Businesses shouldn’t just take lessons from their close competitors. Successful, time-tested organizations like NASA — that have cultivated an effective brand awareness for decades — have a lot of wisdom to offer when it comes to business leadership and operations. Here are business lessons NASA is able to show entrepreneurs today.
1. Give Each Team a Sense of Their Purpose
Unite your teams with a sense of purpose. Encourage team leaders to lead boldly and creatively to achieve goals that excite the team. NASA missions are always orchestrated with a goal in mind. Pilots, astronauts and/or satellites sent on the mission travel to space to achieve this goal. Communicate the company’s goal, and have each team set their own goal for how they want to help fit into the bigger picture.
2. Build Bonds Between Teams
Don’t just put your employees to work, take time for team building and open meetings for employees to exchange ideas. You can improve the synergy of the work that gets done at your business by stimulating the employees with ice breaker activities, team-building, and bonding activities. You might also organize a few casual cross-team meetings where employees can provide their input about how synergy can be improved in the current workflow. For example, where is communication lacking? What strategies can improve communication between teams and better streamline the workflow?
3. Give Your Audience Something to Believe In
NASA publicizes its missions, and some of them have become very famous. The first man in space in 1961, the first lunar landing in 1969 and the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, to name a few. People know about these famous space missions because NASA focused on their public image and the publicity around their operations. They controlled the narrative of the actions they were taking and provided transparency throughout all the missions by explaining their purpose.
4. Depend on Reliable Suppliers Who Deliver Consistent Quality
NASA’s missions require the most cutting-edge, proven and reliable equipment in order to achieve safety standards. They depend on suppliers who have perfected their craft and are able to deliver a consistently high level of quality in the products they provide for your company. For example, NASA relies only on companies that engineer the most top-quality products such as o-ring seals and grommets in aerospace applications.
5. Social Media Still Matters
While the major platforms sometimes change, social media still isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. NASA has a very active presence on multiple social media platforms. By following their social media channels, you get to see behind the scenes of NASA’s facilities and events. You also get to hear snippets from NASA astronauts, researchers, and engineers. Social media marketing is something you want to include in your business strategy, especially in developing brand awareness and pushing out your brand’s message or philosophy.
NASA Business Lessons: Key Takeaways
NASA is an organization focused on science, but it shows entrepreneurs that it’s not all about data. A company’s image, publicity, audience engagement, and its philosophies help contribute to a memorable and well-loved brand that can endure the tests of time.