Barriers to Innovation and Inclusion

[hooperkj]

I am a former IT professional, my experience with project management had been that it was all about the management process and not the product. Our department implemented new management procedures that added a huge amount of paperwork to new projects. Before I left the company, the most productive use of my time was figuring out how to skirt the new project management procedures so that I could concentrate more time on the technical aspects of my work.

[rells2000]

Can't believe NPR's Pop Culture did a story of serious tone on this video. Poor editing and acting. Looks more like someone in NPR wanted to promote their kid's YouTube project, or they came up dry on ideas. But, I do have to say it really does convey the stifled atmosphere of a typical corporatation. OH, NOW I SEE> IT WAS DONE BECAUSE IT ENDS UP THAT GOOGLE SAVES THE DAY! HAH!

[ugufru]

Yeah, this is a bit retarded. By the time a contractor is involved in a project of this scope a rigid schedule and process has been defined. For spaceflight this is critical due to the huge number of factors that need consideration. Innovation is good, and young people are smart for sure, but don't expect an organization like NASA, or Boeing, or even large banks to change their plans midstream. Save the innovation for the design phase of the next iteration of the project.

[densityduckk]

ugufru, this thinking is self-defeating, because it's always going to be either "too early to think about innovation, we've got to go with heritage as our baseline" or "too late to think about innovation, schedules and budget are already set". Where's the window? It's important to have the balls to break the cycle--and nobody seems to have that anymore.

[tlnygaard]

Notice that this is happening in the MIDDLE of the project. If shed have spoken in terms of "We will not meet requirements or our deadline because of..." She would have stood a better chance to THEN introduce her idea.

Innovation has its place in projects but it is folly to think that it belongs in mid-deployment.

The video should have continued with its Law & Order theme and found Heather guilty of "Aggravated Scope Creep" and sentenced her to 12 years of middle management.

[guitaaron1999]

This should be required viewing for anybody working in or with the government. This scenario plays out everywhere, especially within DOD organizations. Very well done!

[Payonhon]

I don't believe that this is unique to NASA. i think there are many Heather's who've experienced this in established industries such as the auto industry, for example. When this happens in Silicon Valley, it is not uncommon to start a new company rather than be stifled by the established order. Best example is Intel which was founded by bright engineers who refused to accept the status quo. Most innovations are done by people in their 20s: Google, Yahoo, MSoft, Oracle, HP, Dell, etc.

[Kroger43]

Management 101 is where those discussions take place.

[smegster2]

I'm sorry, am I the only one that thinks this is unbelievably retarded?

The product of a generation raised on TV, video games and playing soccer without any score.

Tax payers should be offended that their tax dollars paid for this instead of doing something to keep us in space, which is what NASA is supposed to be doing.

[johnthespacefreak]

What happens to Heather's career after the video ends? Sadly, the Senior Executive Service (SES) Program Manager (probably an ex astronaut or flight director) makes a phone call to HR and she is put in career time out. She won't be told this has happened. She will learn about it through the rumor mill, and when tasks are taken away, and when she is no longer invited to meetings. Sadly, NASA has a growing number of qualified engineers in career time out. My advice: Toe the line.

[vhnieves]

NPR, what beautiful thing :)

[Payonhon]

Most innovations are done by people in their 20s or even earlier. their ideas were often times revolutionary. Let's take a look at some companies who were started by people with bright ideas and still in their 20s: HP, Oracle, Dell, SUN, Apple, Netscape, Napster, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and many others. Intel was founded by several disgruntled employees. Maybe Heather ought tofrequent the bars here in Silicon Valley and find a venture capitalist. LoL

[lpg6363]

To learn more about the processes that take an organization into wasteful, stifling bureaucracy read Lawrence Miller's book, Barbarians to Bureaucrats - corporate life cycle stages. Organizations that design employee suggestion and recognition programs reduce two of the nine deadly organization wastes: untapped and mis-used resources.

Analysts studying innovation find many more Heathers at Toyota than at GM.

[SecularSprite]

Well, NASA is a bureaucracy but because it is what they know. Athough, if Heather were my contractor, I'd say "Wow! Great work! We can really use this, but since it's not in your contract, let us know how much time you spent on it so we can deduct it from your fees."

Let's cut funding to NASA and create tax incentives for private industry. But before you guys go, can you spend the rest of your budget cleaning up LEO? With the latest satellite collision it's barely safe to launch anything.

[kuiperobject]

Why is Heather wearing the same clothes 1 year later? Too focused on work ? :-)

[kuiperobject]

At 4:30 it should be "risk-averse" not "risk-adverse."

[johnsonmachining]

I've been in engineering and management in the aerospace industry for some time, and I can tell you that if some young punk engineer came up to me with her attitude I'd probably react the same way.

I am generally considered quite a maverick in my approach to things, but I usually get my way because a) I am respectful to those with superior experience, and b) I understand how to plead my case in a way that doesn't embarrass or demean the current line of thinking.

[sjmiller05]

Agreed. This new generation are a bunch of punks that think they know it all. I love 23 year olds fresh out of engineering school that don't even have an EIT think that they have the skills and experience to "change" (from the replies I am confident they are Obama supporters) policy. If I was in charge, this woman would have been fired some time ago.

The generation Y is a product of the indago child who believe that they are from a higher state of human evolution.

[rogerdodgeraviation]

I don't agree that the age of the actress is the issue. This video was written and filmed by astronaut Andrew Thomas, who is 58 years old.

[Zipaman]

In what possible way was "Heather" demonstrating a lack of respect to her superiors? What, exactly, is she doing wrong here?

She sounds like some young kid full of energy and a lack of experience in dealing with bureaucracies. She needs a mentor, not some jackass of a supervisor like yourself, I suppose.

[xagcx]

Great video highlighting barriers frequently found in bringing new ideas forward

Problem in this story, the contractor may be at a risk of violating her company's IP agreements by independantly taking her ideas outside her company without authorization. In her position I'd recommend she take her ideas through the company chain to see if her ideas can be used to win new business for her company (like the google example). Her company may have the same barriers though, the points are still valid

[distimpson]

i keep forgetting to mention, corporate research at texas instruments was very good, i'd recommend especially for a first industrial position. hope this does not violate any policies here.

[hardingdgh]

I'm an aerospace engineer. It is easy for young engineers to beleive they can come on board and redesign things better than what has been done by engineers with 20-40 years more experience.

[xagcx]

True, but it's critical to listen for the one that occasionaly does have a way to do things better than engineers with 20-40 years more experience.  Making a forum for identification and investigation of new ideas prevents "the next big thing" from being bottled up.

[anamericancynic]

I am an electrical engineering manager and I have seen the newbies come in with new ideas as well. And sometimes they have pretty darn good ideas, and sometimes they, well, they don't... But as engineers we have to be receptive to those new ideas, because isn't that after all what engineering is about? It is also up to the management not to whitewash the people about their ideas. That just shows disrespect and an inability to deal with people and the desire to protect their silos.

[lwblack64]

So, what does it mean (to you) if they actually can? Is it an ego thing that the new guy is smarter than the old fart?

[googacct]

I saw this when I worked as a contractor for the DOD. I left after 18 months and went to work for a small company that appreciates and supports the creativity and innovation of its employees.

[reynoldb69stang]

Your right. People need to look inward. Most movie viewers find it hard to be receptive to stories that share lessons learned. It is nice to see that there are people that want to tell the stories that "we" need. Thank you for your post. Nice interview on NPR. Keep it up!

[zappa717]

Shell Oil Company to a tee!

[Loafmeister]

I've seen this mentality in the Canadian Federal Gov as well. To be fair, innovation needs funds, time and ressources. Many might say "Innovation will lead to additional funds", accurate for a private company who's goal is seeking profit, but when you are dealing with the public sector using public funds under the constant threat of cutbacks without selling a product for profit, is this a realistic expectation?

The point hits home well, I hope the right people see this and pay attention.

[afed13]

I worked for CDC and the same thing is happening there. My own project got initially approved and terminated after a month, because of bureaucratic stonewalling and personal retribution - a year before I was 'stupid' enough to say yes that this new initiative brings additional paperwork. It was supposed to stay in that room - but somehow almost everybody who was there had their projects terminated in couple of days. When I wanted scientific discussion I got a nasty verbal assault and lost job.

[gordileggy]

OMG! That's my organization and I'm Heather! I've actually gotten a bad review because I didn't go through the right channels even though the solution worked and people love it.  Google, here I come.

[ladydonnadonna]

Heather, you are one smart and brave soul.

