Confidence Building

In the context of nuclear programmes, confidence and trust represents belief in the reliability, truth, ability, strength and care of operators, governments and regulators to deliver safe, clean and reliable operations. Confidence and trust exist in individuals as well as in institutions. Working in open and transparent ways helps to cultivate shared values, understand roles and cultures and shape acceptable solutions.

The success of any endeavour requires the ability to negotiate in the environment in which it will take place. Who is involved, what they care about, where they come from and when they get involved – all these factors shape the context in which communication takes place. A broad understanding of context is key to being able to successfully deliver ideas. For the nuclear industry, the most effective means for gaining insight into the political, economic and social backgrounds influencing a project is through communication with stakeholders to build confidence. The most important elements of confidence are empathy and care, honesty and openness, commitment, dedication, competence and experience. Therefore, successful communication should be directed in those elements and all different communications.

Nuclear communication mirrors communication trends that can be seen in society at-large. Today’s digital environment accelerates changes in the ways people communicate and has moved many communicators to focus efforts on building strong relationships with stakeholders. That means in addition to traditional outreach such as brochures, fact sheets and community forums, online platforms, museum exhibits and artistic performances may become important channels through which to build trust.

Three Ways to be More Transparent

• Share results. Providing insight into your daily activities and sharing results from major milestones helps audiences see the cause-effect relationship of good operation and regulation in the nuclear sector.
• Be truthful. Telling the truth can be hard. When our goals are not yet set or mistakes are made, open communication is challenging. But audiences respect accountability, and truth telling aids credibility over time.
• Be timely. People will draw their own conclusions in the absence of information. Active outreach as events happen helps build a supportive community around your issues.