The problem with problems...

One of the things I've noticed, from traveling around to lots of places, and working in lots of different institutions, large and small, is that the problems are always the same. And no one seems to know what to do about them!

So, for example, I had lunch today with a long-time NRAO staffer. I got him talking about what it's like to work here, and he immediately began talking about the things NRAO did NOT have: not enough staff, not enough time, not enough money. And then a few things he had too much of: too much management, making too much money, too many assignments and things to do to ever get them all done with the available manpower, and too many meetings.

So I asked him what he could do about it. After a few moments of looking at me blankly, he said he'd hire more staff. Which is jumping into the middle of the problem, instead of beginning at the beginning. There are an entire host of reasons why you can't start there (especially as random staffer). But instead of saying 'that's not a good starting point', he says, 'so I can't do anything'.

So then I asked him about the particular project that I'll be working on. His take is that 'they don't know what they are doing'. 'They' have spent a lot of man-hours, a lot of money, and a lot of years, developing a product that doesn't meet specs.

So I asked him about his project. He doesn't have enough funding, help, space or time to do it right. And that's the fault of a) management, b) the NSF, and c) Charlottesville (i.e. upper, upper management), in that order.

An interesting set of contrasts there, but a common mindset. Other people's problems are their problems, but his problems are other people's problems.

But here's what I see, at first blush. I see 70, give or take, really, REALLY smart people who are excited about two brand-new, enormous projects. Some things are going really well. The EVLA antenna upgrades, for example, and the new ALMA installation. Other things are not. The correlator is slipping a month per month, CASA is not as functional as it should be, no science is getting done (lots of technical work is, however). But the 'culture of insufficiency', and the entrenched working groups are making it hard for people to get a fresh perspective on what they are doing, and how best to get it done. Everyone is on the defensive, no one is sharing what they are doing, and no one is saying, 'How can I help?' or even, 'Look at you! You go, grrl!' or even, 'It's better than it was yesterday! Nice work!'

Consider the CASA problem. This is new software for the new instruments. But it also works with the old instruments. So, you might think that a smart thing to do would be to get everyone here using CASA to do everything they are doing now (at least, everything that CASA can do already...). No better way to improve the software than to get a focus group of knowledgeable users using it every day, right? No. People who work on CASA work on CASA, but don't use it. People who work on other things use the old software, and complain that CASA doesn't do what they want, the way they want. NO ONE is actually using the new software. In a matter of months, it needs to be up and running and ready to handle the vast new data sets coming in from the new instruments. OMG. Can we get some help here?!

And I contrast this with my home department, where a solid core of us are always working together on various projects; where people jump in and say 'how can I help?' practically every day; where conversations in the hallway are filled with excitement and energy about something new someone's going to try. There's a sense of bringing a problem before the group to try to actually make progress toward solving it. The culture of the department is the culture of people who are fully occupied in a life they feel is important, valued, and worthwhile. It's a culture of people who respect each others' gifts, even when they vary wildly. And when someone comes up with a new idea, this core group of people say, 'Go for it!'. At least, that's how it looks to me... and that's how it looked to our program reviewers too, who were completely wowed by us.

So this is what I learned from Craig Hogan. If the culture is stuck and broken, then the functionality of the whole organism is stuck and broken. If people are are too defensive to talk to each other, if people aren't interested in what others are doing, or, alternatively, feel like their opinion doesn't matter, then all the problems seem insurmountable. But if everyone is chatting with everyone else, and helping out whenever they can, and openly expressing interest and respect, and asking questions instead of offering critiques, then it doesn't matter what other resources you do or don't have. The organism functions like a well-oiled machine. People get together to solve problems instead of getting together to whine about them.

This is where I'd suggest the staffer start. By simply walking up to someone, and asking what they are working on, and how it's going. And then listening. Finding something to praise that's going well, and asking what comes next. Setting ego aside long enough to offer help and praise, instead of suggestions or criticism. Assuming, from the get-go, that the person you are talking to has thought hard about what they are doing, and cares deeply about doing a good job. Finding a way to help, even if it means changing the way you are used to doing things. You know---being civil and engaged in the community. Taking responsibility for providing moral support to others who are struggling. It's a start on building a culture that focuses on solving problems, instead of on whining about them.