First Submission Essay Examples

Spacehas captivated our imagination right from childhood, and recently, we were privileged to have Mr. Gordon Leon, an expert with over 30 years experience in space programs, give a lecture on Satellite programs on January 16, 2014. Between 1978-2007, Mr. Gordon Leon worked at the Boeing Satellite Development Center, working under various capacities including those of Chief Engineer and Project Manager. Currently, he spends most of his time in technical and management consulting services for small and mid-sized technical companies. He has degrees in communications and management, and also one in Environmental Sciences. Thereafter, Mr. Gordon Leon completed his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Marshall School of Business.
According to Mr. Gordon Leon, there is a lot of hard work in developing a satellite and more so to make a successful one. First and foremost, one needs to understand what it takes to build a quality spacecraft. This is where questions like (what) are the program contents, (how) is the program going to be executed, and finally, (who) is taking the role of leadership and the organizations arise. Therefore, one must be prepared to answer such queries as and when they arise. As Mr. Leon rightly pointed out, “Building a successful satellite is the act of getting millions of details right.” Building a spacecraft involvesa huge investment and every person working on the project must be made aware of their accountability in partnering in such a high-value project. Motivation is the key, and this has to come from leader who leads by example. Critical decisions are taken, and any miscommunication among the teams can bring about a complete catastrophe. Producing space vehicles is tough business; they require complete dedication and precise coordination, come with millions of interfaces, and have to follow stringent U.S government regulations, must meet high redundancy and reliability and finally rake in profits. Experts say that “Space is unforgiving; thousands of good decisions can be undone by a single engineering flaw or workmanship error, and these flaws and errors can result in catastrophe.” Mr. Leon stressed the importance on(of) expecting the unexpected and problems were part of the business. It would be difficult to have a single day without problems and so, be prepared to face and conquer them.
There were times when I, as a project manager, ran into management problems. Now, after hearing Mr. Gordon Leon’s presentation, I am quite confident of performing better. I will be able to use the various management skills and procedures in my future workplace to good effect; I will now be able to minimize the time taken in problem solving. Ultimately, it is communication that matters. As Mr. Leon said, any miscommunication can cause unpleasant situations, which could throw the strategy into disarray.
I personally felt that Mr. Gordon Leon, with his vast of experience, provided extremely valuable inputs on how we need to operate in a professional business environment. His presentation style was highly effective and precise. His methodology was such that he took us through the difficult phases of operations and management initially, before providing us with all possible solutions to counter these in the most effective manner possible.