Crisis Management

5.
Crisis management
Case histories
of life aboard
| Crises management
Various events can happen aboard which result in individuals or the entire crew being subject to extreme stress which can lead to various reactions. This might involve
an accident aboard, or bad news from home, an attack by pirates or a workmate in
crisis.
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Pirates on the river Bonny

Capt. Niels Kristian Klausen experienced attempted piracy on the river Bonny in Nigeria. The episode happened some years ago. One day at 04.00 hrs at Buoy 53 where
the ship was anchored, the ship's dog alerted the crew. The person on watch had not
noticed anything. Three or four canoes had tied up and the 8-9 pirates had climbed
up the anchor chain. They used bolt cutters to cut off a lock so that they could get
into the vessel's stores. They were in the process of removing what was there, including some hawsers, tools and paint.
The crew had trained in the various emergency procedures for piracy. When the dog
barked, the watch keeper raise the alarm. The alarm sounded but initially the pirates
did not react. However, the crew acted together and succeeded in frightening them
off.
Niels Kristian says that they were all naturally slightly shocked after the episode.
It was especially the watch keeper who was otherwise a big strong man who was
shaken. It was mostly the fact that they had got aboard and that even when discovered and the alarm had gone off, they had initially turned on the crew. He had
expected that when the alarm sounded, it would have got them to leave the ship.
We talked a lot about the episode afterwards. We managed aboard by talking

about it many times over. People got the opportunity to tell of their experiences
and what they felt about the event. We talked the situation through. Nobody got
hurt and they didn't get into our quarters. We ended up having tackled the situation well together. The things that we had talked about before worked. In this
case, it was clearly the best thing to talk to the others who were also there about
what had happened.
Niels Kristian Klausen, Captain
Crises can be difficult to cope with by yourself.
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The result was that it actually strengthened relations aboard.
See part 2: Crisis management/

What can be done?
Death aboard
A death greatly affects everybody aboard and makes everyone feel sad. But sometimes people just don't wake up in the morning. Their heart has stopped and they
are dead.
We typically only reflect the community we are a part of and just as people die at
home, it also happens at sea. It affects everyone aboard a ship and people need
to talk about it.
Lars Peter Jensen, Captain
Colleagues in possible crisis

Often problems from home affect the atmosphere aboard. If you have had a rotten
departure or there were things you did not manage to do before leaving, you bring
it back with you. And if something happens at home while you are away, it can be
stressful. So some thought needs to be given about whether people should be sent
home.
| Crises management
While having to deal with the crew, the captain also has various other duties when
it comes to death, like acting as an undertaker, preparing the body, getting it sent
home and sorting all the paperwork.
Case histories
of life aboard
On the occasions on which it has occurred in Lars Peter's career, he has called people
in and tried to talk it through together. He has also made it clear that people can
come to him individually. There are naturally some who were closer to the deceased
than others. It can also be that people have a bad conscience about not having said
something to the person or that they did not take it seriously when the deceased said
something about his health and that he was feeling unwell.
But having a chat and giving some support usually helps a lot. I talk a lot with
people and listen to their problems. I call them in, close the door and tell them
that nothing gets repeated outside the room.
Jens Evald Pedersen, Captain
It is extremely rare for people to come and say that they are unhappy aboard. So it
is important to be aware of people's reactions, behaviour and body language. If for
example someone says that he is OK but is biting his nails, standing with his arms
crossed looking like a hanged cat, something is probably wrong. Chief Engineer John
Agathon keeps an eye on such symptoms.
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As a leader, you can ignore the signals or think I will try again a little bit later.
Then you can say to them: "I get the impression that things are not going well,
is that right? Is there perhaps something you would like to talk about?" You must
always ask for permission and it is not certain that you should get involved.
John Agathon, Chief Engineer
John feels that basically it is about listening, being inquisitive and asking questions
when people want to talk. And you should not start by telling them what has happened to you previously and what worked for you then.
It is a matter of asking questions and getting them to open up a bit and of trying
to understand this situation.
John Agathon, Chief Engineer
Engineer Gustav Schmidt Hansen reports that on long tours, it is difficult to assess
people's limits as to whether they are feeling socially isolated. Many also need to be
by themselves. Nothing strange about that. After all, we are close together for long
periods, round the clock.
I pay special attention if someone is silent during the day and for long periods.
Then it is necessary to ask cautiously how it is going on the home front, ask a bit
about the family, etc. You need to be aware if crew isolate themselves for longer
periods and change their behaviour, if they become aggressive or moody. More
smoking, coffee or alcohol can also be signs that things are not as they should
be.
Gustav Schmidt Hansen, Engineer
See part 2: Crisis management/

