This is simply a wonderful summary on communication. I highly recommend everyone reading the original lessons learned: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/293253main_62682main_jerry_madden_forum7.pdf
Te Wu’s comment on the below article by Jamie MacDonald:
Jamie MacDonald for MindGenius & Business2Community writes: He’s been deserted on Mars, with little supplies and equipment, and must find a way to survive. That’s the basic story behind the Matt Damon film The Martian, which uses a common problem in extraordinary circumstances to ramp up the tension.
The problem (among the many others the hero has to overcome) is one of ‘communication’, and it’s an issue that project managers also face.
While they may not be charting distant planets, project managers are responsible for getting the mission off the ground. And although they won’t need to send a message almost 34 million miles across the galaxy, connecting with stakeholders can sometimes feel as challenging.
According to a report by the Project Management Institute one in five projects fail due to poor communications. (In fact, the need for good communication is an issue that’s explored in the guide Mission Controlled: the 5-Step Guide to Planning Projects).
It’s unlikely that a blockbuster movie will be made about project managers exploring a project scope or navigating a work breakdown structure, but Nasa project managers are hard at work in real life. In the years ahead, project managers will be helping to pave the way for a manned mission to Mars, with Nasa hoping to have spaceboots on the ground in the 2030s.
The delivery of such an impressive feat will be helped with some words of wisdom from a former associate director of flight projects at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, Jerry Madden. SNIP, the article continues @ Business2Community, click here to continue reading….