What We’ve Got Here Is … Failure to Communicate

Alan C. Jost Raytheon Company

The tagline from Cool Hand Luke (1967) [1] has often been modified from its original. The Captain (Strother Martin) tells the recalcitrant chain gang prisoner Luke (Paul Newman): “What we’ve got here is ... failure to communicate,” not “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” We do not even quote the quote correctly. This article is a look at situa- tions where communication among team members is a critical factor in the potential failure of a program or its success. This is not a deep technical article, but I believe it is thought-provoking. When humans communicate in written, verbal, and non- verbal forms, many times the receiver misses the intended meaning. The “failure to communicate” is the root cause for many program failures more times than we would admit or appreciate.

hroughout my career, I have experi- the failed mission. This was a major fail- discovered at the first operational test enced a number of program failures ure to communicate between teams of event when the contractor requested (evenT the term failure is relative and intelligent, experienced professionals that the old radar be turned off. subject to a wide range of meanings who did not check even the most obvi- The contractor assumed that red depending on the individuals participat- ous items in the design and implementa- time meant the old radar would be ing in the discussion). These program tion of the probe. “What we’ve got here turned off so they could test the new failures can be directly related back to is … failure to communicate.” radar without interference from radia- the basic tenet of this article: failure to tion being transmitted from the old communicate. Radar Red Time radar. The customer assumed that red Everyone reading this more than In one situation in which I was person- time meant that the old radar, while not likely has had a similar experience and ally involved, three organizations – the turned off, would be placed in a mainte- could add to the following situations. contractor, customer, and operational nance state where the transmission of This article is not written as an indict- radiation would be rerouted through the ment against any one individual, organi- One of the wave-guides, eliminating a large portion zation, or program; it is written as a “ of the ambient radiation. The opera- lighthearted look at how things that tional user’s version of red time meant seem so simple can become major stum- most dramatic failures that only the transmission lines for the bling blocks because of our failure to com- of a project caused radar data would be disconnected, so a municate. But I do not want to just dwell false target would not be transmitted. on the failures, so a couple of good by a failure to Well, the reaction from the operational examples of how participants were able user was, “Turn the radar off!? The to communicate are also presented. communicate was the radar has never been turned off, and we Each of the situations is generalized by don’t even know how to turn it off, and using groups as examples. NASA probe project even worse, we don’t know how to turn it back on!” “What we’ve got here is … NASA Mars Probe [2] in 1999. failure to communicate.” One of the most dramatic failures of a ” At the heart of the situation was the project caused by failure to communi- klystron, the large tube that generated cate was the NASA probe project in user – were collaborating to build a large the radiation used to transmit the radar 1999. The probe, the Mars Climate radar system. The new radar was located signal. Once turned on, it had not been Orbiter, was to orbit Mars to gather cli- near the old radar it was replacing. The turned off for years and there were no matic data. The Orbiter, at a cost of old radar would not be decommissioned procedures to turn it off and back on about $125 million, traveled more than until the new radar was successfully again. In near real time, the three groups 400,000,000 miles to get to the planet. operationally tested. In order to do this, had to communicate with the klystron Upon arrival, the Orbiter entered an maintenance red time of the old radar manufacturer to generate a procedure to orbit 60 miles too low, and since it was had to be scheduled when the new radar minimize the energy and redirect the not built to withstand the Mars atmos- would be tested; this is where the three lower energy down the wave-guides. phere, was destroyed. The design calcu- organizations failed to communicate. The new procedure did work, and the lations used to place the spacecraft into Through many planning meetings for power down sequence was successfully orbit were made in imperial measures in red time, each group had a different repeated numerous times to support the terms of pounds force. The software team, interpretation of what exactly red time operational testing of the new radar. however, developed the burn control was. The meetings were productive and Failure to communicate the concept of red software using metric measurements provided for a detailed operational test time among the participating organiza- and units in terms of newtons. While the schedule. However, each organization tions could have lead directly to a major error was less than 0.000015 percent, it had a different interpretation of the red schedule impact on the program. It was enough to be fatal to the mission. time that created the resultant opera- forced real-time communications The communication error was only tional test schedule. The failure to com- between the participating organizations uncovered during the post-mortem of municate between the organizations was and manufacturer, resulting in the power

