Job opening: Sit on a 4.5 mega ton bomb loaded with explosive fuel traveling at 6 times the speed of sound.
In the book “An Astronaut’s guide to Life on Earth”, decorated Astronaut, Col. Chris Hadfield shares what has life in space taught him about life on earth.
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It is a stark difference between how astronauts operate and how we all do. We all have watched those videos on how astronauts sleep, brush teeth or drinks water in space, but have we wondered what happens when astronauts are not in space? Have we ever wondered, what is the culture in organizations that bring up such high performing individuals? How do astronauts perform appraisals? What is the mindset of an astronaut? Do astronauts feel anxious before getting into a rocket?
Here are few situations where you will find astronauts operating diametrically opposite to the culture we are building in our corporate offices.
1. Dealing with Ambiguity
In my previous project, I was anxious about having unclear tasks or goals. Any re-org that impacted me would irk me, since it would make my work even more ambiguous.
I would often bicker about this with my manager about not having enough clarity.
Imagine the ambiguity of an astronaut who while getting dressed into the space suit and entering the spaceship, would not know whether it will even land safely back on earth.
How about sitting on a 4.5 mega ton bomb loaded with explosive fuel traveling at 6 times the speed of sound to perform few scientific experiments. Would you sign up for this job profile?
Astronauts don’t deal with ambiguity of job profile but they deal with ambiguity of life.
Despite this constant threat to life, how is an astronaut able to stay calm and make quick decisions? How do they make choices despite having incomplete information when the negative consequences could impact their lives?
The answer lies in what astronauts do when they are NOT in space.
When astronauts are not floating in space, they are not idling and twiddling their thumbs waiting for the next launch. They are training to be in space the next time, so that when the right time comes, they are ready to do the job right.
When astronauts are not in space they are in control centers, learning alongside other astronauts who are in space.
An astronaut is simulating every possible scenario that can go wrong in space while on earth so that if anything were to go wrong, an astronaut knows how to deal with such a situation.
For example, Chris in his book describes how on one of the space flights he has tears accumulating near his eyeball, while he is in the middle of a spacewalk.
Yes, tears don’t roll down the eye in space since there is no gravity.
Now, most of us would just brush it away thinking it is an eye irritant. But do you know that one of the reasons for eye irritation in space could be a leak of lithium hydroxide. And that would mean that Richard had a few seconds left to live. In such situations, the right protocol kicks in and within 60 seconds it is ascertained that the tearing of eyes is not lethal.
I would be panicking and hyper ventilating if someone tells me to perform certain procedures to ensure I am not killed in the next 60 seconds, but astronauts prepare for such ambiguities all the time.
With this mindset, an astronaut does not feel anxious.
An astronaut deals with ambiguity with a mindset that expects ambiguity. Focused curiosity and preparation minimizes ambiguity.
See how simulations and quick thinking on behalf of the astronauts and ground crew saved an otherwise catastrophic event in the making for Apollo 13 crew.
2. Trade entitlement with competence
Many folks in the corporate world feel that they deserve where they belong. There is a sense of entitlement. Recently, I heard someone complain about the free food that one gets in their office.
Shoulders shrugging and wrinkles occupying much of his forehead, he complained in a distressed voice, “they are serving the same pasta every Wednesday. We need to have more variety beyond from the same old boring white sauce pasta that I eat with my kids in any case”.
Don’t forget the bickering about the non-operational free coffee vending machine in everyone’s office.
On the other hand, an astronaut trains to be a coach, a quarterback, a water person, and a cheerleader all at once. An astronaut can pack the travel bags in the most meticulous manner, conduct some serious scientific research, be a dentist and a surgeon, perform space walks to advance science, make space exploration safe, and even fix toilets. Yes, you read it right… even fix toilets.
Last I checked, you can’t really call a 1800 number to call a plumber in the international space station.
When an astronaut learns to do it all without any apprehensions, entitlement is replaced with competence.
It is expensive to send 10 astronauts with 10 different skills to space. Therefore, each astronaut needs to know a lot to save on cost. Astronauts train really hard for anything and everything that they can may need in space.
Yours is not the only project that is going through cost cutting. Astronauts deal with it too.
Astronauts have these qualities not because they are better humans, but because they are taught to view the world differently.