Standard crisis reactions
5 tips
If people aboard appear to have problems, ask if you can help and if they say
yes, have a chat and just listen.
In the event of accidents or something else involving everybody aboard, get
people together and let each of them report how they saw the situation.
Sometimes you can use someone else aboard to have a talk with a crew member.
If there are major problems, contact the company to get more help.
It is a good thing to learn about the various symptoms of crisis so that you can
spot any problems more easily.
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6. Focus on pressure of work and stress
Case histories
of life aboard
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
Over the past twenty years, working at sea has changed. Administrative work has
also become an important part of tasking. This is mainly due to regulatory requirements for documentation on safety, occupational health and environmental matters but some owners and customers also demand documentation of various kinds.
Greater efficiency and productivity are part of this.
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More administration
Most of the seamen in this book feel they are under pressure from the increasing
volume of administration. They find that the time they spend on administration tends
to be taken from time spent actually working.
Demands for documentation and work processes have never been greater than
they are today. When one job has been completed and a new one is about to
start, there are lots of things that have to be documented. Just like ashore where
home helps have to show how many minutes they have been with Mrs Smith, we
now have to provide much more documentation than we used to. All societies
worldwide want to have a greater say in what is happening at sea, for example
in health and safety. Planning a route from A to B used to involve drawing some
lines on a chart. Nowadays it is a massive twenty page document that is worked
out to specific guidelines, standards and norms.
Capt. Niels Kristian Klausen also reports that there is now more emphasis on documentation than other tasks.
It is the balance that has shifted and it leads to a certain pressure aboard. Sometimes it appears that if the paperwork is in order, it doesn't matter whether eve rything is rusting.
Paperwork has become part of the job.
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Some of the captains under whom steward John Jrgensen has served say that all the
administration is because at head office, they do not quite appreciate the captain's
situation and possibly neither do they have an overview of just how many other tasks
he has to do.
Sometimes I see that personnel ashore at the company each have their own little
area of responsibility and don't think that the little request they make is anything
special. It may very well not be: "Please send this and that information back home
every week" but when ten or fifteen people say the same ting, the captain ends
up with a lot of administration.
John M. Jrgensen, Steward
Capt. Niels Kristian Klausen points to the paradox in that all the surveys and inspections intended to ensure a good, safe working environment sometimes have the opposite effect. Inspections on tankers are very frequent and once in a while he feels
that they do not have much to do with the realities of life aboard.
Recently, an inspector came aboard to check our safety gear and reported deficiencies. Well, it does not sound good to know that there is something wrong with
our safety equipment. But when you check out the details to find out what it is all
about, it turns out to be a complete non-event a couple of fish hooks missing on
the lifeboats.
When there is a great pressure of work, being able to plan and work together is especially important. On Lars Peter's vessel, they try to prevent people getting stressed
out, amongst other things by ensuring that they are properly rested.
We are all busy in our daily duties but sometimes it is a question of ensuring that
people aboard are properly rested. Some of our crew are employed on the basis
that they are only paid for the hours they work. So they toil twelve hours a day for
many months on end and that can also affect safety. They cannot see the danger
themselves. Sometimes we have to intervene to ensure that safety issues are all
in order.
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
Manage working time aboard
Case histories
of life aboard
The demand for documentation means that officers have to sort out a mass of paperwork and reports. And since it is important for it to be written correctly, you have to
use a dictionary to make sure it is properly spelled. Paperwork has to be sent in to
the office where personnel write back to the companies that make the inspections.
Niels Kristian is concerned that if much of what is in these reports is minor, then some
really vital things are perhaps being overlooked or ignored.
The captain has different working hours. He/she has to work all the hours required.
The captain does not have fixed watches but has to be available when needed. This
can also be stressful especially if there are many dockings when the captain has to
be on duty.
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Pressure of work depends on the type of vessel and duties.
Pressure of work depends on the vessel's tasking and route

