence. The great thing about emotional intelligence is that it is a skill, not an ability. Increasing emotional intelligence should be taught to everyone, regardless of discipline or “leadership” potential. Some people bloom late. Some people never get a chance to bloom – unfortunately.

I am a strong believer in Servant Leadership. Many times those who seek leadership do so with the intention of personal glory or pay. I am lucky that I have known many great servant leaders growing up. I must admit, that I considered them crazy when I was growing up, but eventually their example settled in.

I have been thinking lately, that Innovation should be as big a priority as Safety is currently. Imagine having an Innovation day, like the Safety day we had yesterday. Currently Safety is embedded in the contract award score of many contractors, so I wonder why Innovation isn’t. Methods of measuring innovation are already out there (Making Innovation Work by Tony Davila).

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am appreciative of the work that is being done.

]]> By: Justin http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-10941 Justin Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:20:29 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-10941 I don't disagree that there are varying root causes for the various problems. Have you looked at the white paper I linked to in the OP, though? I think it explains a little more how we got to the pathways. We started from the perspective of identifying the source of the problems. I don’t disagree that there are varying root causes for the various problems. Have you looked at the white paper I linked to in the OP, though? I think it explains a little more how we got to the pathways. We started from the perspective of identifying the source of the problems.

]]> By: Chip McCann http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-10940 Chip McCann Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:28:20 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-10940 The video does a good job of illustrating a problem and reaction from the community seems to be that the scene is realistic. However, I’m not sure how to evaluate the solutions offered here without identifying what caused the problem. I think there are lots of possibilities besides blatant dishonesty: 1) The engineer’s idea is no good, but the mentors/managers do not have the teaching skills required to explain why Solution Area = Management 2) The engineer’s idea is good or bad, but the mentor/managers do not have the ability to evaluate it due to incompetence in their discipline Solution Area = Technical 3) The engineer’s idea is good or bad, but the mentor/managers do not have the ability to evaluate it due to it being outside their scope Solution Area = Networking 4) The engineer’s idea is good in one area, but has negative affects on others (including cost and schedule) Solution Area = Systems Engineering 5) The engineer’s idea is good, the mentor/managers know it, but they squash it using dishonesty and foul play to serve their own agendas Solution Area = Cultural/Personnel Change I don’t think this is a complete list and don’t know which is the most likely. My point is that the next step should be identifying the cause of the problem rather than jumping straight to solutions. The video does a good job of illustrating a problem and reaction from the community seems to be that the scene is realistic. However, I’m not sure how to evaluate the solutions offered here without identifying what caused the problem. I think there are lots of possibilities besides blatant dishonesty:
1) The engineer’s idea is no good, but the mentors/managers do not have the teaching skills required to explain why
Solution Area = Management
2) The engineer’s idea is good or bad, but the mentor/managers do not have the ability to evaluate it due to incompetence in their discipline
Solution Area = Technical
3) The engineer’s idea is good or bad, but the mentor/managers do not have the ability to evaluate it due to it being outside their scope
Solution Area = Networking
4) The engineer’s idea is good in one area, but has negative affects on others (including cost and schedule)
Solution Area = Systems Engineering
5) The engineer’s idea is good, the mentor/managers know it, but they squash it using dishonesty and foul play to serve their own agendas
Solution Area = Cultural/Personnel Change

I don’t think this is a complete list and don’t know which is the most likely. My point is that the next step should be identifying the cause of the problem rather than jumping straight to solutions.

]]> By: Justin http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-10931 Justin Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:22:05 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-10931 We had to get the video down under 10 minutes and it was targeted at illustrating the problems, so it obviously doesn't cover every angle. The point is that people erected barriers rather than give the idea honest consideration. The proposal may not have been accepted in the end for a variety of good reasons, but that end state should be arrived through honesty and fair play rather than what was portrayed in the video. We had to get the video down under 10 minutes and it was targeted at illustrating the problems, so it obviously doesn’t cover every angle. The point is that people erected barriers rather than give the idea honest consideration.

The proposal may not have been accepted in the end for a variety of good reasons, but that end state should be arrived through honesty and fair play rather than what was portrayed in the video.

]]> By: Chip McCann http://www.opennasa.com/2009/01/30/pathways-beyond-the-barriers/comment-page-1/#comment-10929 Chip McCann Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:14:37 +0000 http://www.opennasa.com/?p=347#comment-10929 Is the idea brought forward by the engineer in the video a good one? I think this information is important when picking a solution. Is the idea brought forward by the engineer in the video a good one? I think this information is important when picking a solution.

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