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Organisational Effectiveness Industry Working Group Meets in Penrith, UK

The Organisational Effectiveness Industry Working Group (OR I-WG) recently met in Penrith, UK, bringing together organisational effectiveness, leadership, human and organisational performance, and oversight professionals from across the global nuclear industry to share experiences, challenge thinking, and explore how to successfully embed a Culture of Continuous Improvement (CCI) within their organisations.

The timing of the meeting was particularly significant following the publication of WANO's Culture of Continuous Improvement (CCI) framework and supporting implementation materials. Across four days, participants explored how leadership, organisational learning, self-awareness, and continuous improvement can help accelerate progress towards the industry's 2030 Action for Excellence goals. A recurring message throughout the meeting was that sustainable performance improvement cannot be achieved through processes, programmes, and initiatives alone. Success depends on leadership behaviours, trust, learning, and creating environments where people at all levels are empowered to identify, discuss, and implement improvements.

One of the most engaging sessions of the meeting was an interactive SMR Stickle Brick exercise facilitated by SA Partners. Working in teams, participants experienced continuous improvement in action as they learned from mistakes, adapted their approach, improved communication, and achieved better results with each round. The exercise demonstrated how improvement happens through experimentation, teamwork, and learning, providing a practical example of many of the organisational effectiveness principles discussed throughout the week.

Members received updates on global industry performance trends and details of the new Culture of Continuous Improvement framework and its role in strengthening organisational culture, self-correction, and sustained performance improvement. Discussions reinforced the importance of integrating performance monitoring, self-evaluation, leadership engagement, and organisational learning into a coherent approach that helps organisations identify and address performance gaps before they become significant challenges.

The meeting featured presentations from industry leaders, WANO, INPO, Sellafield Ltd., Bruce Power, KKL, and external speakers from outside the nuclear industry. Topics included:

• Industry performance trends and the path to achieving the 2030 goals
• Implementation of WANO's Culture of Continuous Improvement framework
• Leadership behaviours that support sustainable organisational improvement
• Lessons learned from rapid cultural transformation initiatives
• The relationship between leadership, culture, and performance
• Organisational learning, trust, and psychological safety
• Complacency, human performance, and campaign fatigue
• Continuous improvement within enabling and support functions
• Organisational sustainability and weak signal identification
• Self-evaluation techniques and evidence-based assessment of culture and effectiveness

A highlight of the meeting was an interactive case study where participants formed Continuous Improvement Culture self-evaluation teams to assess whether organisational improvement was genuinely becoming embedded within a fictional nuclear station. The exercise challenged delegates to move beyond positive indicators and completed actions, focusing instead on whether behaviours, outcomes, and organisational learning demonstrated sustainable cultural change. The session reinforced the importance of evidence-based evaluation and the need to distinguish between activity, effectiveness, and long-term embedment.

Panel discussions and table discussions provided opportunities for members to openly explore the challenges associated with creating and sustaining a culture of continuous improvement within complex nuclear organisations. Participants shared practical experiences related to leadership, trust, organisational learning, governance, and oversight, while discussing how organisations can move beyond compliance to achieve lasting behavioural and cultural change.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on the future direction of the OR I-WG and the role members can play in supporting implementation of the Culture of Continuous Improvement framework across the global nuclear industry. Members were encouraged to act as ambassadors for CCI, share practical implementation experiences, and support industry-wide learning to accelerate performance improvement and strengthen organisational effectiveness.

Participants also had the opportunity to learn from Sellafield Ltd.'s experiences in organisational effectiveness and continuous improvement while building relationships with peers from around the world. Sellafield's hospitality and openness created an excellent environment for collaboration, experience sharing, and professional learning. Interested in joining the OR I-WG or learning more? Please contact Milly Stone, Industry Working Group Manager, WANO London Office, at [email protected].