Niels Kristian Klausen points out that the level of stress depends very much on the
vessel and its routes and tasking. On a medium-sized tanker like his, ten hours is a
long trip. They are in and out of port all the time which means that they do not get
the long quiet periods out at sea. It is very demanding on everyone and they work
hard aboard.
Lars Peter is thinking along the same lines when he says that with two weeks of just
sailing, container vessels are lucky. It means that they get longer breaks between
docking.
Steward John Jrgensen feels that it is especially docking that is very stressful and
pressurized, especially for deck officers and engineers. Approaching land means having to check machinery and with the quick turnarounds we have today, people practically never get ashore.
It does not matter whether it is night when we dock. People aboard sometimes
gets very little sleep for periods. We used to be in port for 4, 5 or 6 days. Now it is
just 6, 8 or 10 hours. Then it is great with a good long voyage of two weeks. Then
we can slow down again, meaning that we are not constantly stressed out.
Lack of well-qualified crew

Having three foreign watch keeping officers, the youngest of whom may only have
had two years' training, can put pressure on the captain, who may feel much greater
responsibility for the vessel and its safety as a result.
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Well-trained crew are most essential but it is not always possible to get them.
While it is great that we help them get more education and practical experience,
having to do so on a daily basis also means extra pressure.
John Jrgensen reports that repeaters have been installed in the captain's cabin, so
he can keep an eye on radar, etc. Some feel it is an advantage but others that it is
an extra load because they cannot completely switch off even when they are in their
cabins.
Stress or busyness?
Whether pressure of work is seen as stressful also depends on how it is tackled,
thinks Capt. Jens Evald Pedersen.
I make a real point of ensuring that I complete my outstanding work. I prefer to

get it out of the way. I would rather work an extra half hour than leave it undone.
If you don't get things done, they pile up and that is what can lead to stress.
He differentiates between stress and being busy and feels that on his ship, it is probably mostly about being busy.
Provided that it is not something that keeps on for long periods, I don't feel that
it is stress because you can slow down again relatively quickly.
Aboard Lars Peter Jensen's ship, they are aware that good planning, organisation and
collaboration can help reduce the pressure of work.
It is a great advantage that the management team know each other extremely
well and can support each other and take over if there is a lot to do. It is also a
question of people knowing what they should be doing and how they should be
doing it. And if they cannot do the job, they must know who to go to. They should
also feel that they are trained for the job so it can be important to discuss con
tinuity training and courses with people and the company.
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
Preventing pressure of work and stress
Case histories
of life aboard
See part 2: Focus on pressure of work and stress/

Signs of stress
The way watches are planned can also be important. Capt. Niels Kristian Klausen
points out that the way watches are organized aboard his ship with one month on
duty and one month off helps relieve stress.
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You can go home, have a rest and recharge your batteries. It helps de-stress.
You know it will be tough going but then you can put your feet up when you get
home.
Capt. Jens Evald Pedersen also feels that priority should be given to getting to know
about crew's home circumstances.
It is clear that if you are under pressure at home and this does not get solved,
it can make the situation worse and cause stress. Stress can actually be due to
many reasons, not just from duties but just as well from home or trouble with
workmates or a superior aboard.
Finally, Jens Evald feels that stress can be tackled be nipping it in the bud and talking
about the things that work well aboard and those that do not.
See part 2: Focus on pressure of work and stress/

