Women Leaders in Nuclear Panel Highlights Communication, Leadership Skills

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Women Leaders in Nuclear Panel at the 2024 Waste Management Symposia last week took a different approach than previous years by featuring a keynote speaker from outside the nuclear industry.

Patty McCord, workplace innovator, culture and leadership consultant and former chief talent officer with Netflix served as the keynote speaker at the panel titled, “Embracing Change and Rethinking the Way We Lead.” The panel was moderated by Katy Marshall, senior vice president of Operations with Fluor.

The panel focused on advice for women on building their professional careers and establishing themselves as leaders.

Kicking off the panel, McCord reflected on what she would tell her 24-year-old self.

“I wish I had known when I was young how good I was,” she said.

The validation that came with promotions and higher titles in her career helped grow confidence, but she emphasized the importance of knowing you’re great regardless of where you are in your career.

If McCord could go back, she would take more time to support other women during her career, she said. Returning to her first reflection, she wished she had reminded the younger women she worked with about how great they were as well.

Audience member Ashley Furman with Longenecker & Associates shared her biggest takeaway from the panel.

“The statement with the most impact for me was, ‘Know how good you are, even if you are young,'” she said. “It was a nice reminder that even though I am young, I am still valid in what I do know, and I should have confidence in that.”

A primary topic of the panel was how to be a good communicator, especially as a leader. McCord said the fundamentals of communication have not changed throughout her career.

“The very best way to learn to communicate is to learn to be honest and tell the truth,” she said, adding that communication is an art that needs to be practiced.

The second most important part of communication is listening, according to McCord. She emphasized the importance of listening as an employee and leader. It’s a skill you have to learn, not only to understand the people you work with better, but to ensure that your words are being received in the way you intend.

“If you do great work and you listen, people will listen to you,” McCord said.

Addressing individuals in leadership roles in the audience, McCord noted that connecting with your employees and asking for their opinions is essential to building a great team. She shared her go-to questions to ask employees to help understand them better and fix issues that arise.

“If you were in management, what decision would you make?” she asked. “If you were in management, what information would you want to have to make the best decision?”

Asking her employees these questions has produced great success, bringing big issues to conclusion while understanding the employees’ way of thinking and learning.

-Contributors: Carly Howard, Matt Roberts