Dr. Ralph T. Soule is a retired U.S. Navy captain and nuclear engineer who is available to conduct workshops and presentations in Europe on topics related to high reliability organizing, safety culture, and developing behaviors to support organizational safety. He has extensive experience leading complex engineering projects for the U.S. Navy. Elvira Porrini of X-Challenge Consulting can assist in organizing workshops with Dr. Soule on topics such as accelerating expertise through case studies, conducting safety audits and assessments, and teaching safety walk techniques.

1. Announcement for workshops or presentations with
Dr. Ralph T. Soule
Capt., U.S. Navy (Retired), Speaker and Presenter
available in the U.K., Ireland, and Europe
Elvira Porrini
X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING
Zurich, Switzerland
) +41 44 362 30 63
www.x-challenge.ch / info@x-challenge.ch
Please contact
Dr. Ralph T. Soule
Albuquerque, New Mexico
U.S.A
1-234-206-1982
ralphsoule@gwu.edu
www.ralphsoule.com

2. Elvira Porrini, X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING, Zurich Page 2
Dr. Ralph T. Soule
Capt., U.S. Navy (Retired), Speaker and Presenter
Captain Soule is a retired Navy nuclear engineer with over 29 years of service leading large
teams of engineers, white-collar workers, and craftsmen in complex, safety critical repairs
and construction of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and submarines. He is an accomplished
project leader, educator, mentor, and coach. He has implemented High Reliability Organizing
practices at several organizations and recently worked for the Naval Sea Systems Command
Carrier Engineering Team as division director for Aircraft Carrier Test, Evaluation, and
Certification helping the Navy tackle many complex issues associated with the world’s most
complex human and technical systems: nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Captain Soule is
an expert presenter and excels at providing interactive, engaging presentations and
workshops to both large and small groups.
Captain Soule served aboard five warships; the last was USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
(CVN 69) as Reactor Officer, leading 500 nuclear operators responsible for two nuclear
reactors and all propulsion machinery. He commanded the Supervisor of Shipbuilding,
Conversion, and Repair, USN, Newport News, Virginia where he and his team delivered the
USS George Washington (CVN 77), the most modern of the Nimitz class carriers and two
Virginia class nuclear attack submarines. He retired from the U.S. navy 1 Nov 2011.
Captain Soule graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with Distinction in May 1982, earning
a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He attended the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, earning Master of Science degrees in Nuclear Engineering and
Electrical Engineering in 1991. He earned a doctoral degree of the George Washington
University's Executive Leadership program in Human and Organizational Learning. His
research included Accelerating Proficiency (helping people become experts faster), the
influence of Organizational Culture on system safety, and High Reliability Organizing. His
website is www.ralphsoule.com.

3. Elvira Porrini, X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING, Zurich Page 3
Elvira Porrini
X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING, CH-Zurich, Organizer and Presenter
The team of X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING is specialized in consulting for organizations and
individual persons bearing great responsibility. The society has to trust them and therefore,
such organizations are observed with skepticism. Within such organizations high
professionalism is evident. Not only are social skills necessary, but also psychological
awareness and coping with stressful environments. We create our products specifically
according to the organization’s need. Our team of consultants is well differentiated;
specialists for learning settings, change management, leadership trainings and individual
coaching build our core competences. All our consultants are very experienced and well
qualified. In case of interest, please refer to the individual CVs on our homepage
www.x-challenge.ch.

4. Elvira Porrini, X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING, Zurich Page 4
Possible contents
- Expertise Acceleration through Tough Cases
Highly Reliable Organizing (HRO) depends on coherent, mutually reinforcing practices
based on principles of safe human and system performance. The greatest asset in HRO
is a highly skilled workforce capable of functioning at high levels of performance even in
the midst of great uncertainty and stress. One of the most significant workforce challenge
faced by organizations practicing HRO is training less-experienced workers quickly to
quickly diagnose and manage problems in their distinct performance environment.
Theorists have argued since the 1980s that it might be possible to accelerate the
development of expertise through exposure to tough cases that experts faced in the past.
Tough cases are memorable experiences for experts that called forth or helped develop
problem-solving strategies or mental models. They are rare, challenging problems
previously faced by experts, conveying novel learning challenges that require learners to
make decisions with imperfect information. Participants in the workshop will gain a
working knowledge of the tough case process and insight from a research study that
focused on the actual learning experience of participants. They will be able to apply this
knowledge to construct and conduct cases suitable for their specific work contexts. The
workshop is a combination of design principles and hands on experience with tough
cases.
- Audits for Processes with Safety Impact
A process audit involves interviews with participants, observations, review of records and
documentation, and a final report that identifies strengths and vulnerabilities of the
process or department. Captain Soule can do the audit alone or with a team from the
organization. The audit can focus on specific processes requested by the organization,
areas where they have problems, or be based on recommendations from Captain Soule
based on observing work at the organization.
- Safety Culture Assessments
An organization’s Safety Culture is a key determinant for risk management and safe
outcomes, but is difficult to assess with objectivity internally. The assessments would
also involve interviews, observation of actual practices, and documentation review to
provide a holistic, objective, and rigorous confidential written or oral report.
- Safety Walk Coaching
Safety walks are an important component of organizational safety assessments, but
many organizations lack experience to do them well. Captain Soule can teach small
groups how to assess organizational processes and facilities to ensure reliable and safe
practices are being employed as well as to spot weaknesses that could be the source of
risk. The coaching would be based on specific processes identified by the organization
as having the greatest value.

5. Elvira Porrini, X-CHALLENGE CONSULTING, Zurich Page 5
- Presentations on Safety Culture and HRO principles
The presentations are suitable for giving large groups of employees an overview of
system safety analysis and management of vulnerabilities to high reliability. The
presentations are lively, interactive, and use extensive examples drawn from the U. S.
Navy or high profile industrial disasters or even the problems specific to the organization
(if they grant access to their records in advance of the presentation).
- Developing Leader and Line Worker Behaviors and Thinking Processes Necessary
to Support High Reliability Organizing
High Reliability Organizing is more than practices, rules, and checklists. It involves wholly
new ways of thinking about change, leadership, organizational culture, and learning.
Captain Soule has extensive experience with implementing HRO at organizations that
thought they were “safe enough” before he started. The one-day workshop is tailored to
the organization’s specific needs. It is informed by Captain Soule’s experience and
doctoral research and reflect the latest research on human systems change and adult
learning. High-level presentations are followed by small group exercises to deepen the
learning and provide practice with specific behaviors and habits of thought that must be
cultivated to support sustained focus on HRO.
- Safety Assessments/Walks
Safety assessments and walks identify efficiency and safety vulnerabilities in operations,
maintenance and training departments. They are a quick way to obtain external,
confidential evaluations of an organization’s processes and operations. They are tailored
to the specific practices of the organization and can last from a few days to weeks
depending on the organization’s need. Results can be provided in written or oral reports
to senior leaders or small groups of workers.