Prevent stress make for better well-being
5 tips
Make sure that people take breaks and are off-duty now and then.
Be aware of your own situation and stress symptoms.
Make sure you have a good dialogue with the company about pressure of work
and what they can do to help.
Planning duties aboard is important so people know what they are meant to be
doing and who should be doing what.
Get crew together for a talk about the things aboard that cause pressure of
work and whether there is something to be done about them.
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7. Multicultural crew management
Having many nationalities aboard has become widespread on many ships. It imposes
greater demands on communication and understanding of differences.
Case histories
of life aboard
Multicultural crew
| management
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"Pretend"
Francisco Caquilala Cuerdo is from the Philippines and is a chief engineer on an A.P.
Mller vessel.
The most important thing I ever learned about management was "Dont pretend
please ask". It was well said.
Francisco Caquilala Cuerdo, Engineer
Francisco says that many Filipinos pretend to know more than they actually do. They
are very concerned about making a good first impression and think that the best way
is to pretend they know everything. In the Filipino culture it is not done to show that
one does not know things. It can cause a lot of problems aboard because then things
are not done properly, they may take too long to do or can be directly dangerous if
safety issues are involved for instance.
When I was a cadet, there were often situations when I said I could find out for
myself or that I already knew how to do them. There are many things that you
may have been shown once and then you feel that you can do them. But then it
might be a month perhaps before you have to do the same thing again. You feel
you have been told how to do it and so you don't ask even though you don't know
what to do.
But at that time on Francisco's ship, you were expected to ask if in the slightest
doubt, which he found was a tremendous help. It gave him the opportunity to learn
something and what he did learn was that there is nothing wrong in not knowing
everything.
Listen, try and ask until you are sure you

have understood each other.
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Different reactions to the atmosphere

Capt. Hildur Friis was once aboard a ship with a mixed crew of Filipinos and a Croatian
Chief Officer. It caused a lot of trouble.
On the last tour, we had a Croatian chief officer aboard. Many East Europeans
have a very tough way of talking to people, also to each other. But it is best to
speak nicely to Filipinos otherwise they take offence.
Hildur Friis, Captain
But the new chief officer bawled people out in public rather than talking to them individually. One of the consequences was that the Filipinos started to sabotage work by
going slow and not getting started by themselves.
Hildur Friis dealt with the problem but if he had not intervened, it could have developed badly. The chief officer had started to talk about firing people because they had
not done what they had been asked to do. He also said that the bosun was useless.
So Hildur Friis called the chief officer in for a chat about the problems even though he
suspected that it would be difficult to change his way of speaking because Croatian
seamen also spoke to each other that way, too.
Hildur drew the chief officers attention to the fact that the bosun had been there
for more than six months and there had never been problems previously. They also
talked through some of the consequences for example of not getting the best work
out of the Filipino seamen if their expectations for another way of being addressed
were not taken into account.
He really learnt something because the atmosphere was much better after just a
short while.
So it is specially important to ensure that problems get sorted or otherwise they

can suddenly pop up again even a long time afterwards when management per haps believed that everything was alright.
Multicultural crew
| management
Case histories
of life aboard
Francisco says that there are differences between the temperament of Danes and
Filipinos. A Dane may be miserable one day but OK the next. But Filipinos can nurse
their grudges for a long time and sometimes practically all their lives. So if there is a
conflict, it can become very serious.
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Different cultures see things differently. So it is especially important to be

