Team Work is Critical to Success

At last month's Potato Expo, one of the speakers —- NASA Chief Engineer Adam Steltzner says that ultimately it is people solving problems as a team that makes successful ideas a reality. His team is currently working on another expedition to the surface of Mars with the Mars 2020 Rover.

He says being curious, asking questions and always looking for improvement is important element to any industry —- whether it is rocket science or agriculture. A curious mind stays agile, innovative as well as competitive. He continues with the value of a team

Steltzner: "For me, my experience in being a successful member of a team is an interesting balancing act. Between deeply respecting and caring for the other people in my team but being very willing to aggressively challenge their positions on issues. I feel the debate in which the team engages in is where we find the best solution. There is no one person — not the leader not the most junior person — that has all the answers. Together we find the best path forward, but we only do that if we really put all of our ideas out on the table and let them compete and fight among each other to see which one is the best."

He also suggests when working in teams to find something to love about each member of the group.