Poor Crisis Resolution

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/orbiter/




This is a perfect example of the first rule of crisis resolution not being followed. In 1999 The Mars Climate Orbiter crashed into the Pacific Ocean due to a miscommunication over the English system of measurement and the Metric System. When investigators spoke with the engineers following the crash many stated that they thought something was wrong and that the alternate system of measurement was being used but they weren't entirely sure. The doubt of their own ability to sense an emergency followed by the inaction of those around them led to a catastrophe that cost millions of dollars. If the engineers had communicated with one another better and voiced their concerns a true crisis could have been averted. In the workplace most of us try to stay under the radar. No one wants to make a fool of themselves even if it means possibly sacrificing the integrity of the product being made. This is exactly what happened with NASA. No one wanted to bring up such a silly simple issue for fear that they would be made a fool of. This fear of judgement/unfounded trust in the observations and actions of others was the difference between a stupid easy fixed mistake and a full blown catastrophe.