A Perfect Job in an Imperfect Place

1. A Perfect Job in an Imperfect Place Mickey Glantz Thoughts June 1, 2008

2. personal

3. From Here to Nirvana: Perception matches reality Some say I am lucky. Others say that I made my own way. I guess that they are both right but maybe for different reasons. The truth is that I do have a perfect job. People tell me that every so often, not just friends but strangers as well. Having a perfect job is like being married to someone who is also your best friend. It is a win-win situation. So, what is this all about? Having a perfect job also has a downside. As they say, “every rose has its thorn”.

4. What makes a perfect place? Enlightened management Good vision Respect for leaders and their vision Support for one’s activities Seed funds for new ideas Colleagues in other disciplines as mentors A place can be perfect by design or by accident. Most of the time it is the latter

5. “Perfect” has different meanings to different people In my case a perfect job means: Having a boss you can respect Working with good people Having a sense of contribution to the globe and to friends and associates Ability to mentor next generations of workers Freedom to choose issues to research that benefit institution and self Decades of perennial on-the-job-training Ability to multi-task; allowed to multi-task Budget that allowed flexibility Excellent support staff Being at a center with a perfect name for tasks at hand

6. Perfect place from my perspective Autonomy Base funding Funding for travel Ability to select topics Opportunity to brainstorm Topics that make a difference People to interact with Ability to choose collaborators near & far Work anywhere in the world, including the USA Minimal involvement with higher management Occasional recognition, outside the organization if not from within it

7. More reasons my job is perfect Can choose those people I can work with Can do what I want Can pick topics I deem important for place and self Often they are growth topic: climate impacts Create a global network Can be an “invisible hand” Having an understanding family Boulder is a great town to live in There is a major airport nearby Book allowance Prompted me to be ‘clever’

8. Where ideas come from New ideas often came from off-campus activities; conferences, workshops NCAR turned into a place to carry out my ideas And a place to “backfill” and upgrade my science I got recharged off site Philly Junction Diner Starbucks Airplane flights

9. Ideas initially rejected by NCAR Activities Unwanted by NCAR: Network Newsletter Outreach as an explicit goal Climate Affairs El Nino Impacts Cloud seeding studies Environmental Initiative Decision-making Under Uncertainty (DMUU) HBCU Climate Affairs proposal

10. Once more into the breach: tilting at windmills? Has it been a waste of my time trying to convince NCAR to embrace the social and behavioral sciences as an integral part of its mission, treated as an equal partner to the physical sciences?

11. Frustrationsthese can come from many directions Lots of negative ‘strokes’ but few positive recognitions of accomplishment Lack of mentors at all levels Social stuff/ideas generally viewed as second choice for funding internally and for colloquia funded by the center Science Rules Lack of insight on how to develop the societal area of activity Rejected ideas later accepted when successful elsewhere Poor funding for societal activities Management does not listen to staff Staff feels disconnected from managers of the center Lip service to social aspects not backed up with support Many co-workers seem to lack passion

12. More Frustrations It was perceived to be the ‘social scientist’s burden” to show value of atmospheric sciences to society when that is not the job description for social scientists at ncar. Because of the benign neglect of social scientists at ncar, there were almost non-existent chances for student contact. It was difficult to share ideas with the next few generations of students (grads, undergrads, postdocs) Need to build bridge from both sides

13. A “professional migrant” The notion of a “professional migrant” was coined by Eric Hoffer, writing about his time as a migrant worker during the Depression in the mid-1930s in California. The notion made me think about my jobs since graduation in 1961. In the sense that I had jobs that allowed me flexibility within broad guidelines of employment, I was a type of professional migrant. Even within the confines of one job, NCAR researcher. I was able to pick topics to work on I could travel everywhere on the globe that had a weather or climate related problem I was given lots of autonomy because scientific managers did not know what to ask of me. They still don’t. All this was possible because of base funding of salary and some travel funds I was doing climate impact studies early and was able to work in new areas in agriculture, irrigation, forecasting, fisheries, arid lands, rangelands, fruit orchards, environmental disaster areas, droughts, early waring, famines, and so forth. I got to pick lots of low hanging climate impacts ‘fruit’. Because they did not understand the working of social science, scientific managers did not interfere in the topics I chose Even inside ncar I had about 20 offices, from windowless cublicles to spacious offices with a window and a vista, within a period of 18 years (suggesting the perceived peripheral nature of our activity to ncar’s main focus --- atmospheric science

