CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER

International collaboration is needed to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, says a new book on project and program management.

The book — The Smart Mission, NASA'S Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People and Projects — gives the example of a team of NASA aerospace engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who designed and built a ventilator over 37 days using readily available parts, in reaction to the COVID -19 pandemic, even though none of them had any knowledge of medical devices.

The feat illustrates how effectively teams learn and share knowledge in real-time contexts, the book says.

One of the book's authors is Ed Hoffman, who was the chief knowledge officer at NASA.

“Never has there been more urgency” for the lessons in teamwork, Hoffman says.

“The social dimension of knowledge and the need for people to collaborate remains constant as projects become increasingly complex and pose tougher technical challenges.

“Complex challenges require complex teams in multiple disciplines over multiple jurisdictions and cultures coming together to find solutions.

“Solutions that are possible to achieve if and when knowledge over information is at the core of the team's approach.”

Hoffman joined a Conversation That Matters on how and why NASA is able to accomplish the impossible and how that insight can help you and your team conquer the seemingly impossible.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca