TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by
Siji sujathan
Pgdm15

Apollo 13
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Q1. How did Lovell deal with stress and conflict in the LEM?
Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Mission Commander displayed exceptional
leadership to deal with the stress and conflict in the Lunar
Excursion Module (LEM). The crew faced a lot of stress and conflict
in many situations throughout the mission. Lowell was extremely
calm under duress especially when the engine 5 shut down and
oxygen tank blew. He also used humour to relieve tension. Jim used
both Affiliative Leadership and Transformational Leadership.
When Jack Swigert, the Command Module Pilot was ordered to stir
the oxygen and hydrogen tanks by switching on the stirring fans,
the alarms were set off and the mission had to be aborted. Fred
Haise, the Lunar Module Pilot blamed Swigert for destroying their
mission. Jim Lovell mediated the conflict between Haise and
Swigert and at the same time protected the odyssey from the flying
debris as a result of the explosion. As an affiliative leader, he worked
to resolve the issue between the two team members during the
stressful situation and he was successful because of their trusting
relationships built from the beginning. Mediated communication
reformulates understanding of events and strengthens team bond.
When the Apollo 13 was informed that they would not be able to
reach the moon, they were disappointed that it would be their
identity and destiny. Jim Lovell helped the crew refocus their
disappointment to work together for a safe return home. The
intervention of a third party shifts the dynamic of a conflict to
collaboration. Jim was able to motivate his team to continue on.

Q2. How did the CO2 challenge help the crew to overcome the conflict
they were experiencing?
A. As a result of the explosion of the Oxygen Tank 2 which also caused
a break in the Oxygen Tank 1, the CO2 filters got damaged. The CO2
level in the Lunar Module was increasing and if it crossed 15 in the
gauge, the crew members would start facing impaired judgement,
black outs, etc. The ground crew worked on a filter that could be
made with the components available in the module. They had to fit
a square peg in a round hole. They created a model and gave
instructions to the crew to create one before the gauge hit 15. The
crew succeeded in making it and it functioned perfectly and
brought down the CO2 levels.
The team members were less prone to conflict when they are
occupied solving problems. The CO2 challenge tested their
capabilities to the maximum. All the crew members worked
together to resolve the issue under the guidance of the ground team
and when they finally succeeded there was no conflict between
them at all. Commander Jim Lovell approached the issue calmly and
adopted a strategy of resolution with the help of the ground team
led by Gene Kranz. He redirected the energy of the conflict
positively to a common goal, that is, survival.
Q3. During the final stages, how did Kranz and Lovell react to the
conflict between the crew and the medical team?
A. The Medical Team on the ground led by Dr. Chuck had discovered
that Ken Mattingly, who was supposed to be in place of Jack Swigert
was exposed to measles. Apparently, he didnt get them. Jim Lowell
was disappointed about the fact that Ken Mattingly could now fly
with them due to the unfortunate medical results presented by Dr.
Chuck. It was Lowells decision to either continue the mission
without Mattingly or get assigned to a later mission. He had to
choose the former with regret.
As a result of the explosion, the oxygen in the command module
had reduced drastically and the fuel cells needed oxygen and

hydrogen to generate electricity. The command module was left

with backup battery power only. The crew had to shut down all
systems including the heating system. They had to survive at
extremely low temperatures in the module which made them
uncomfortable. What made the crew irritated was Dr. Chuck
frequently updating them about their medical conditions and giving
them medical advice every now and then. They were already
frustrated due to the physical conditions in the module. When Dr.
Chuck advised them to get more sleep, which in fact was impossible
due to the situation in the module, Jim Lowell lost his temper and
removed his Bio Med sensors. Haise and Swigert did the same.
They didnt want someone to tell them how their body is
functioning when they have a lot of other things to worry about in
the module. Flight Director, Gene Kranz considered this as an act of
medical mutiny and took it lightly because he was aware of what the
crew was going through.
4. what lesson did you learn from this incident in tolerating vs. quelling
dissent ?
As a result of the explosion of the Oxygen Tank 2 which also caused
a break in the Oxygen Tank 1, the CO2 filters got damaged. The CO2
level in the Lunar Module was increasing and if it crossed 15 in the
gauge, the crew members would start facing impaired judgement,
black outs, etc. The ground crew worked on a filter that could be
made with the components available in the module. They had to fit
a square peg in a round hole. They created a model and gave
instructions to the crew to create one before the gauge hit 15. The
crew succeeded in making it and it functioned perfectly and
brought down the CO2 levels.

Questions all should answer

1. Importance of Training- How did the crew of Apollo 13 benefit from
the training that they had gone through in overcoming the crisis?
Ans:
The crew members had spent long hours in the
simulator without taking any breaks. They were entirely
dedicated to the mission to make it a success. The crew members
knew each other very well due to long hours of training together.
They were able to read each others minds by just looking at each
other. This helps them successfully work together in handling
the crisis
2. A high performing team is characterised by mutual trust and respect
and willingness to set aside their differences to achieve a greater goal.
This is called as collective Leadership. Cite examples where you
observed this.
Ans: The team work together in creating a CO2 filter with
what was available in the module .All the three members show
casted their expertise together while correcting their courses
during the final stage of the return trip.
3. You have to trust your instincts experiences and training. Quite often you
have to deal with situations that are ambiguous and need to apply these
to get through-How does this relate to what the crew of A13 had to go
through?
Ans: The crew was asked to shutdown fuel cells in order to
save power. This was a tough order to follow because it would end
their mission. This was their only way to survive in the module
without wasting the oxygen .when they had to perform the last
course correction, they had to do so without any systems. It was
performed only with the expertise and skill of the crew.