[johnsonmachining]

If you were Heather in my organization, I wouldn't have shown the restraint her superiors did. I have managed to get more than one person put on "special assignments" (i.e. left on the outside) not because of their ideas, but because of their tactics. You can be a dissenter and still a team player. You just have to be more tactful, creative, and persuasive. Ever hear about getting more flies with honey than vinegar?

[newn0z]

This is team playing: everyone working for the best outcome for the project. Can you give me an example of how she was less than appropriate in her approach? Engineers are not salespeople. Perhaps she should have hired a spin doctor. I'm totally missing how she was wrong here.

[gmcneel]

distimpson:

While I agree you can allow someone else to take the credit, I feel it stifles innovation in the long run. Many of us are not just driven by the money, we want to know we are valued for our thinking. I know I am that way (though I don't mind the money, either). While I work for a contractor now, I have been an entrepreneur in the past, helping build some Houston companies. This was done with innovation, overcoming obstacles. We listened to any ideas, no matter who had them.

[bereabeard]

This should be shown annually to management in every large corporation or agency...private or gov't.

[distimpson]

One way to get your new idea accepted is to let (sometimes not a choice) the bureaucrats take the credit (the ones that are not innovative with out support) while you stay out of sight. My experience is that in a research environment these folks are actively seeking new ideas/projects and with compartmentalization and control of information flow a new concept can be readily accepted. A downside is that, later it can be difficult to obtain recognition for your work, heather right?.

[distimpson]

yup, read the comments to the vid, not unique to nasa ,this is the standard bureaucratic culture that takes over many organizations, corporate, academic, gov, , maybe any group of people? (the reason Ive avoided belonging to any groups/clubs/associations).

[crappz]

I was told very loudly in front of many co-workers,"there is no I (eye) in TEAM, Gina.

I said no but there sure as hell is an I in Gina.

[4thprize]

In our company we didn't waste any time on these patronizing meetings: you were just told to shut up and go back to your desk.

[GaryW48]

Gee...it sounds like the company I work for, especially in my department.

Thanks for sharing this.

[ffakr]

I think people are still surprised to find out that my general office philosophy is that we need to figure out how to solve problems. I manage an IT organization at a research University. Our job is, simply, to make problems go away.. and to predict and remove future issues when possible.

That sort of simplicity is surprising to people who are used to the traditional paradigm. That is, first define acceptable problems, then determine standardized solutions to that set of acceptable problems.

[wyvern734]

Not just NASA, this lack of common sense and lack of long term self-interest is killing the company I used to work for.  Damn shame. This country used to have innovation as one of its core values.

(Good Lord, did he call her "girl"? Freaking moron.)

[stackoverflow009]

This is so true. Great debunking of wrote managerial blather.  I know I've forwarded this to several co-workers. Echoing others here, this is such a sign of what is generally wrong in this country.

[stackoverflow009]

This is so true. It's funny that they think we don't realize what's going on. I know I've tried raising new ideas at my new company and after several failed attempts, I now follow the Four Hour Work Week as *much* as possible, very sadly. I was glad to hear that Nasa mgmt reviewed this video at a recent retreat (src: NPR). Wonder if anything will happen... It'll probably take four years to implement any changes.

[strumsky]

I doubt anything will change, but it's at least important that we do these kinds of things - make videos, post them, air the laundry - to make everyone more attentive to what is automatic behavior. Interesting that none of the criticisms had a thing to do with the worthiness of the idea - only management protocols. I work in state government; it's absolutely hobbled. But that's the age-old definition of bureaucracy, right?

[lehnert2]

Listened to the review of this on NPR this morning... nice

[RossEmmett]

Fantastic! Plan to use this with our program regarding how companies can change their processes to be innovative.

[pgm3]

When I had the privilege of working at NASA-Ames in the mid '80s, post-Challenger tragedy, I saw dense bureaucracy but a real if newfound zeal nonetheless for creative thinking from our "tiger teams". Astronaut Andrew Thomas has done us all a great service here; under Jim McLenihan and Carlton Gillespie's open leadership, OMM got SOPHIA airborne and flew the KAO successfully. Considering the "think-tank" talent pool at any NASA facility, I recommend a return to this very approach. Outstanding!

[runningray]

Thank you Mr. Hale for bringing this out and allowing people to discuss it. I am about to get married and I have only one advice for anybody else trying to do that. Have good communications and never be afraid to communicate. I guess that advice works for the space program as well.

