May 06, 2012 – For those of us who have long thought there was more than a little magical thinking going on at NOAA's Washington headquarters, now we know we were even more right than we could have imagined. NOAA, evidently believing that old-fashioned scientists are far too boring to inspire their leadership staff, this week went and advertised for a magician.
NOAA wanted someone to talk about the "magic of change" for an upcoming summer training conference. So they placed an ad on the Federal Business Opportunities website seeking a person who has "created a unique model of translating magic and principles of the psychology of magic, magic tools, techniques and experiences into a method of teaching leadership."
NOAA apparently believes they might actually need magic in order to change the leadership mindset at their terminally constipated agency.
Astonishing. They're convinced that they can't rely on traditional science to change the psychology of their orthodoxically-green ocean regulators.
Read the complete opinion piece by Jack Spillane at The New Bedford Standard-Times.