Favorite Parts of Being a Chief of Staff at United Launch Alliance
Joshua, a Project Manager at United Launch Alliance, thrives on the "gray area" of his role, orchestrating teams of experts to achieve seemingly impossible goals ("move a rocket a hundred feet") by reframing challenges and facilitating collaborative problem-solving. This experience, combined with exposure to high-level organizational dynamics, provides valuable career advancement, enabling Joshua to understand "how an organization works" and better align operational tasks with strategic objectives.
Project Management, Leadership, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Strategic Thinking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Joshua Adams
Project Manager
United Launch Alliance
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
MBA - University of North Alabama
Industrial, Supply Chain Management
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Operations and Project Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Working in a non-binary environment where creative problem-solving is key. Joshua highlights the challenge of taking a high-level goal and breaking it down with a team of experts, requiring strong communication and collaborative skills.
2. Exposure to high-level operations and strategic decision-making. Joshua’s role provides a unique perspective on how an organization functions at different levels, fostering a deeper understanding of strategic goals and operational tasks.
3. Career advancement opportunities. Joshua notes that his role accelerates career progression by providing valuable insight into leadership needs and facilitating better communication and data delivery. This offers valuable lessons for students wanting to climb the corporate ladder quickly.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
My current role, I'd say my favorite part is the gray area I get to work in. At a strategic level, nothing is binary; there's no simple yes or no, or right or wrong answer.
You're given an end state, like, "move a rocket a hundred feet," with no further direction. This allows me to pull together a team of experts. Some I know well, others I may have never met.
My task is to inspire this team of diverse experts to think in a single direction and align their thinking to find a positive solution.
One of my favorite parts is when I receive an end state that sounds simple. These often come from executives with a seemingly straightforward task. However, I work at a rocket factory, and nothing is simple there.
I gather experts, like rocket engineers and scientists, present the end state and the limited direction, and state that we need to achieve this together. Almost every time, especially with new people, they laugh and say it's impossible.
The key then is to reframe the questions. I ask, "Okay, that's the end state. If it *were* possible, how would we do it?" This starts to get their minds working.
You begin to see them think, and eventually, they start pinging ideas off each other. They might say, "Oh, if we use the crane this way, then we could use this asset over here."
My role is simply to write it down. I listen to the ideas and the flow of the conversation, taking notes. When there's a natural pause, I'll reiterate the key points of their discussion.
I'll read back, "So, you're saying step one, we do this; step two is this; step three is this." And then we achieve the goal. Everyone will look at me and realize, "I guess we can do this."
I'd say that's probably my favorite part of being a chief of staff: navigating that gray area and defining our own path to achieve objectives.
Another aspect of being a chief of staff is the general exposure you get. Consultants love the term, but the exposure is significant. You see how a high level of operation works, especially coming from a very ground-level position.
It's amazing to see because you understand the frustrations you may have had. You might have thought your executives were being illogical. Now, you're on the other side and see the context of those decisions.
You learn the background information you weren't privy to before. This helps you piece together how everything works and understand the overall picture of an organization.
It truly helps you think differently and align operational tasks with strategic goals because you better understand the "why."
Finally, being in a chief of staff role can help fast-track your career. You learn what your bosses truly need, not just what they're looking for, in terms of messaging and the data they require.