10 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering June 2006 What We’ve Got Here Is … Failure to Communicate down procedure. If the power down communicate among program team mem- electronic game. The other team was led procedure failed, it would also have bers. It is not that we do not have ade- by a project manager who came from an caused a major impact to the program. quate communication systems to com- upper-edge society and was kind of a The procedure worked and the major municate with, we have an overabun- geek; he immediately set out to get feed- schedule impact was avoided. What dance of communication and collabora- back from a customer focus group in we’ve got here is … communication! tive systems: telephones, cell phones, the neighborhood where the mural walkie-talkies, blueberries, blackberries, would be placed. He wanted to find out Contract Negotiations e-mail, v-mail, fax, eRooms, Docushare, what was important to them as far as In another example, we have the cus- meeting rooms, Sametime (Lotus instant electronic games were concerned. He tomer and contractor negotiating the messaging and Web conferencing), and a not only talked with the kids who would functionality included in the contractor’s multitude of other communication and use the games, but with the parents who proposal. During the negotiations, it collaboration systems. This is not the would ultimately purchase the games. was mentioned by the customer that problem. The problem is the clear trans- Well, guess which team won the project? they only had two-thirds of the pro- mission of ideas and concepts between Which mural did a better job in selling posed price in their budget. The con- program team members that is at the the product? Was it the know-it-all from tractor was requested to reduce their bid heart of the problem. “What we’ve got the ’hood, or was it the geek who com- to match the customer’s budget and to here is … failure to communicate.” municated with the people in the neigh- eliminate the functionality needed to hit As the reader, you probably have borhood focus group? It was an over- the target reduced-proposal price. The examples of programs where the com- whelming victory for the project manag- proposal team developed the new pro- munication among team members was er who communicated with his potential posal with reduced functionality to meet very good and the project turned out to customers. What we’ve got here is … the customer’s budget and provided the be a success. To see the impact of good communication! communication leading to successful updated information to the negotiating The Apprentice – Solstice [4] team. projects, I like to look to the television Somehow, some way, the reduced show The Apprentice. The projects on the A second The Apprentice project that functionality was not accurately commu- demonstrated the importance of com- nicated to the customer. “What we’ve It was an munication was the development of a got here is … failure to communicate.” “ sales brochure to describe the new It came to light at the first customer overwhelming victory Pontiac Solstice Roadster. One team was contractor system specification review led by and consisted of all men who nat- when the software technical lead pre- for the project urally knew exactly what it would take to sented the reduced functionality list. sell the new two-seat, convertible road- The reaction from the customer was not manager who ster. The other team was led by a anticipated. Where were the missing woman, who, by her own admission, was functions? The ones that were eliminat- communicated with not much into cars. The male-led team ed to reduce the bid were the functions took the approach of making the car a they were asking about and the wheels his potential customers. macho-type of machine that would started to fall off. Under the contract, attract good-looking women to the car’s the contractor had to develop the func- What we’ve got here male driver, while the female-led team tionality directed by the customer, spoke with the General Motors repre- sentatives about how they wanted the whether in the specification or not, and is ... communication! ” car to be portrayed. Well, you do not the contractor would have to recoup the have to be a wizard to guess who won costs through the country’s court sys- show are contrived to be completed in a this project management contest. The tem. Eventually, the program resulted in short period of time to fit the presenta- female-led team won because the pro- delivery of the system with the full tion of the project in a one-hour time ject manager captured what the execu- functionality, which the customer slot. It is interesting to see that almost tives communicated they wanted in the assumed they were going to get for the 100 percent of the time the team that sales brochure. Even more importantly reduced price that matched their budget. had good communication with their was that the Pontiac executives, who The extra functionality, however, customer-judge, focus groups, and/or were also the judges of the two required the contractor to fund the addi- among the team members had the suc- brochures, decided to use the brochure tional work. In the end, the court sided cessful project. designed by the female-led team as the with the contractor, and the customer actual Solstice brochure in Pontiac ended up paying for the full functionali- The Apprentice – Mural [3] showrooms across the nation. While the ty by reimbursing the contractor for the In one project, two teams had to devel- projects are somewhat contrived to sup- additional funding. While eventually op an advertising mural for a new elec- port the premise behind the show, they remedied, the initial failure to communicate tronic game. The murals were to be do demonstrate that the ability to com- made the entire program a contentious done in Harlem. One team was led by a municate is critical to the success of the affair between customer and contractor. project manager who came from a project – any project involving a team of Communication Systems vs. neighborhood similar to Harlem and she people attempting to accomplish a task. knew what would be a good advertising Communications mural. Since she knew what the customers Apollo 13 – Recovery [5] These three situations indicate the would like, she knew how to create the The original Apollo 13 problem was importance of eliminating the failure to mural to attract customers to buy the caused when the number two oxygen

