“Navigating Through Turbulence: Some Important Team Qualities”

Mark C. Dickerson

Aeronautics Research Project Manager

NASA Dryden Flight Research CenterUsed with Permission

Outline• Background

• Turbulence and “Ops Tempo”

• An Inopportune time for a PM Change

• Lessons Learned

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• Fundamental Aeronautics (FA)– Subsonic Rotary Wing (SRW)– Subsonic Fixed Wing (SFW)– Supersonics (SUP)– Hypersonics HYP)

• Aviation Safety

– Integrated Vehicle Health Management

– Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control

– Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck

– Aircraft Aging & Durability

• Airspace Systems

– Next Generation Air Traffic System (NGATS): Airspace

– NGATS Air Traffic Management: Airportal

• Aeronautics Test Program (ATP)

– Operational Support, Facility Maintenance, Test Technologies, University Research, Outreach to DoD

ARMD* Program ContentBackgroundTurbulence

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*Aeronautics Research Mission

Directorate

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Winds of Change…

• ARMD Associate Administrator (AA) and Governance Model• FA, SFW, and Team Formation• Largest single project in all of ARMD

– Project Management Complexity Factors1. Stability of the overall project context.2. Number of disciplines and methods.3. Legal, social, or enviro implications.4. Overall expected financial impact.5. Strategic importance of the project.6. Stakeholder cohesion.7. Number and variety of interfaces.(Duncan, PMC 2009)

• Previous PM, the PI, and Dryden’s incumbency• Dryden hit with SOFIA and Constellation back-to-back

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FA Projects Relative Size

SFW

SRW

SUP

HYP

Refocusing NASA AeronauticsThe AA’s Three Guiding Principles

• We will dedicate ourselves to the mastery and intellectual stewardship of the core competencies of Aeronautics for the Nation in all flight regimes.

• We will focus our research in areas that are appropriate to NASA’s unique capabilities.

• We will directly address the fundamental research needs of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) in partnership with the member agencies of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO).

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Frogs

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Horses

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Frogs and Horses?

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Okay… What do YOU see?The AA’s Three Guiding Principles

• We will dedicate ourselves to the mastery and intellectual stewardship of the core competencies of Aeronautics for the Nation in all flight regimes.

• We will focus our research in areas that are appropriate to NASA’s unique capabilities.

• We will directly address the fundamental research needs of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) in partnership with the member agencies of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO).

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Framework for ARMD Program Management Structure and working Relationships with Performing Centers

PS

APM

Program Chain Center Chain

PMCenter Project

Management Support

Step 1 - Negotiate Task Plan signed by API, APM, and Division/Branch Manager

Chain of Command

Pr oj ect ManagementTeam

Associ at e Pr oj ect Management Team

Connecting Point for Concurrence

Step 2 - Concurrence

Step 3 - Negotiate Project Plan signed by PI, PM, and Center POC

AA

PD

PI

API

CD

POC

Division Mgr

Branch Mgr

Step 4 - Concurrence

Step 5 - Negotiate Program Plan signed by PD and Center Director

Step 6 - Concurrence

Center Director is responsible for execution of program at center, and will delegate that authority as appropriate

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(All acronyms provided on final slide)

Typical Center Director

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“Uh-Oh…”

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Recognizing the Changes• AA’s strong mandate from

Administrator• Interpretation was inconsistent

between program chain and institutional chain

• Governance Model still being defined, so centers hoped they could fix the “problem”

• New way of doing business and unclear intent reduced center points of contact (POC’s) ability to help center management recognize the sea changes ahead

• Center management often remained in denial, failed to adapt to model as needed. Some center directors (CDs) did not think that the new processes would stick.

• CDs didn’t expect programs to manage FTE* so closely, thought they could still juggle personnel between projects

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12*Full time equivalents

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• Incremental release of Governance model left folks unsure of how this was to work.

• Centers still seemed to have control over funds at first. This led to power struggle between centers and programs.

• Some began to recognize that having APIs and APMs might help to assure technical content under the new paradigm.

• In past, center had say on budgets and technical content, with that transferred to PIs, centers were tasked with just implementation and tracking, so center was unprepared for PI’s actual needs in terms of types of support required.

• Local people were caught between doing the “right thing” for the project and for their own centers, in between two elephants, with no place to hide from the power struggle.

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• Projects themselves still being defined– How do you decide or recommend where the money

should go when work packages are still undefined?

– This led to centers trying to define content locally

– Led programs to realization that discipline plans were needed, but those were often still at too high a level

– Led to requirement to rework efforts again since initial guidance was too vague

• Moving budget targets– Projects had to re-allocate

resources on the fly

– Centers continued to push back in effort to control funds

Enter: A New PM

• Selection based on incorrect perception of what a PM is to do

• Personal background, CD role in selection

• Immediately set about doingwhat the local apparatus thought a PM should do:– Tried to become familiar with technical objectives

– Looking for people and facilities to get them accomplished and allocate funds to make it happen

– Prepared to offload PI of management responsibilities and enable a greater technical focus for PI

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These were NOT things that the PI wanted his PM to do!

