NASA_An_Organization_in_Transition

1. NASA: An Organization in Transition Joseph Davis, Brian Fallon, Kimble Medley, Quillon Orta, Roger Richardson This presentation was prepared for MSLD 630, Organizational Change and Development, taught by Dr. Michael Powers.

2. Organizational Development's Five Stages Stage 1 Anticipate Need for Change Stage 2 Develop the Practitioner-Client Relationship Stage 3 The Diagnostic Phase Stage 4 Action Plans, Strategies, and Techniques Stage 5 Self-Renewal, Monitor, and Stabilize Traits Manager believes the organization is in a state of disequilibrium and needs improvement Traits Relationship development begins, characterized by the exchange of expectations and obligations OD Practitioner enters the system Traits Question clients diagnosis for bias begin gathering data through interviews, surveys, and questionnaires OD Practitioner has intervened Traits Interventions, activities, or programs aimed at solving problems and increasing organizational effectiveness Traits Monitor results and stabilize desired changes, assess effectiveness of changes in attaining objectives Begin Continuous Improvement Cycle

3. Anticipation By choosing the moon, did visionaries such as President John F. Kennedy unintentionally choose the culture for NASA? “We choose to go to the moon… because that challenge is… one we are unwilling to postpone and one we intend to win” (O Sallent, 2009). Stage 1

4. Before Implementing Change “Only felt needs convince individuals to adopt new ways” (Brown, 2011, p. 15) Stage 1

5. Stage 1

6. Assessing State of Disequilibrium Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Investigated cause of Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy Findings: 3 areas: “Systemic safety cultural and organizational issues’ What’s need to return to flight, safely Technical superiority (BST, 2004, p. 5). Diaz Report Focused on organizational causes identified in the CAIB Recommendations: 7 topics: Leadership Learning Communication Processes and Rules Technical Capabilities Organizational Structure Risk Management “Intended as a first step in the process” (BST, 2004, p.7). Stage 1

7. Assessing State of Disequilibrium BST Assessment and Plan for Organizational Culture Change Conduct & Assess current status Positive attributes identified “Legacy of technical excellence” Team spirit “Can-do” attitude (BST, 2004, p. 3). Stage 1

8. Initial Conclusion “NASA’s history and past”, along with a culture lacking which fails to understand “how it all fits together” combined to contribute to the Columbia tragedy (BST,2004, p. 3). Stage 1

9. Practitioner – Client Relationship CAIB and Diaz Reports findings led NASA to anticipate need for change and recruit an External OD Practitioner Stage 1 Anticipate Need for Change Traits Manager believes the organization is in a state of disequilibrium and needs improvement Stage 2 Develop the Practitioner-Client Relationship Traits Relationship development begins, characterized by the exchange of expectations and obligations OD Practitioner enters the system

10. Initial Contact of OD Practitioners Stage 2 “BST was selected to assist NASA in the development and implementation of a plan for changing the safety climate and culture agency wide” (BST, 2004, p. 3). “The intent of the intervention is to alter the status quo” through a series of planned activities by both the OD Practitioner and the client (Brown, 2011, p. 94) . After the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA realized need for change BST a “message to the organization’s members that the climate of the organization is under scrutiny and that new and more effective ways of doing things are being sought” (Brown, 2011, p. 94).

11. The Practitioner-Client Relationship Who Leads Change BST selected as External OD Practitioner “BST is a global safety consulting firm that helps organizations create injury-free workplaces. Since 1979…[BST has] established a reputation for innovation and thought leadership that helps [their] clients reduce incidents, engage employees, and achieve world-class safety performance that supports operational excellence” (BST, 2016). Who is the Client NASA Agency, contractors, led by NASA Administrator O’Keefe Viewed as a system of interacting elements: practitioner, client sponsor or contact, client’s target system Stage 2

12. Intervention Process: Organization Readiness Stage 2 “The OD process involves a collaborative relationship between a practitioner and a client system” (Brown, 2011, p. 92).