aware of communication.
Interpreting the hierarchy differently

Helle Barner Jespersen, chief officer of the sail training vessel Georg Stage, relates another episode illustrating the possible challenges of having several cultures aboard.
This involved a young man from Africa who was aboard as a cadet. He very much
wanted to be a seaman and was highly focused on a career in the sector. He had lived
in Denmark for many years and spoke good Danish.
He came aboard in a group with lots of surplus social energy. There were many good
cadets and they joked a lot with each other. It was all about being one of the group
and laughing at the same jokes. But he did not laugh at their jokes and he could not
be bothered to sit and chat after meals. He thought it was a waste of time and Helle
had complaints about his not wishing to join in.
Some of the other cadets had also told him that there were some jobs he had not
done which he was actually required to do. These were cadets who with the best possible intentions took responsibility for everyone and the group.
But he was enormously affronted that someone of his own rank should come and
tell him what he should and should not do. It was clear that our Danish upbringing
with its flat structure gives some challenges in merchant shipping where there is
the more hierarchal structure that also applies in other countries.
Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer
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It can also cause offence if you just go and tell other people of the same rank what
they should be doing or whether they are doing it the right or wrong way, even
though it is well meant.
The young man then responded rudely and there was trouble. It was a difficult case
because Helle could not get him to say what the problem was. The answers he gave
reflected her higher rank and were not honest.
It can be difficult when we have rings on our sleeves to accept that he wouldnt
say anything to anybody before you almost forced him to. He did not want to
bother you with his problem. So if you want to spot a problem, you need to be
smart and in any case be proactive in identifying it.
They found out aboard that it was best to let a male quartermaster talk to the young
man. It worked well, probably because he was slightly senior to him in the hierarchy
but not so much.
It is about finding what creates trust in the crew. It is also something to do with
chemistry and if there are conflicts, especially multicultural ones, you need to look
around and ask yourself who can talk to this person, who can start a dialogue.
Because everybody can tell you what you want to hear but then you do not necessarily get the problems sorted.
Accidents, language and cultural differences

Ensuring that you understand what other people mean when you have to work
closely together can be a major problem aboard. Especially when it comes to safety.
Steward John Jrgensen tells the story of an accident that occurred in the engine
room because someone believed that he had understood the other person. There
have been episodes of people dying because of linguistic misunderstandings.
What we Danes may think is logical is not necessarily logical for a Thai or a Filipino. Without its being anybody's fault, this is one of the challenges of different
cultures.
Multicultural crew
| management
An accident occurred during maintenance in the engine room. Someone had lifted
some deck plates and most people would think that it would be natural to erect barriers to prevent people falling into the hole. But the Thais had not been told to do so.
The First Engineer had just said that the deck plates should be lifted and asked them
to ensure that everything was fixed. He thought that his orders also included barriers
but the Thais only did what they had been directly ordered. And then someone came
walking along and fell four metres. John feels that this happened because of differences in language and culture.
Case histories
of life aboard
Our culture is that as a Danish officer you expect people to think about safety
measures as well but a Thai who comes aboard will have been told to do exactly
55
as he is told. They will do it well and quickly and then sometimes compromise on
some safety measures or just not think along those lines. There are some major
challenges in communicating this kind of thing clearly.
Food is also part of the culture, so with several cultures aboard it is also a challenge
for the stewards. John thinks it is exciting but that sometimes it can lead to some
stress.
The first thing I ask when we get new crew aboard is what religion they are. If
they are Muslims, I take that into account. I have to make sure that they also
naturally get something to eat, such as fish or beef but it is a challenge because
I also may have Hindus who don't eat meat.
I sometimes have Hindus who only eat vegetables but not those that have been
in soil, only vegetables that have been hanging such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
That makes it difficult to make food but it is an exciting challenge to put them all
in the same framework. On the other hand, cake in the afternoon is international.
They all want the same thing then.
Arrange events so everyone can join in.
Taking a structured approach to each other