June 2006 www.stsc.hill.af.mil 11 Why Projects Fail tank in the service module exploded what the other person meant to say. munication was? In real estate, the most because of a short circuit in the oxygen While the words truly mean that you important thing is location, location, tank that occurred during a routine stir- physically heard the words spoken, a location. In program management it is ring procedure. This problem was not more appropriate response would have communication, communication, com- N the result of a failure to communicate. been I understood you. I leave you with munication. What I am using this dramatic mission just two famous quotes. The first is a failure example for is to demonstrate small, simple example of a failure to References the success achieved with the ability of communicate, and the second is an 1. Cool Hand Luke. Dir. Stuart the NASA Apollo ground team to com- excellent example of precise communi- municate effectively, not only between cation. Rosenberg. Perf. Paul Newman, themselves to develop solutions, but In the movie Apollo 13, astronaut Jim George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon, Lou also to communicate those solutions to Lovell (Tom Hanks) tells Mission Antonio, and Robert Drivas. Warner the Apollo 13 crew. The initial explo- Control: “Houston, we have a prob- Brothers: 1967. sion also caused the number one oxygen lem.” The line has often been misquot- 2. Nickson, David, and Suzy Siddons. tank to fail and the fuel cells that sup- ed as “Houston, we’ve got a problem.” Project Disasters & How to Survive plied the command module with elec- The historical quote from Apollo 13’s Them. London and Sterling, VA: tricity to have problems. In the initial 90 Commander Jim Lovell was: “Houston, Kogan Page, 2006. minutes, it was brainstormed by the we’ve had a problem.” The actual his- 3. “The Writing On the Wall.” The ground crew to use the Lunar Lander as toric exchange was the following (the Apprentice NBC. 24 Feb. 2005. a lifeboat for the crew. However, the times are in mission times in hours, 4. “A Lovely Drive.” The Apprentice Lunar Lander was designed to be used minutes, and sections after launch) [5]: NBC. 14 Apr. 2005. for 45 hours only, and the return mis- • 55:55:20 – Swigert: “Okay, Houston, 5. Nickson, David, and Suzy Siddons. sion around the moon would take 90 we’ve had a problem here.” hours. There was plenty of oxygen with • 55:55:28 – Lousma: “This is Hous- Project Disasters & How to Survive barely enough electrical power to make ton. Say again please.” Them. London and Sterling, VA: the return journey. The foreseeable • 55:55:35 – Lovell: “Houston, we’ve Kogan Page, 2006. problem was the eventual build up of had a problem. We’ve had a main B 6. The Fugitive. Dir. Andrew Davis. Perf. carbon dioxide in the spacecrafts. There bus undervolt.” Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. were enough lithium hydroxide canisters By now, it is readily apparent the Warner Brothers: 1993. in the command module and Lunar importance of communication. So in Lander between them, but the com- conclusion, an example of precise com- About the Author mand module square canisters were not munication is appropriate. Again, a bit compatible with the round openings in contrived, but it makes the point. In the Alan Jost (Lt. Col., U.S. The Fugitive the Lunar Lander module control sys- movie during the scene right Air Force, retired) is a tem. The Houston mission control team after the train wreck where Dr. Richard gave the brainstorming team the materi- Kimball (Harrison Ford) escapes, U.S. senior software program als available only to the Apollo 13 crew. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee manager in the Raytheon The brainstorming team had to come Jones) has to take over a just-formed, Northeast Software En- up with the solution to the Apollo 13 very large search team of local police gineering Center (SWEC) square-peg-in-a-round-hole problem. Once who are extremely reluctant to be led by where he works multiple tasks: Software they came up with the solution, they had the Wyatt Earp-type marshal. He com- Engineering Process Group Executive to communicate that solution to the municates precisely what he needs done. Committee for SWEC’s Capability crew to implement. Using plastic bags, In one short, memorable speech he Maturity Model IntegrationSM Level 5 tape, cardboard, and the square canis- states his requirements: sustainment, process engineer on the ters themselves, the brainstorming team AutoTrac III Air Traffic Control Product came up with the solution. They were Listen up, ladies and gentleman. Line, and DD(X) ExComms Software able to communicate the solution to the Our fugitive has been on the run Cross Product Team. Jost joined crew in time for their implementation, for 90 minutes. Average foot and the rest is history. What we’ve got speed over uneven ground, bar- Raytheon in 1991 after 20 years in the Air here is … communication. ring injury, is four miles an hour. Force. He has served in a variety of line That gives us a radius of six management, process engineering, and Summary miles. software task management roles in Human-to-human communication is SWEC, and served intermittently as critical in managing programs. This is What I want out of each and Software Engineering Process Group even recognized in the Capability every one of you is a hard target Chair between 1993 and 2001. Maturity Model® Integration where search of every gas station, resi- stakeholder involvement, reviews with dence, warehouse, farmhouse, Raytheon higher levels of management, and other henhouse, outhouse, and dog Mail Stop 3-1-3914 process areas (specific and generic prac- house in that area. Checkpoints 1001 Boston Post RD tices) are based on not failing to communi- go up in 15 miles. Your fugitive’s Marlborough, MA 01752 cate. name is Dr. Richard Kimball. Go Phone: (508) 490-4282 I hear you was one of the most popu- get him!” [6] Fax: (508) 490-1366 lar phrases in the late ’90s. It generally E-mail: [email protected] translated as one person understood Any questions on how clear his com-

12 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering June 2006