13. Intervention Process: Organization Readiness Stage 2

14. Expectations and Obligations Stage 2

15. The Diagnosis NASA and BST gather data about the system to understand problems, identify forces causing a situation, and select a change strategy. Stage 2 Develop the Practitioner-Client Relationship Traits Relationship development begins, characterized by the exchange of expectations and obligations Stage 3 The Diagnostic Phase Traits Question clients diagnosis for bias begin gathering data through interviews, surveys, and questionnaires OD Practitioner has intervened

16. The Diagnosis Figure 1. Columbia Breaking Apart (Walker, 2008) Figure 2. Image (Masters, 2003). Stage 3

17. The Diagnosis Stage 3 BST employed several diagnostic tools to identify problems within NASA’s culture and find root causes.

18. The Diagnosis Lowest survey scores: Perceived Organizational Support ( POS). Upward Communication (UC) (BST, 2004). Stage 3 Perceived Organizational Support (POS ) “Measures perceptions about the organization’s concerns for the needs and interests of employees” (BST, 2004, p. 15). POS influences employee beliefs about the organization’s values for safety, and employee willingness to raise safety concerns (BST, 2004). Upward Communication (UC ) M easures perceptions about: Q uality/quantity C omfort level of raising and discussing safety I ssues with supervision

19. The Diagnosis Survey results diagnosed some positive cultural issues NASA employees related well with each other. Strong team functioning at the local level. Solid communication among employees (BST, 2004). Stage 3

20. The Diagnosis Summary Stage 3

21. Stage 3 The Diagnostic Phase Traits Question clients diagnosis for bias begin gathering data through interviews, surveys, and questionnaires Stage 4 Action Plans, Strategies, and Techniques Traits Interventions, activities, or programs aimed at solving problems and increasing organizational effectiveness Transitioning to Action Key areas BST identified for improvement: leadership, upward communications, perceived organizational support (BST, 2004). Specific action plans, strategies, and techniques focused on organizational development will be implemented in stage 4 (Brown, 2011).

22. Action Plans, Strategies, Techniques Stage 4 Guiding Principles Open Communication Rigorously Informed Judgment Personal Responsibility Integrated Technical Competence Individual Accountability (BST, 2004) Establish Strategy Resolve Problems Increase Organizational Effectiveness Promote Safety Intent of the principles: Describe key cultural attributes to deliver excellence in safety and mission success. Goal of the principles: Create a guideline that will increase the environment of safety throughout the entire NASA organization. Baseline of principles: Organizational development plan will be developed to support this cultural transformation.

23. Stage 4 Organizational Development Strategy Objective Transform the organizational culture within three years to help drive a commitment to excellence within the agency; this will entail significant changes to the behavioral, structural, and technical elements of the organization. Implemented through a series of initiatives aimed at aligning for flawless execution which in turn will drive a cultural transformation (BST, 2004).

24. Organizational Development Strategy Sample Initiative Leadership Coaching Top Ten NASA Executives Action Plan: Conduct detailed confidential coaching to help each senior leader understand his/her strengths and developmental needs. Strategy: Develop a specific individual action plan for providing effective strategic leadership for living the NASA values and guiding principles. Technique: Individual interviews with each leader, 360 leadership surveys sent to peers and subordinates, individual leaders assessment reports, and coaching sessions (BST, 2004). Stage 4

25. Overcoming Barriers to Change Stage 4

26. Plotting Stream Analysis to Track Path to Change Stage 4 Stream Analysis to Identify Interventions and Start/Stop Times Behavioral leadership enhancement Team effectiveness training Cognitive bias training Safety & mission assurance training Competency-based performance management system Due to the changes required in the behavioral, structural, and technical elements of the organization a method to implement and analyze the initiatives needed to create cultural change must be put in place (BST, 2004). Allows NASA to see relationships between initiatives via visual representation and also provide a method to share this data openly throughout NASA (Brown, 2011 ).