It is important for astronauts to be a great astronaut, but a reasonable geologist, biologist, geophysicist, and a surgeon. An astronaut doesn’t have to be an expert geologist, geo scientist, or an expert surgeon. Remember, it will be difficult to train a surgeon to become an astronaut, but it is easier to teach an astronaut how to sew a wound.
It is all about changing perspectives. An astronaut can only be in space if one is skilled at not one but many subjects. For example, there can’t be only one astronaut who understands plumbing. What if that astronaut falls ill? What is the backup?
Remember, even small mistakes in space can be a question of life and death. Even a tear drop is taken seriously there.
Therefore, an astronaut before becoming one has to swallow entitlement and be humble enough to accept learning, anything and everything. Even if it means fixing toilet.
So, what do we learn from astronauts.
When you are in for great things in life, trade entitlement with competence.
So, the next time you feel that your office coffee vending machine is not working and it upsets your day, remember that there are some of the smartest people on the planet working on some of the most complex scientific experiments in a tiny tin vessel for several months away from their family and friends while cleaning and fixing their own toilets.
3. Being the pessimist in the room?
Ever been in situations where your perspective that may be contrary to the popular opinion is scorned upon?
Many corporates strive for alignment and compliance. In such organizations disagreements are seen as defiance. Such organizations discourage questioning the status quo and folks steadily lose their voice and identity.
Hope you are not there in one such organization.
An astronaut on the other hand is encouraged to speak up and share all possibilities of anything that can go wrong.
This may sound surreal, but astronauts even simulate what would be the protocol if an astronaut dies on the mission. This protocol is not discussed in private. It is discussed in full presence of the astronaut and the family to ensure there are no surprises.
Imagine, as an astronaut you are deciding whether you would like your body to be stored on the spacecraft, let it burn on earth’s re-entry, or simply shove it in a space suit and let it float in space.
You and your family members also discuss whether your boss or your friend gets to deliver the news of your death to your loved ones. You choose whether the news is delivered in person or via phone.
Your colleagues also discuss with you regarding who will perform press briefing and what will be the PR response after your death.
You are even requested to write your will and file income tax returns to avoid any form of anxiety for you or your family when you are off to a mission.
Now, you would wonder why? This culture to embrace the negative helps you question every “what if” scenario and help understand the gaps in your knowledge.
Such a culture is not looked at as being pessimistic, however it is considered being thoughtful. Astronauts are also positive thinking individuals however they have trained every possibility of negative. So much so that they are mentally and physically prepared to handle any calamity with ease.
So, the next time you feel concerned about someone’s thinking contrary to popular opinion or you listen to some self-help guru suggesting that only good things happen to you when you think good, remind them of being an astronaut.
So, what do we learn from astronauts?
Pessimism can help us to think of negative situations and “what if” scenarios and make us better prepared, especially when we cannot influence the outcome of the action.
4. Growth mindset on steroids.
Imagine, you are talking to your colleague, and you end up saying something you shouldn’t have said. Let’s say you spoke in a louder tone and that intimidated your colleague.
99% of the time, such a situation will go unnoticed in your organization. In that rare 1% case, maybe your colleague will just let you know how he or she felt.
Imagine instead, your manager who was overhearing your conversations walks to the closest loud speaker and announces that your tone was intimidating so that everyone in the organization understands what is the expected behavior.
Sounds surreal right? It may never happen in your career but this is common when you are an astronaut.
Chris Hadfield, in the book explains how his mistake was once announced on the speakers in one of the training sessions for barking commands at his junior astronaut. This happened since there was a perception that the junior astronaut may feel intimidated by the authority of the tone and would never question his superior.
What if this were happening in space and Chris was wrong? What if the junior astronaut would not question Chris in such a situation? What if this was a life and death situation?
Conversations such as ‘ look what Hadfield did’ and let’s make sure none of us do that again are common in this circle. Astronauts are taught to depersonalize criticism. Interestingly, in any profession it is important to depersonalize criticism. As an astronaut it is a survival skill. As an astronaut if you are bristled every time somebody criticizes you then you would be toast before you realize it.
Therefore the culture that is built in such organizations if not one of public flogging but that of collective wisdom.
The same way, when you return from space there is a retrospective on everything that went on in space. Some questions about how was the food, what did you like, what did you throw, was there enough for everyone, how can we improve packaging are common. The intent is not fault finding however to improve every next flight.
So, what do we learn from astronauts?
Depersonalize criticism and apply growth mindset to build collective wisdom.
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