[onekutguy]

ROTFLMAO!!!!! Nailed it!!!

Man I spent 20 years in the military. That is exactly how they act. And I'm sure NASA is full of ex military types.

LOL!!!! You nailed that one straight through with one shot of the hammer.

[cleekmaker00]

Thank you for posting this video; it was informative and very interesting. Innovative and 'out of the box' thinking is really going to be the key to making Project Constellation a reality. It should be a clarion call to NASA that this type of approach should be welcomed, not frowned upon; or else we're not going to make it across the boardroom table, let alone making it to the Moon or Mars.

[sarahcostonis]

Amazing work! Thank you so much. I learned so much about suppression, and understanding what is motivating people, and what an incredible drain that is on our life and ability to create. I'm so sorry so many of us are living through such patronization and censorship. Keep shining your light on it!

[findlaech]

It's funny and sad that you could make almost the exact same video from the perspective of a manager who is trying desperately to meet schedule and budget, ensure quality, comply with contractual and legal obligations, and keep his people employed, while at the same time front-line engineers are off "innovating" on their own. Especially dodgy for contractors, who could quickly find themselves in an audit and being asked why their people weren't actually working on what was being paid for.

[xmaninma]

Excellent depiction! I worked in the private sector for nearly 20 years in telecommunications/satellite, with a mostly military-backgrounded crew, and I encountered this kind of mind set constantly. It took me the first half of my employment to find ways of implementing any innovation in our process without getting people rousted from their comfort zones. With the speed tech is evolving, that time frame can't continue, and I hope the right people see this and see the light! Thanks!

[Zoubeck]

So true. I lived it.

[TooRadical2]

This video was obviously made by someone with little project management experience. The story implies that the young lady was hired to do a specific job. She is apparently bored doing the job she was hired to do, so now she bugging everyone with a project outside her area of expertise. This sort of crap happens daily in any large organization and its a project managers worst nightmare.

Maybe shes the reason Googles stock in down 50 percent ;>)

[FaustianDeal]

Compartmentalization is what causes companies to stagnate and die.

If we want to pay an engineer to do nothiing more than produce spark plugs, we're wasting our money. Might as well pull someone off the street and teach them how to build the spark plug.

The true geniuses of our civilization are the ones who can think outside of the box and come up with ideas that benefit not only their little piece of the puzzle, but the big picture.

[jdkonthemacside]

This video should be seriously viewed and dissected; then used to analyze the situation in public school all over the country. Administration is being forced to show their efforts and justify their progress. As a result individual innovative teachers are not allowed to explore and share methods to teach students. Teaching is turning in to a production line where the the students are quantified the personal approach and teacher experience is discredited.

[doc0core]

I am gonna spread this in my company. Thanks!

[lhornemoyer]

I likel the reference to how servant leadership helps encourage innovation. Maybe they'll do a sequel illustrating those principles.

[ericpalmer]

To be fair, Google makes money selling ads, not building spaceships, so the comparison may not be apt. As many have commented already: this goes on every day in both the public and private sector. If any of those managers had a technical background, it might be a good start, but then again, it only takes one idiot in the chain of command to kill a good idea. In support of free markets (the real ones, not the overregulated, corporate welfare infested ones): poorly run organizations fail.

[ilikehwy40]

Fear of failure is the driving force behind most of those problems.

If google fails a few times in a row by taking chances it could go under like most companys in the US do, and it wont matter because the ones that make the decisions will remain wealthy even if the company goes under, and there is no consequence of a world with no google.

If NASA took risks in every piece of a multi-thousand piece project it would never make any progress again. A world with no NASA is a loss to humanity

[Zoubeck]

I ran a Lab for NASA at Kennedy Space Center for a decade as a contractor and encountered this many times. Admittedly, not as severe as is hyperbolically represented here but bad enough that I left. Unfortunately, it is not limited to NASA. The key is that upper Management has to have some vision of where the organization is heading for more than just the next quarter of the next fiscal year and the really creative thinkers don't want to be saddled with management headaches.

[reynoldb69stang]

Yes people need to look inward. I worry because a lot of movie viewers are not receptive to stories with lessons to be learned. It is nice to see there are people willing to tell the stories that we need.

[ambarhaya]

My experience in government is 10X worse. This country needs to examine all agencies from the ground up and the top down.

