An engineering leader welcomes diverse opinions and ideas to spot and solve project challenges.
In this video clip, Dave Everett, Head of the Instrument and Payload Systems Engineering Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, explains how learning from many and various team members’ viewpoints is advantageous to the success of a project.
Video key learning points:
- 1.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team was selected to have people who were very diverse in the way they performed their work. This was a major strength for the project team because it allowed different ideas and methods for discovering and solving problems.
- 2.
Different perspectives help find and solve problems and allow a project manager to see all the project information from different angles.
- 3.
A good reviewer identified a problem on the project that no one else on the team had thought about.
- 4.
If everyone on the project team looks at and thinks about a problem the same way, there are other aspects or solutions to the problem that will be hidden.
Related Resources
APPEL KS Interview on Cognitive Diversity: Five Questions for Dr. Scott Page
APPEL KS Knowledge Toolkit: Diversity of Thought
APPEL KS Article: The Role of Dissent in Driving Project Success
APPEL KS Article – Critical Knowledge inSight: Psychological Safety for Effective Team Communication
APPEL KS Courses: Building and Leading NASA Teams
APPEL KS Article: Mitigating Cognitive Bias in Engineering Decision-Making