14. Hoffer on professional migrants “Yet, I mused, there must be in this world a task with an appeal so strong there were we to have a taste of it we would hold on and be rid for good of our restlessness.” (p.327, Norton Reader) “The majority of us were incapable of holding onto a steady job. We lacked self-discipline and the ability to endure monotonous, leaden hours. We were probably misfits from the beginning”. (p. 327, Norton Reader) Migrant worker in California 1930s Depression

15. Jack of all trade. Master of some. I got into studying climate impacts in the early 1970s. Not many were taking a look at this topic in a general way. There were studies of course on climate and rise and fall of impacts on agriculture, water, food, health public safety, civilizations. Being early, I was able to choose the sectors of society to research: fisheries, livestock, arid lands, rainforests, and oceans and I was able to be multi-disciplinary, as long as there was a link to the atmospheric sciences. In a sense I became a master of some topics in different ecosystems and political and geographic settings. I was able to look for generalities from these cases and regions. So, this personal experiences calls for a modification of the adage “jack of all trades and master of none” making it possible to become a master of some. Some tools can do it all!

16. “Crowded Hours” • This is the title of an autobiography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy Roosevelt’s only daughter, written in 1933. • Crowded hours is the way I view my life. I stay up late working and wake up early to do work related things. • I joke about it saying that I am trying to put two lifetimes of activity into one. • With a short attention span and being hyperactive I tend to juggle several issues at the same time. • I have learned that I cannot work only on one thing at a time.I must multi-task.

17. What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this? I started out as an engineer and went on to study (and visit) violent revolutions and ended up focusing on deadly droughts in sub-Saharan Africa. That got me to get to NCAR. I have been embedded in a sea of physical scientists ever since arriving at NCAR. Sure in the 35 years I have been there quintupled. Where there once stood only one social scientist, today there stands five… out about about 1200 employees.I got there by accident and I got to stay there by accident.

18. A detectable legacy? So, do I have a detectable legacy at NCAR? Do I have a detectable legacy in research and education in the USA or abroad?? www.coachworks.com/graphics/5BPmodel.jpg

19. ‘of’ or ‘from’: what a difference small word make Recently I got to thinking about my relationship with NCAR. The question that came to me: Am I “of” NCAR or am I “from” NCAR? After much thought, I came down on the side of “from”. This means that I do not feel that I or my work has been embraced by my center, and if it is it is usually after it has proven successful outside the place. I am not “of” NCAR or of the Atmospheric Sciences”. I am treated as a distant relative as opposed to a nuclear family member. So when I go away from the building I feel I am “from” NCAR, representing its interests and my work.

20. A happy taste of the future Retiring from decades of research at NCAR generates many concerns about what life will be like in the future It also has a definite positive side Taking control of one’s mind to use it for whatever you want No longer having to answer to some of the people you do not respect No longer being treated with “benign neglect” No more unnessary bureaucratic obstacles to achieve ones goals No longer having to defend sopcial science to physical scientists who have tunnel vision focused on their own work. No longer having to defend your work during difficult budget turndowns Don’t have to clean up after the managers anymore or put another way (horse in the photo), don’t have to take any more crap from the one’s you don’t respect.

