Push It to Move It: Lessons Learned from a Career in Nuclear Project Management

 Amerine Book Synopsis What started out as an Ethic Will for my family and friends, then morphed into a memoire of sorts, has become a record of my experiences in the nuclear industry over a 45 year career. These experiences include recoveries of multi-billion dollar projects and changing the cultures in those organizations under a variety of very difficult circumstances. The approaches, which include successes and failures, led to a philosophy that can be applied across the industrial complex for projects, facilities, and plant organizations that find themselves in some form of exigency. Those same guidelines can be used to avoid the issues that result in those large problems. There are engineers, mid to upper-level managers, project managers, and executives who could benefit from hearing about the lessons learned in these endeavors under trying circumstances. Even though my experiences were in the Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Complex and the commercial nuclear industry, the approaches taken have broad application beyond those areas. Although there were technical issues at the center of each one of the troubled facilities where I was a member of the leadership team or the leader brought in to affect the recovery, the core issues were communication, accountability, and leadership. What I learned and put into practice can be of benefit to any executive, project manager, or leader of complex plants or projects regardless of the size or nature of the operation. The challenge is to infuse the organization with a sense of purpose and commitment. To do this usually requires some change from the existing culture to new thought processes. This takes vision and leadership and knowing what tools to apply and when to apply them. I was at ground zero in the nuclear industry for two major changes in human management, fitness for duty and safety conscious work environment (SCWE). The cutting edge practices put in place led the way in the industry and helped form the regulations in those areas. I discuss my experiences in the implementation and nurturing of the SCWE. There are lots of guidance (now) in Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and DOE regulations and procedures about the SCWE. However, I am not aware of any published first hand experience record of what worked and what did not work in establishing that aspect of the organization safety culture. Over the years I have had many colleagues suggest that I should document my experiences, approaches, and methods in a book or manuscript. I never had the time before I retired and the reflection on my life and philosophies for an Ethic Will led me to the conclusion that such a document of my career might be of benefit to others.