July-August 2018 NPJ

Nuclear Plant Journal, July-August 2018 NuclearPlantJournal.com 31 do not neatly fall into three stages and there are natural overlaps as the project is executed. During stage one, the manager identifies the experienced personnel whose knowledge and experience is the focus of the knowledge retention efforts. An important component of this phase involves seeking input from managers, supervisors, and peers about which aspects of the experienced individuals’ knowledge and experience they consider critical to retain and how theywant to store and access captured knowledge. Once the scope of the knowledge possessed by each senior employee has been established, the next step is the refinement of that base. In other words, not all of the knowledge possessed may be relevant or necessary to capture and pass on. The purpose of the whole exercise is to identify and preserve that limited knowledge base which can otherwise only be obtained through years of experience. In the second stage, experts create a description of their critical knowledge and experience. This task creates a framework of the useful and vital knowledge to be passed on and this framework acts as a repository for further development of the knowledge base. Using this information, managers can plan actions to pass the knowledge between highly experienced individuals and less experienced individuals. During this process, it is important for managers to recognize that while not everything highly experienced individuals know is critical knowledge, there may be things veterans know that are not yet recognized by managers as critical knowledge. The first two stages set the groundwork for the third and most important stage, namely, the transfer of the knowledge. The third stage can consist of multiple different types of programs that can and should be adapted to the types of knowledge being transferred and to the intended recipients. For example, if the need is to transfer knowledge and experience from one individual to another individual (rather than a group), individual knowledge transfer action plans work well when there is little time. These are customized knowledge transfer experiences that involve shadowing, reflection, and taking responsibility with support. This approach is effective because it focuses on the unique aspects of the experts’ critical knowledge and systematically identify mini-experiences that the learner can engage with and eventually learn to do independently. It is efficient because much of the effort occurs in the context of doing critical tasks. Other techniques are better suited when knowledge is to be transferred from the highly experienced individual to a group, or when there is a longer period of time for the transfer. During the entire process, it is vital to recognize potential constraints, and to have methods in place to address them. For example, we have already noted that the participants, both teachers and learners, have “real” work to do and do not necessarily have abundant extra time available to devote to knowledge retention activities. A potential solution to this issue is to set expectations for the amount of time that the expert and the learner should budget each week to this effort. Further, wherever possible, knowledge retention activities should be integrated into work tasks, such as critical incident reviews. Group knowledge sharing sessions can be incorporated into regular staff meetings. Another option could be hiring back experts after they retire to participate in knowledge retention activities rather than hiring them back to keep doing their work. There can also be a perception that knowledge management and retention activities are simply overhead and thus should receive diminished attention and primacy. While I think that this belief fails to grasp the central role of knowledge in what we do in the civil nuclear profession– all of which is based on knowledge and its application – a series of goals and discrete outputs that are clearly aligned with mission and task of each division or department and ensures that knowledge retention activities have direct relevance. In addition, providing opportunities for assessment and adjustment throughout the process can ensure goals and outputs are met. It is also possible that some of the highly experienced individuals may be unwilling to share their knowledge and/ or participate in knowledge retention activities, as a result of their belief that “I learned this hard way and the youngsters should, too.” To combat this, leadership canworkwith theveterans in thebeginning to ensure sufficient external motivation to participate—preferably positive motivations. The manager can also work with highly experienced individuals to identify their own intrinsic motivations to participate, such as to leave a legacy and do their part to ensure nuclear safety after they leave. Additionally, by participating in the knowledge retention activities the experts will become more articulate about the knowledge and value that they would be marketing if they are interested in becoming consultants in retirement. For our industry to continue, to grow, and to improve, it is vital that we assure ourselves and our public that we are doing everything possible to preserve and apply the knowledge that we as individuals have developed over our lifelong careers. We believe in, and are passionate about our knowledge retention approach, and believe it can greatly contribute to the success of our industry. EXCEL is currently in dialogue with forward-looking nuclear utility clients in the U.S. to help them develop and implement robust knowledge retention programs tailored to their individual needs. We welcome the opportunity to engage with other interested nuclear organizations to better understand the nature of the knowledge retention challenge that they face and to work with them to create an individualized program to help drive continued safe and efficient nuclear facility operations for the long- term success of the industry. Contact: Donald Hoffman, EXCEL Services Corporation, telephone: (301) 984.4400, email: donald.hoffman@ excelservices.com. Nuclear Plant Journal Welcomes Technical Articles. Email: michelle@goinfo.com Telephone: (630) 364- 4780