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PM Struggles from the Outset

• Turbulence made it difficult to anticipate next requirement

• PM unable to complete current task before next one popped up, always more urgent than the last

• New guy had limited understanding of many budget and process subtleties– NRA management and tracking– Augmentation Funds management– Making FTE, WYE, Procurement $$, etc all align– Subtle differences between centers, like service pools,

overhead rates, ATP funding– More “Output Variables” than “Control Variables”

• Often resulted in “leading from the rear”

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Result: PM Leadership Void

• Budget Analysts, APMs had to take point position on many decisions– They were also operating on steep learning curve

themselves, buffeted by same turbulence

• Quality and timeliness suffered due to “PM overload” while trying to adjust to unexpected role in unfamiliar terrain with shifting objectives

• FACT: PI doesn’t have time to train a PM on things that are essentially “basics” for a NASA veteran. – PI in same situation as remainder of team, attempting to

respond to program and project changes on the fly

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• Eventually the facts became undeniable

• Situation led to another PM change

• Result: Even more turbulence for project team

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“This is NOT working…”

Lessons (Re)-Learned• Things to remember if

you’re part of the Institutional Chain

• If you’re associated with the Programmatic Chain

• Some thoughts if you’re the “PM” or equivalent

• Important characteristics for all Team Members

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Supervisory Lessons• Know your people and carefully match them to job

requirements– Center Priorities shifted to another project in effort to

keep center afloat, this led to PM shift at critical point

– New PM unfamiliar with decision processes, governance model, technical objectives, underlying history, financial management requirements, financial tools…

• Made personal life-balance choice: not willing to work the massive hours required to correct personal training shortfalls on the fly while executing the largest single project within ARMD.

• Need to read the tea leaves and get the true picture– Center made assignment call based on old paradigm

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Provide Needed Support

• FACT: Most valid candidates CAN learn this stuff. – One problem was mistaken initial belief on everyone’s

part (including his own) that PM already had it down, or could learn it via OJT

– A real training program, aimed specifically at preparing your candidate for the actual duties, is a much better idea, especially in a fast-changing environment.

• Track their progress and Mentor as required– “They put me here, so I must be the best guy for the

job, so keep slugging.” Wrong!

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For Program Leadership…• PI/PD MUST communicate a vision that captures team,

so that all are pulling together.– If external environment is turbulent, internal team

environment needs to be rock-solid.• Fight Back against unnecessary

turbulence… insulate your team– Find someone who can see around

the corners for you and offer ways to deal with what is coming.

– Stay the course! Do a “reality check” on new requirements. Often “This, too, shall pass!”

– Morale suffered a lot because so much work went down drain during next re-plan or re-org. Leaders must address!

• Be proactive, both in planning and in response to issues23

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More Thoughts for PI or PD• Fight to illuminate “hidden agendas”. Handle them

openly.– Senior leaders need to set up

systems and processes to discourage “gaming”, encourage team play, i.e. “How would you handle a 15% cut?”Should I be honest or lay low?

• HQ failure to share information until late in the game. Want to have it all figured out. (How about letting team help?)– Tell your teams what you want done, not how to do it!

• Leader needs to insist on opportunity to help pick his own team

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If You’re the “New Guy”…• Make sure you fully understand the situation• Form alliances and find mentors

– If they don’t issue you a mentor, then find your own– A secret: Once you follow their advice, they’re hooked!

• Own up to problems/shortcomings from day one– When you’re new there is no shame in asking for help

• Rudyard Kipling: “If you can trust yourself…” – Need to make sure that you’ve got the full stanza and

“make allowance” as well

• Take the initiative to get smart, or start succession planning so you can step aside gracefully

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Lessons for All Team Members

• Communicate openly, listen carefully, speak candidly– At one point, PI/PM communication simply shut down

• This communications breakdown was partly a matter of choice.• It was a poor choice!

– Vast majority of communication is between peers, not superior/subordinate. Don’t build bottlenecks. Encourage open communication in all directions.

• Insulating APIs from management issues was nice idea, but it wasn’t always possible to do that and still get job done

– Strong documentation and records management helps here• Play nicely: always take the high road

– Problem teammate? Don’t just talk ABOUT them… talk TO them. Person may want to fix problem but may not know how.

– If you’ve got a “secret agenda” and it is jeopardizing the larger agenda in any way, then you’re part of the problem.

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Closing Comments

• Turbulence is becoming the norm. We will all have to deal with it.– Senior Management needs to Shield the team as much as

possible – don’t request or allow busywork– Not easy to thumb nose at invalid “requirements”. It

involves personal risk, but it is vital.• When turbulence is unavoidable, and the boat is being

rocked, the team needs to be well trained, well integrated, and well led.– Leaders must share and champion the vision– Sustain team focus on REAL goal through all changes– Keep Communication channels open and honest– Keep expectations realistic, based on good intelligence

about what really lies ahead

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Other Comments?

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“Steady as she goes…We’ve got someplace

we need to go.”

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Acronyms• AA – associate administrator

• API – associate principal investigator

• APM – associate project manager

• ARMD – aeronautics research mission director

• CD – center director

• FA – fundamental aeronautics (program)

• FTE – full time equivalent (work year of a civil servant)

• JPDO – joint planning and development office (charged to develop NGATS)

• NGATS – next generation air traffic system

• OJT – on the job training

• PD – program director

• PI – principal investigator

• PM – project manager

• PMC – project management challenge

• POC – point of contact (typically between a NASA center and a program)

• PS – project scientist

• SFW – subsonic fixed wing

• SOFIA – stratospheric observatory for infra-red astronomy

• WYE – work year equivalent (work year of an on-site NASA contractor) 29