NASA Watch

Dan Goldin Gives a Pep Talk to JPL employees
29 March 2000

"Don't believe what you read in the press" Dan Goldin told JPL employees today as he sought to pump up morale. Some snippets from his pep talk:

"I am here not to say that this is what you did wrong - rather to say that we need you now than ever before."

"The goals will be risky - and we'll encounter set backs."

"We'll come up short if we do not learn from our failures. "

"I am not here with a one size fits all solution."

"The real answers will take time and cooperation."

"I will be back to discuss how we fix these problems. So will Ed Weiler - not to criticize - but to listen. "

"At Headquarters we must understand that we pushed too hard. We must take this into account because the inherent difficulty in planetary programs. We need to give you more margin, more flexibility, and more adequate institutional resources with which to run your programs"

"The answers we all seek are in this room. Now is the time for a self-assessment that is open and full. Challenge you senior management. Ask every question. "

"We need to have a stronger process of listening. If you have a question that has gone unanswered .... bring it up. Make sure you say something and that you don't hold it in. People are afraid of the reaction that their words will bring. We need to hear from you because you are the closest to these projects. Do not feel that you cannot communicate to your peers. At NASA people will never be punished for telling the truth. That is a commitment I make to you."

The point I want to make is no body knows this place like you do. The people at JPL must prescribe the remedy."

Editor's note: Dan Goldin has been placing a lot of emphasis upon the need for people at NASA to feel that they can freely and openly communicate with management when problems arise. What Dan still seems to be utterly oblivious too is the culture he has so ruthlessly hammered into place over the past 8 years - one where shooting the messenger has become a high art - and very few people are willing to be the messenger. This reluctance to speak out won't change overnight Dan.

Have a look back at the way NASA employees responded 4 years ago: the following is from the 1996 NASA Agencywide Employee & Customer Satisfaction Survey

Agree Completely Agree Somewhat Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Somewhat Disagree Completely
I am optimistic about NASA's future 10.7 28.8 12.5 31.8 16.3
Agency senior management can be expected to do the right thing 3.0 19.0 20.2 34.9 22.9
Once a decision is made, management communicates the results and rationale to employees 4.7 24.3 19.0 31.9 20.1
Innovation in NASA is appreciated and supported 10.6 40.2 22.3 18.0 9.0
There is a willingness to accept responsibility for failure 5.5 25.0 25.2 26.4 18.0
NASA centers work effectively together to accomplish NASA's mission 3.9 21.3 22.1 32.7 20.0
Trust is the norm across work units 3.8 25.9 27.5 29.2 13.6
Trust is the norm within work units 16.1 47.5 17.0 12.0 7.4
Employees can say what is right without fear of reprimand from management 6.2 26.1 17.9 26.6 23.1
I feel free to speak my mind 15.5 32.0 13.1 21.7 17.6

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