NSAN Skills Symposium - Reflection
Coming to the Skills Symposium as a new Provider Member of NSAN took me right back to the start of my project management journey, a young 21-year-old heading out into the New Mexico desert to deliver my first projects for URENCO. Those memories quickly resurfaced, the initial trepidation of visiting an enrichment facility for the very first time, armed with little understanding of exactly what was going on or whether there were any risks involved.
Yet, just as happened years ago at URENCO, my apprehension was swiftly replaced by reassurance thanks to the welcoming and friendly faces of the people who make up this sector. As alluded to in the panel discussion, the word 'nuclear' can carry intimidating connotations, but the reality I've experienced is entirely different. Attending the Skills Symposium was a reminder of this, especially through all the genuine conversations and friendly connections I made during the event.
After more than a decade away from the nuclear industry (albeit in IT Project Delivery) I feel positioned to approach the sector with fresh eyes, hopeful that my contributions might offer new perspectives. For me, the event was eye-opening, highlighting significant challenges the sector currently faces, attracting new talent and further developing those already working within it, alongside tackling issues such as speeding up project delivery and improving decision-making processes. My experience in IT delivery, I hope, might just help provide insights into these challenges.
David Whitmore’s workshop on building relationships for project success was particularly inspiring. From a personal viewpoint, I felt it validated my own professional ethos, something I've informally called being a 'Holistic Project Manager,' where understanding the people you're delivering for, and the team you're delivering with, is as vital (or perhaps even more important) than the governance and processes themselves. I discovered a new title that I can now use, a 'Fourth Industrial Revolution Project Manager’. The Project Management Health Check we currently offer is targeted at organisations that don’t have a Project Management Function in place where team members are delivering projects around their day job however, I now feel like we could be of use helping those businesses transition from a ‘Third Industrial Revolution’ mindset into a Fourth.
Another key takeaway from David’s talk was his insightful, data-backed exploration of failure. I've always believed that failure is a fundamental part of the human experience, particularly in project delivery. But framing is essential. Consider Thomas Edison’s journey to invent the lightbulb. Edison and his team tested thousands of materials for the filament, each unsuccessful attempt wasn't a failure but a crucial step towards eventual success. His famous reframing, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work,” precisely illustrates the attitude necessary for growth. Though no project would realistically endure that number of failures, the principle remains invaluable: fail quickly, learn rapidly, and adapt immediately.
The discussion around decision-making and speed of project delivery was another area that resonated strongly with me, particularly the anecdotes shared by the Expert Panel and David Whitmore, such as the example of a decision at Sellafield taking two years to navigate organisational channels. Shocking perhaps, but not surprising. While some decisions understandably need thorough consideration, there's room to learn from the fast-paced e-commerce sector. Take Amazon for instance, regardless of your feelings about Jeff Bezos, the speed with which Amazon moves from concept to market is undeniably impressive. Bezos distinguishes between Type 1 and Type 2 decisions. Type 1 being significant, irreversible decisions needing careful thought and planning, one-way doors if you like. Whereas Type 2 decisions are reversible and should be made swiftly with little thought as you can always go back through that two-way door. My experience in IT suggests that many Type 2 decisions mistakenly fall into Type 1 territory, unnecessarily delaying progress.
Reflecting on these discussions led me back to thoughts of Eric Ries and his ideas in "The Lean Startup” which is a staple of every Entrepreneurs bookshelf. It also sparked my curiosity about the natural innovators, the ‘intrapreneurs’, that already exist within nuclear organisations, quietly driving change, spotting opportunities, and quickly overcoming barriers, even when unrecognised.
Throughout my experience working alongside entrepreneurs, their relentless sense of urgency has consistently stood out. Entrepreneurs thrive by quickly testing their ideas, seeking validation, and progressing without waiting for overly detailed plans or explicit permission. This entrepreneurial urgency, captured so well in The Lean Startup, advocates for rapid experimentation, validated learning, and quickly developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to test ideas in real-world scenarios. While Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban encourage iterative development and continuous improvement, Lean Startup specifically highlights early-stage innovation, rapid validation, and adaptability.
Bringing this entrepreneurial mindset and sense of urgency into the nuclear sector doesn't have to compromise its necessary rigour and safety standards. Instead, it could accelerate innovation, complementing existing structured methods. By actively identifying and supporting these internal innovators - our intrapreneurs - organisations could foster a culture that not only enhances agility but also bridges critical skill gaps more effectively. Ultimately, this could significantly improve responsiveness, helping the nuclear sector thrive amidst the challenges ahead.