21. NCAR/UCAR management

22. I never had much direct personal or managerial support at NCAR for my societal work, with the exception of Walter Orr Roberts. Because I was so committed to complete my research and outreach activities, eventually I would get some support from outside NCAR to carry out my research and outreach activities. When finished, the research or activity, usually received some belated verbal sort of mention. Then, NCAR would highlight some of these activities as the center’s achievements in its outreach and contribution to society. Better late than never for NCAR’s support?

23. Management’s perspective Top directors of UCAR and NCAR feel that the organization's scientists are whiners or like spoiled kids, who want everything from the organization, like funds and equipment, but do not want to be told what to work on. Scientists in general believe that the place is poorly managed and that their research needs are not being met. How then do you start a meaningful dialogue between staff and managers?

24. They hear, but do they listen? Top managers hold “open” sessions with senior staff, but usually not about serious management issues. Management at NCAR has often talked to me in the past. They have heard me but either they don’t listen or they choose not to act on what I suggest. Deaf ear symbol “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

25. Iacocca’s leader characteristics In his book “Where have all the leaders gone?” iacocca lists nine qualifications as leadership needs, each beginning with the letter “c”. 9C’s! Curious, creative, can communicate, has character, courage, charisma, conviction, is competent and has common sense I believe that most of the “C”s can be feigned, except ‘common sense’.

26. How do NCAR’s managers stack up to the 9 Cs? Many people at ncar have felt this way over the years from one director to another, though the most recent one has stayed on for 20 years so far and no sign of giving up. And for a range of reasons including subjective as well as objective ones. Different managers had shortcomings in the different Cs NCAR directors could be rated using the 9Cs The Deputy Director should have qualities similar to those of the Director. What does one do when one works in a place that gets him/her to say “I could run this place this badly”?

27. Okapis have some real identity issues • NCAR has never had a true identity • Is it university or corporate or mixed? • Science vs. application • Service vs. research www.sas.com/okapis

28. The peter principle is alive and well in science In a sense this is where UCAR and NCAR differ from a real corporation where the bottom line is the bottom line for measuring success of management. in a corporation a good engineer is paid more to stay in place as a good engineer, exceptions notwithstanding In NCAR a good scientist is often rewarded with a position of managing other scientists. Most of the time their performance is lackluster if not detrimental to the efficiency of the unit that they manage. all of these managers from directors of the centers to section heads want to continue doing their science even though their new job calls for their full attention, 24/7.

29. Do as I say, not as I do! The world is changing, environmentally The mentality and the bureaucracies that have done damage to the planet still remain in place. They call on policy makers to change their ways, while they are reluctant to do so. Can they be changed to face the challenges that were created by them in the past Or, will it be “business as usual” with the bureaucracies unable to think ‘out of the traditional cubicles’ that they are in? The fate of the well being of the planet and its people are in the balance

30. On whether or when to ‘Speak truth to power’: They can’t handle the truth Before you set out to speak truth to power, make sure they can handle it. Otherwise they will label you as recalcitrant or some such derogatory label that will stick, just like an unwanted nickname. “My unanswered question floated aimlessly in the air” (Murakami 1979)

31. Lack of funds is a red herring excuse for inaction It is not always just about what resources are available. Good ideas are worth pursuing, even if managers do not like the idea. Being base-funded (not having to support myself by constantly seeking grants) enabled me to pursue ideas and concepts that were not considered mainstream or popular at the time which allowed me to hold on long enough to convince those with influence of funds to support further development of the concepts.

32. Constraints that make the place imperfect Uneven management capabilities over time Poor decision making at the top Unspoken limits on what one can say to the public about various science issues (e.g., subjected to political influences) Yakima case study, cloud seeding in Colorado (lou grant), pielke’s science review of the USGCRP, winner & losers issue, sen. Inhofe and his “hoax” comment, garstang’s attack in mid-1970s No support from higher management to fend off such attacks Lack of understanding by physical scientists of social science and its potential contributions to the center’s science mission NSF’s inability or reluctance to provide serious guidance to get the center to change directions when necessary Nepotism Lack of understanding by management of multidisciplinary work General lack of interest of physical science staff in the social aspects of their work Poor statement of the vision Lack of operational pathways to fulfill the vision Focus is on outputs and not on outcomes. Outputs are easy to measure; outcomes are not.