Helle Barner feels that special efforts should be made to make a good start when
there are several cultures aboard.
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You can have a small induction course or meeting aboard to introduce everyone,
hear a bit about their background, what they are expecting and what they have
done previously. Then we know who we are working with. You might also discuss
what good seamanship means, what makes a good workmate and how to have a
good trip together.
Helle emphasizes that the crew must have the questions in advance and they should
not have to answer them in writing. It can provide the opportunity for greater common understanding and perhaps also understanding that we look at certain essential
things differently.
We have no culture in common and it is easy to misunderstand each other. With a

mixed crew, the captain faces this challenge every day. What do they mean by the
expressions they use, the things they say and the messages they give? Is there
any basis for common understanding? Ensuring this is a colossal task.
Se Toolkit section:
Multicultural crew management
5 tips
It is important to know how different cultures think and what concerns them.
With many nationalities aboard and very different skills levels, the competencies of individuals need to be assessed without setting the level too high.
One of the major challenges aboard is to avoid misunderstandings due to the
language and cultural differences. Consider whether there should be people to
translate important messages from English to avoid misunderstandings.
Make crew aware of how you would like to have things aboard for example
that people should ask if they are in doubt about something and not pretend
that they know everything. Show in practice that it is important to ask when in
doubt.
Case histories
of life aboard
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different cultures aboard and how
you can make the best possible use of this.
Multicultural crew
| management
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58
PART 2 Toolkit
This part of the manual is a toolkit with a range of tools that will
hopefully inspire you to take a novel approach to working on wellbeing and welfare. As in the case histories, the toolkit is divided into
seven themes:
1. Good leadership
2. Communication and information
3. Conflict management and prevention
4. Preventing social isolation
5. Crisis management
There are various kinds of tool. Some can be used in the event
of special situations such as the "Manager as conflict-solver" tool
(p. 82).
Other tools focus more generally on well-being. They require you to
allocate time for example to meetings with everyone aboard present,
such as the "Focusing on welfare" tool (p. 85).
Finally, some of the toolkit consists of background knowledge which
can be good for a manager to have, such as the part dealing with a
crisis aboard and other people's crisis symptoms (p. 95).
Well-being and welfare require focus and time. But it is time well
spent. Poor welfare, bad relations and conflicts are even more timeconsuming. And poor welfare affects safety aboard. It also leads to
inefficiency and in the final count, is bad for business.
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60
1. Good leadership
What characterises a good leader?
| Good leadership
"Successful Leaders1)" is a project in which employees

and managers were asked to assess what good leadership is and the core competencies a good manager
should have. The project identified five core competencies for the successful leader. These are not the only
competencies they should have but the five may be
regarded as an essential foundation for successful leadership.
Toolkit
What makes some managers especially successful?

This has been widely discussed ashore and at sea.
Most of the literature on management describes core competencies that closely resemble the five noted above. But what is good about this project is that the results
are presented in terms of good practical advice on good leadership. The practical
descriptions are an inspiration for everyone working in management, at sea and
ashore.
Core competency No. 1: Human understanding
The manager reads and understands human relations. Such managers are characterized in that they:
Identify intentions and needs in other people, even when not clearly and openly
expressed
Pick up interpersonal atmosphere/tensions
Empathize with other peroples frustrations/crises and can put themselves in their
place
Have a well-developed sense of understanding of other people's strengths and
weaknesses and appreciate their small but essential details
Can prevent potential inappropriate conflicts between other people
This involves constant awareness of interpersonal relations, not just empathizing
with the person or the people the manager happens to be facing.
Small changes aboard a ship can be very important and management should be
aware of this. It might be that the atmosphere in the mess or messages on the notice
board get slightly sharper in tone than they usually are. Or it could be that the crew
are starting to focus on problems rather than solutions.
Human understanding examples of leadership:
Managers exercising a core competency:
Constantly scan for atmosphere/tension and non-functional relations around them
1) Ledere der lykkes (Successful Leaders), Ed. Ola Jrgensen, Klartekst.

