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Griffin Interview in Physics Today

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
January 3, 2008

Planning NASA’s future, Physics Today (subscription required)

“PT: What is your management style for running NASA?

GRIFFIN: If I had my way, I would do the job under an assumed name. I am not interested in ceremonial aspects of the job. They do exist, and I recognize that responsibility, but I don’t like it. It’s one of the aspects of the job that I would say was on the debit side of the balance sheet as opposed to the credit side, in taking the job.

Anytime that I can avoid a public appearance or anytime that I can be participatory as opposed to directive in a management meeting, I would do that. I would like people, if possible, to buy into my ideas on how NASA should be structured, organized, and run rather than accept them as commands. I am very comfortable with an agency in which there is discourse, argument, debate, and discussion before a decision is made.

My final decision will not improve because of my reluctance to hear opposing views. So I try to run my management meetings like any community of science and engineering professionals, by putting out theories, judgments, designs, and proofs or critique. And then the hope is that when we have all the best minds looking at the problem, the best answer emerges.”

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.