33. Muddling through: management by default Not dealing with a problem is a form of decision making much in the same way that non-intervention is a form of intervention. In removing an incompetent manager (a fact about which all agree) decisions are not made but in fact delayed because of a reluctance of management to be decisive or because they hoped the problem might just resolve itself or go away. Once something happens, management takes credit for the event but does not take responsibility for the painful, unnecessarily prolonged process.

34. Getting to ‘maybe’ Every time there is a budget cut at NCAR, there is a call by anonymous sources to get rid of social science at NCAR. I asked management to identify those sources. They did not. I need to know who they are so that I can meet them face to face and through discussion try to get them to “maybe” on integrating social science into the physical science at NCAR.

35. “First you say you will, and then you won’t”(you=management) Management promises lots of things but the truth is that they seldom deliver on those promises. Be surprised if they give you what they say Do not be surprised (or upset) if they don’t UCAR’s diversity offer to split the cost of a diversity hire for two years. When a person was hired, new excuses were identified that violated the spirit of the original offer

36. No shoes dropping: awaiting decisions that never come Rumors run the place. People hear a piece of bad news and they wait for the proverbial other shoe to drop. In the absence of a management that knows how to communicate with the staff, rumor about budget as well as about a change of course and new directions for science abound. Lots of speculation follows about which shoe (bad new item) will drop. Rumors adversely affect morale, as much because rumors are often incorrect reflections of reality and because it shows a disconnect in the communication network in a $140 million organization.

37. Sixth Sense: I blame dead people Although based on a specific situation, this point applies more broadly to the issue of “blame” by managers for failures on their watch. I now hear that high management is blaming a former director who passed away after only 11 months in office for having allowed a poor manager to stay in place. Yet, it was high management that put the poor manager in the position in the first place. The lesson: if it doesn’t work out blame dead (or retired or fired) people. They blame dead people and, as the saying goes, dead people don’t talk. For shame.

38. Was the acceptance of the IPCC 4th Assessment a ‘wake up’ call to NCAR? The acceptance, finally, by many governments and corporations after 4 IPCC scientific assessments and Gore’s movie “An Incovenient Truth” and the Nobel Prize for both was a wake up call that policy makers were about to shift attention from the phyical science aspects to concern about impacts of climate change and how to deal with them. Will NCAR see it that way or will it continue to believe that their future lies in more science about climate change? whitelibyanafrican.blogspot.com/2007_06_01…

39. Making a circle with the wagons: NCAR prepares for the 21st century Physical scientist managers at NCAR may eventually win the war to keep out a meaningful component of its program devoted to the non-physical sciences (that is how the NCAR scientists in general view “everyone else”. They have a “we-they” view of research). But, as other specialized organizations embrace disciplines other that they were established for to position themselves for handling 21st century problems with 21st century structures and functions, NCAR will no longer be a major player on climate-related environmental issues. The original reasons for which it was founded no longer apply It needs to find its 21st century “feet” or wither as a player in environmental science research The atmospheric sciences can no longer “go it alone”.

40. If you find that you are in a hole, stop digging Management at NCAR (and UCAR) have made bad decisions in the past about picking people to run programs, projects, divisions and institutes. Even though it knew it had made a bad choice it did not rise to the occasion To admit it To make necessary changes To continue a search to identify the right person for the job To accept that good scientists do not necessarily make good science managers

41. The sound of silence Staff at NCAR has always been disgruntled during the 35 years I have worked there. There was always some issue, usually budget related. or bad management decisions were affecting the morale. Management does not consult in any way the scientific staff. Criticism of management is not really tolerated and in some cases were outright punished. The sound of silence can be destructive for an organization’s morale and levels of productivity. Good managers would seek out true feedback from their staff and not just rely on top managers to fill them in on staff issues and concerns. Bad managers view the silence as tacit support for their decisions. They do not know how to read the meaning of silence. A LESSON FOR MANAGERS: the sound of silennce eventually gets heard and acted upon.

42. Getting to yes (on the vision thing) Explain pathways toward fulfilling the center’s vision. Find a variety of ways to measure and reward outcomes and not just outputs. Identify realistic indicators of outcomes. They are not likely to be the same as for outputs. Impose term limits on all managers throughout the organization

43. Bad advice given with the best of intentions is still bad advice Scientists and managers need to improve their understanding of the needs and interests of new researchers. Many want to be more green and more multidisciplinary. They are blocked from doing so, being advised to get their science down first, reducing uncertainties in their science, and then when they are established somewhere with tenure, think about other career goals. Wrong. They are creating an army of frustrated researchers. They can be multidisciplinary without having to give up their career in science.

44. “How-to” management books:Horoscopes for managers When a wide range of types of people, both genders read horoscopes they believe that they apply to their lives. So, 80% of them are so general that they apply to many situations The same is true for the hundreds of management books that are written by former executives There is no silver bullet formula for managing a group or institution. Management requires, among other things, common sense.

45. Success has many fathers. Failure is an orphan. This is allegedly a JFK quote and for the most part it is correct. But, it should have a corrolary noting that success can also be made an orphan. How, you ask? Sometimes people (peers and bosses) you work with or for do not like to see you more productive than they are and so they tend to dismiss your activities and contributions, sometimes trivializing them. But, it should not deter you. The alternative is to slow down and be like them. Not a very satisfying alternative.

46. Conceiving the future Managers who manage by “business as usual” are taking the easy way out. They are in essence “backing into the future” by basing decisions on persistence of outcomes of the recent past. Managers have a higher chance of success when they conceive the future they want (eg, their vision) and make decisions to take their organizations to that desired future. There is also a higher risk of failure in that people in the organization may not want to change, finding comfort zone in what they know as opposed to taking a chance with the future. voiceofcanada.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/ide...

47. Whiners and stopped clocks:What do they have in common? UCAR and increasingly NCAR managers refer to the staff as whiners. They want everything and they complain about everything. They are not listened to because management puts all they say down as unwarranted whining Managers should not prejudge the comments of those they see as whiners The truth is that --- like a stopped clock being right twice a day --- whiners too may have good reasons to complain and must therefore be listened to by managers.

48. Who’s the “loose cannon” now? A reputation I picked up a long time ago at NCAR is that I am considered recalcitrant (I had to look up the word the first time I heard it). I have also been referred to (not to my face) as a loose cannon, meaning that the organization could not control what I might say in, for example, a TV interview. But, what is happening these days is that NCAR and UCAR are creating programs anew without any survey to see what may also be going on in the building already (e.g., the Pakistan activity, the Africa Initiative, diversity activities, water research and application, etc)

49. “For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost” NCAR needs to have all the components in place in order to produce outputs that are considered “usable” by decision makers in society. It cannot survive as a partial multidisciplinary center. It must embrace and integrate the social sciences and humanities Its competitors (physical science research centers) are going multidisciplinary. The Message: Keep up or be left behind.

50. Qualitative vs Quantitative Research Science favors quantification. Yet many societal issues do not lend themselves to quantification. They rely on stories, case studies, perceptions of reality, intuition and “ordinary knowledge” Lindblom and Cohen noted the following about this conflict over research methodology: “Despite the professional development of specialized investigative techniques, especially quantitative, most practitioners of professional social inquiry… inevitably rely heavily on the same ordinary techniques of speculation, definition, conceptualization, hypothesis formulation and verification as are practiced by persons who are not social scientists or professional investigators of any kind.”