After listening to a speech by NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) Chief Sean O’Keefe, I couldn’t help but correlate what he was saying about the future of space exploration, to the future of society.
Mr. O’Keefe spoke about the style of being future oriented, adaptable, and resilient. He spoke about astronauts and systems millions of miles away, out of the reach of humanity. He spoke about these astronaut explorers and systems thinking “expeditionary,” and acting independent of direction and control. Ingenuity, adaptability, and resiliency would be the thoughts of the day.
This will also be the case here on Earth in the 21st Century. The increased pace of technology and the ever expansion of diversity will require new lines of thinking. Less will be more as our cell phones, computers, and the world shrink in size. Individuals will be forced to take action and make decisions outside of their homes and offices. The ability to adapt to rapidly changing environments may very well determine an individuals overall success - on, and off, this planet.
NASA is engaged this type of active thinking. They are training their astronauts and other personnel to be forward thinking in nature. They are giving them the resources to allow for decisions to be made on the spot. They are teaching them to think on their feet, and rely less on controls. They are constantly examining the capacity to integrate current systems with new ideas. How can off-the-shelf components be applied to the issues we face today.
As NASA is consistently defying the odds, they realize the importance of the lessons learned from taking these extraordinary risks. They know the value of patience, attention to detail, and thinking things through. As they learn something different, they try to build on it (“Kaizan” – Japanese for vibrant continuous improvement).
Individuals of all walks of life could learn quite a bit from NASA. A thoughtful, independent, resilient, adaptable, and flexible thinker is clearly an asset and someone I want on my team. Individuals that embrace and possess these traits will ultimately achieve success in the 21st Century.
As Americans, we can be proud that these ideals are hallmarks of our Nation’s space agency. May the spirit of discovery (and Lady Luck) continue to be with NASA’s employees.
Regards, Vince Maglischo