[uggligr]

Actually I have been in jobs where it is even worse - much worse. Google's an exception to the rule, unfortunately the rule is that which is depicted in the film. Maybe all COMPANIES neet to examine all their departments from the ground up. For instance, the automobile industry got in trouble with this kind of thinking. It's any large organization.

[trappist99]

I've worked companies with weak management. Everyone has differing ideas and the loudest get to try them. Nothing gets done and the project is years late.

Its too easy to blame new MBAs with no experience in key positions, but quite frankly, not all new ideas are necessarily good.

[thubten108]

Government  /= Innovation

[TheNextWave]

It just goes to show- that content and concept can beat great acting, cinematography or technical skill in editing.

Change this from NASA to leadership in most government organizations- and it's the exact same story.

[Stuka87]

Sad but true, for most any large organization. Government or Corporate.

[ManTigerBMW]

1)  This is hard to watch -- It's gets me angry

2) Any Organizations that is "OK" with chunks of ICE falling from it's space craft for over a decade, needs to know it has issues

3) Can't wait for the Government to take over more things like HealthCare, Banks and AutoMaking yippie

4) Beat Army!

[groovista]

This is the best look at the sclerosis afflicting our society, a colossal lack of drive and imagination from the real centers of power and those whose task it is to serve them.

How many missions of tremendous motivating impact, and how much extensive real science, could have been funded from the vast sums poured into a multi-decade fraud? The elder Pres. Bush's Mars plan was laughed off the national stage with its price tag of $250 billion in 1990 dollars...

[HighNortherner]

Bravo! to the folks who produced this gem.  I hope it elicits positive change.

[NellieNobody]

I've never worked for NASA, but I've seen this same management "style" in all of the academic, military, government, telecom, cable, satellite, and Internet (yes, *Internet*!!!) organizations where I have worked. I'm almost ready to put it down to human nature or group psychology. Seems to arise almost inevitably from the qualities and behaviors that get rewarded, especially of those on the management track. I wonder if the pyramid builders contended with it.

[TuboEspectador]

And let me add that as a customer at an Apple Store, I ran into the same sad silo/tunnel vision from (can you have guessed it?) middle management. Now while I did get validated in my complaint with the actual store manager, it happened, and now I am ever so more wary of even so-called forward-looking organizations. Know what? This is not just at individual organizations. Boys and girls, this phenomenon is throughout US culture. It sages badly for our civilization...

[smithchic]

My favorite line is "there is no requirement for that." The only thing they forgot is to ask "what charge number are you using?" Since the customer didn't ask for innovation, and she is supposed to be working on subsystem design, she is probably going to have to work overtime to cover the time spent in meetings to promote her idea!

[jockoroyal]

You've just diagrammed the politics at any big government agency. Want to change it? Get on the inside and climb the ladder. Do your homework and quit crying. Nobody told you? Contractors are hired guns - period.

[AllenGreen62]

It's ashame that it has come to this. If they would have thought this way 40 years ago we would have never got to the moon. Is this the same agency that took some fiberglass fishing rods and treated nylon and engineered a makeshift heat shield that saved Skylab all in 4days?

[lancepclaasen]

I wonder if this happens at Google?

[AnitaLife27]

Bwah ha! Sad! This is why Star Trek and Farscape are total science FICTION. Not the aliens, space diseases, Spock or Aeryn back from the dead, not the space ships, but that an administration could see their way out of this sort of red tape and fear of innovation. So much for "boldly going where no man has gone before". Not when they can't get out of the Dilbert Zone! I thought the purpose of NASA was in doing something never done before! This is sad commentary.

[skipplet]

As if we are going to ever solve ALL the problems in our country and the world's as well. Money that goes into the space program goes into many things that have helped the every day person, GPS probably being the most significant of those endeavors.

[CunningRadikal]

This isn't much different than 99% of the places I have worked. I once had an idea to save a company close to half a million a year, but they wanted me to get a lawyer to contact their lawyer to set up a negotiation. All I really wanted out of it was to stop seeing six tons of daily waste get tossed into waste bis every day.

[simmad0wnn0w]

Hey, didn't I meet some of you at the last NPR pledge drive?

[TuboEspectador]

Well, I can chime in as a "creative" talent that in all levels of innovation (new directions, cost-saving learning, employee empowerment) in the US businesses (and public sector) I have been at, this very bad management style has stomped on any -- any -- out of the box thinking. Middle managers are scared, fellow employees are stunted, and everyone just "gets the job done" at the level of good enough, no more.

So, ahhh, gonna be a Chinese Moon, huh? Oh well...

[lynettewoodct]

Superb, insightful and brave video! This happens everywhere (corporate and non corporate america) which is sad. I particularly loved the overlaid text which pointed out what was really happening but not being said. How do we stop this? Be aware of it and practice openness. And getting beyond our own ego and fears. A healthy self confidence encourages creativity and is not afraid of it.

[jbeezz]

This doesn't only happen at NASA... I worked in Civil Service (THE VERY WORST for practicing this type of personal discouragement) and in a University LIBRARY...where everyone is so afraid that you might get a little ahead of them that they basically just beat you down. It's the bureaucracy in action.

[TuboEspectador]

You are so right. Many public universities have defeated many talented individuals in the service of bureaucracy. The same universities that have invented transistors for example and many internet tools we use RIGHT NOW are foundering innovatively. It is sad that public service in the last 35 years has become ripe for grant-writing but poor in producing new knowledge, new ways of thinking, and ways to the future, rather than keeping pace with the past. Sad, sad, sad...

[densityduckk]

I don't think it's so much jealousy; I think it's more the fact that there's no more individual reward for success.  If you come up with an amazing idea that saves everything, you're "NASA Engineer" if you're even mentioned at all. If you work twelve-hour days five days a week, you're "dedicated staff". But if you screw something up, THEN they're shouting your name from the rooftops. Where's the incentive to take a risk?

[semvhu]

If NASA cannot afford good actors, then NASA certainly cannot afford innovation.

[framistroid]

Pay Attention! This is not a NASA project. When NASA funds something they probably pay way too much for real actors and in fact get pretty good talent.

[semvhu]

It was a joke. A bad one apparently since I'm down to -6 rating on my comment. :o) I work for NASA and am very aware of how hard it is to get funding for anything. If the project office doesn't think it's worth it (happens way too often for technically sound necessities), then they won't let go of the money.

[andy1nspac3]

This is an absolutely ASTOUNDING video!!! I can't thank the team enough for making this! I can definitely see it came out of a passion for understanding the problems, and an almost gasping realization that yes, it is really this broken. The script is perfection and hits our current work culture spot on. I hope to see more from this great team! I can't tell you how much this means to see others frustrated to be working in this time where dreams and innovation are meet with resistance and stigma!

[robpapandrea]

I'd nominate this for a golden globe (sadly) based on historical accuracy. It's not just NASA. They'll all get it one day after they lost MILLIONS on employees who don't stay.

[joshatkins94]

This is the sort of thing that almost killed lunar orbit rendezvous. Fortunately NASA had people like John Houbolt.

[miklops]

These types of behavior also appear in corporations, at least the ones I've worked for, and a level of fear of losing power is also involved that makes 'leaders' prone to suppress dissent.

Good to see NASA trying to tackle such a thorny issue. Good luck!

[ElJefe3126]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This link will be emailed to everyone in my branch at JSC.

It's about time that someone at your level addressed this. Thanks again!

[hackshaven]

I don't think NASA is alone when it comes to these sorts of problems. This video embodies a lot of government process and policy that needs change. Open and transparent government this is not!

[joyrenee]

What a well done video! Kudos to all who worked on it.

It takes courage to air these issues - hope you all are recognized in a good way for your efforts to encourage innovation.

[EpicOfGilgamesh]

I'm typing this on an ODIN laptop at a NASA center....perhaps I've already said too much!!

[joshuamckenty]

There's a classic saying for this in software development - "Never time to do it right, always time to do it over."

[TuboEspectador]

What, no six sigma, TQM or lean management?

[densityduckk]

No "CMMI Level 3", for that matter.

[exec8iops5]

I work for NASA and I see this kind of close-minded management style everyday. I was surprised not hearing the tern "team player" at least 100-1000 times in the course of the video.

[AscendingNode]

I sure hope that the people in this video aren't retaliated against.  They would be at my center.

[BernardoDeLaPaz]

Thanks for saying it. Somebody had to!

To be fair, in my own experiences at JSC my management chain has been extremely supportive of innovative thinking. However, projects never seem to have the time or money to consider innovative alternatives. No matter how far behind schedule and over budget they ultimately become, there never seems to be time or money to consider significant alternatives to the accepted orthodoxy.

And yet JSC complains about the lack of innovation.

Please post contact info.