27. Stage 4 Action Plans, Strategies, and Techniques Traits Interventions, activities, or programs aimed at solving problems and increasing organizational effectiveness Stage 5 Self-Renewal, Monitor, and Stabilize Traits Monitor results and stabilize desired changes, assess effectiveness of changes in attaining objectives Transitioning to Self Renewal After implementing the action plans in stage 4 NASA must begin to monitor the results and stabilize the desired changes to ensure a means is in place to maintain the change (Brown, 2011). Begin Continuous Improvement Cycle

28. Monitor and Stabilize Stage 5 Recognized need for cultural change as a cultural shift across the entire organization. NASA BST Recognition starts with asking what should “we” do to improve respect for each other. Ask “Yes, if” and not “No , because ” (C-SPAN, 2004). A cultural change is needed beginning with senior leadership .

29. Monitor and Stabilize MEASURE CORPORATE CULTURAL INDEX … Stage 5

30. Monitor and Stabilize MONTH PLAN OUTLINED BY BST VISIT EVERY NASA FACILITY CREATE: LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENTS IN ALL FACILITIES INDIVIDUAL ACTION PLANS FOR LEADERS CONTINUAL FEEDBACK TEAM BUILDING AND TRAINING (C- SPAN, 2004). Stage 5

31. THREE THINGS WE MUST DO TO REALIZE GOALS. RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER! SHOW THIS IN EVERY WAY, EVERY DAY HAVE NEEDED RESOURCES! BUDGET SHOWS THAT THIS IS IN PLACE SOMEONE NOTICES! STARTS AT THE TOP WITH O’KEEFE AND CONTINUES TO GROW MANAGE BY WALKING AROUND CORE VALUES SHOULD DRIVE OUR MISSION EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM MANAGEMENT DRIVE TOWARD A SINGLE INITIATIVE SAFETY PEOPLE EXCELLENCE IN MISSION THINK COLLECTIVELY Monitor and Stabilize Stage 5

32. Monitor and Stabilize Understand the old culture Follow outstanding units Encourage change in employees Involve employees Lead with a vision Recognize that large scale change takes time Live the new culture (Brown, 2011) Stage 5 “Communications with Columbia were lost at about 8 am, Central Standard Time”, February 1, 2003 (A&E Networks, 2016). Figure 3. Columbia Tragedy, (A&E Networks, 2016)

33. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win. ” John F. Kennedy (O Sallent , 2009) Stage 5 Figure 4. NASA (Ashok, 2016).

34. References A&E Networks. (2016). Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster. [Video file]. In Speeches and Audio. History Channel. Retrieved from http:// www.history.com/speeches/columbia-space- shuttle-disaster Ashok, I. (2016, Jan. 12). NASA’s logo at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. ( Getty Images). In Science. International Business Times. Retrieved from http:// www.ibtimes.co.uk/nasa-forms-new-defence-office-protect-earth-asteroids-1 537377 Brown, D.R. (2011).  An experiential approach to organization development.  (8 th  ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. BST. (2004, March 15). Assessment and Plan for Organizational Culture Change at NASA . Retrieved from NASA: http//www.nasa,gov/pdf/57382main_culture_wed.pdf BST. (2016). Great safety starts with great people. In About . Retrieved from http :// bstsolutions.com/en/about/company

35. References C-SPAN. (2004, April 13). NASA Cultural Changes. [Video file]. National Cable Satellite Corporation . Retrieved from http://www.c-span.org/video/? 181348-1/nasa-cultural- changes%20 Masters, M. (2003, March 24). Failure Analyst Identifies Cause of Columbia Disaster. Retrieved from YOWUSA: http://yowusa.com/scitech/2003/scitech-2003-03a/1.shtml MP3 Gratis. (2016). Apollo 13 Soundtrack (All systems go – The Launch).mp3. [Audio file ]. Retrieved from http ://mp3gratis.co/mp3/apollo-13-soundtrack / O Sallent. (2009, June 27). John F. Kennedy: “We choose to go to the moon” speech. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/kwFvJog2dMw Walker, C. (2008, January 20). Shuttle Columbia Disaster RARE FOOTAGE. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNfEUkxmliQ