4.3. Smart Candor Improves Performance and Contributions

Organizations without candor pay the price—sometimes disastrously. Consider what happened at NASA, a workplace that, until recently, discouraged candor by dismissing the concerns of underlings. In February 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the earth's atmosphere. All seven astronauts died.

Engineers on the project had tried to warn higher-ranking officials that the mission was doomed; attempting to point out problems with the fuel-tank insulation, but officials dismissed their concern. Turns out, the brushed-off engineers were right all along. The insulation broke off and punched Columbia's wing, damaging the thermal tile protection system that caused the catastrophe.