Hi all,
Last year I was coaching leaders from the energy sector, and we were talking about culture when they mentioned the “Principles for a Strong Nuclear Safety Culture” as their framework. These principles were created after the nuclear energy governing body, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) reflected on a series of “watershed events”. They first solved fundamental issues, like procedures, hardware and training when creating a safe work environment. Then they explained:
“More recent events, such as the 2002 discovery of degradation of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station reactor vessel head, have highlighted problems that develop when the safety environment at a plant receives insufficient attention. A theme common in these cases is that, over time, problems crept in, often related to or a direct result of the culture at the plant. Had these problems been recognized and resolved, the events could have been prevented or their severity lessened. The series of decisions and actions that resulted in these events can usually be traced to the shared assumptions, values, and beliefs of the organization.”
A few key takeaways…
- An environment of physical and psychological safety is critical.
- Clear vision from the leadership team matters.
- Ignoring things becomes toxic.
In other words, it always starts with leadership and communication. This example illustrates the importance of not only creating solid systems in your workplace, but also a solid culture.