A630.5.4.RB_DellElceCamila

A630.5.4.RB – NASA Culture Change

Why did NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe address NASA employees to describe the plan to bring about proposed changes to NASA's culture?

            The NASA administrator, Sean O’Keefe tried to address the ways NASA could make progress to improve values and culture. Mr. O’Keefe suggested that NASA already instills high values in and around their company culture from a survey standpoint, but there continues to be room for improvement. He goes on to mention there are three things good organization needs: respect, safety practices, and someone to witness it. Initially, respect for each other and the work completed at the work place, resulting in communication improvement. Secondly, safety practices need to be followed to a more strict protocol. This should be a fundamental requisite to employee day-to-day actions. Moreover, a good way to start the safety practices process with the “yes, if” mindset, because it sets a positive tone. Last but not least, someone needs to notice it. The reason this is important is because employees appreciate being recognized for their efforts and exemplar behaviors. 

Was he believable? Is it important whether he appeared to be believable?

            This video about the changes at NASA shows how highly intelligent Sean O’Keefe really is and how much he cares for his company and people. And, he wants what is best for the administration and the future of this country. However, his speech is not trustworthy because it does not come from his heart. It is a fact that he wants the agency to improve; yet, he does not show the capacity nor the willingness to do whatever it takes to get there. Rather, an air of bureaucracy with an undercurrent of timelines and expectations surrounding deliverables, i.e., programs, successful products, and better shuttles is heard. In short, it sounds like his passion is not for the people and what happened in them that allowed the tragedies to occur.  He said, “This is about a much broader approach of values” (CSPAN, 2004). He stated that safety and integrity should be proven in everything they do; yet, is he willing to hear news about a launch being delayed because of a safety concerns?

            Absolutely yes, visual believability is extremely important. It can be the difference between the employees accepting O’Keefe’s message or writing it off as public relations damage control. Gerald M. Nosich said, “ Critical thinking, in the fullest sense, results in belief. It even results in action” (2012, p. 10). On another note, something very appealing about the video is the audience, which seemed to be distant, disengaged, uninterested, and certainly not passionate about taking steps towards culture change.

Why did he talk about NASA values?

            Values are key to the success of any organization. For example, in my organization, we value customer service and teamwork and therefore, we focus all are hard work towards achieving such values to improve the quality of our work and organization. Ideally, the daily decisions people make and overall success of a company are rooted in the values they hold most important to them. Such compromising values lead to an agreement for quality. O’Keefe emphasized that NASA had rich values but they need to be focused upon all aspects of their work.  This could potentially lead to a higher standard of employees’ productivity, equality, and dedication to safety. Talking about NASA's values drew upon their rich history, creating a positive sense of nostalgia but also calling upon members to adhere to them to ensure that another disaster like that never happens again.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

            If there is something to take from this exercise towards my career is that safety comes first in anything. As a medical assistant and hopefully future doctor, there is nothing that should matter more than the safety of our patients. In order to apply safety, the need for organizational planning is imperative. Additionally, employees’ commitment to do so is a must. “To be successful in the twenty-first century, organizations must have flexibility and the ability for rapid transformation. However, many organizations move along a well-worn path, and problems are often concealed or hidden” (Brown, 2011, p. 116). Lets not wait until the last minute when things are already wrong to do something about, and instead, lets create a culture where organizational safety is the preferred norm.

References

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th edition.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

CSPAN. (2004). NASA Cultural Changes. Retrieved from C-Span.Org: http://www.c-span.org/video/?181348-1/nasa-cultural-changes

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum (4th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.