Written for KL and KTO - Vksthus for Ledelse, 2005.
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Sparring and training are important parts of management duties.
Can set aside their own feelings and points of view when other people have problems
Empathize and act appropriately in conflict situations and promote constructive
solutions
Spend time and energy on identifying with the feelings and needs of individuals
In the case histories, several of the seamen describe how they walk around the vessel
to talk to people aboard and say how valuable they think this is.
There is more chance of somebody coming up to me instead of going all the way
up to the 12th floor to tell me something or other. It is easier for me to come and
ask how things are going. I get to hear more. Visible management is most important for ensuring free communication on daily routines aboard.
Core competency No. 2: Trust from sparring

Managers instil confidence and invite sparring. Such managers are characterized in
that they:
Prioritise requests for sparring and demonstrate their interest and confidentiality
when it comes to tackling people's problems
Help to break up a problem or task into manageable bits
Listen carefully and ask questions that are seen as helpful
Give good advice and make specific proposals for solutions to day-to-day problems
Are interested in other people's development and help them get going on new
projects or on developing themselves
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Managers should therefore not just be formally accessible but radiate accessibility in
everything they say and do. It is not enough just to have an open door if their behaviour shows that it could just as well be shut.
Toolkit
Trust from sparring examples of leadership:

Are concerned about employee development

Give top priority to being physically available to employees and ensure that they
are visible
| Good leadership
Show confidence in employees, encourage development and help find solutions

without being asked to
Behave correctly in every way. Always follow up on sparring discussions

Core competence No. 3: Confrontational intervention
Managers are proactive and direct when intervening. Managers who can do this typically:
Challenge other people's prejudices and fixed positions
Confront colleagues and employees with their inappropriate patterns of action
Clearly communicate demands and expectations and give fair, spontaneous feedback on individual performance
Actively tackle unsolved problems and work for rapid resolutions
Draw attention to inappropriate situations and remove obstacles
This confrontational style is far from being non-confrontational but such managers
are neither aggressive nor insensitive when intervening, just more straightforward
and consistent than most.
Confrontational intervention examples of leadership:
Quickly tackle unpleasant, critical situations in a constructive way
Confront staff and other people in the event of discrepancies in the spoken word
and action
Express their expectations for staff and those around them in a clear, motivational
way
Clearly express their values and assessments in a fair, forward-facing way
Recently there was a little mumbling in the corners aboard. After I had spoken to
a couple of people, I decided to have a meeting and called them all in. I started
the meeting by saying that we should take turns and that everybody would have
the opportunity to say something good and something bad about being aboard.
They were not to interrupt each other and they all had two minutes each to start
with.
Jens Ewald Pedersen, Captain
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Management can create the conditions for good working relations by ensuring
that duties and work allocation are described clearly.
Core competence No. 4: Insistent delegation

Managers routinely delegate responsibility and tasks. Common to them all is that
they:
Challenge employees reluctance to accept responsibility
Insist that employees and service partners clearly take ownership of tasks and
agreements
Follow-up on delegated responsibility and consistently crack down on tasks and
agreements that have not been solved or completed
Take responsibility themselves for difficult tasks and clearly communicate on the
allocation between their own and others responsibilities
Constantly test and adjust the balance between responsibility and goals
In practically all workplaces, people talk about employees having greater responsibility for their duties. Successful managers insist on this, even though some employees
might perhaps prefer not to. These leaders do not delegate just for the sake of the
employees. They are on the long hard journey towards involving everyone to ensure
that jobs get done as well as possible.
Insistent delegation examples of leadership:
Make other people responsible in a constructive, challenging way
Challenge defensive work cultures by insisting on employees taking responsibility
Do not take over responsibility and tasks that have been assigned to employees or
other people
Change the allocation of responsibility if the situation makes it necessary or appropriate
64
In some of the case histories, the seamen also report that many people, especially
the young, greatly value getting exciting, developmental work. But the seamen also
emphasize the importance of people coming and asking if they are in doubt or cannot
do the job.
Helle Barner, Chief Officer
| Good leadership
Aboard the George Stage they are challenged when I say this is your task. I
am there if you are in doubt and then we will work it out. But I expect you to
come and say that you cannot manage it. That is precisely what we try to teach
them aboard. You cannot know everything even though you have three or four
rings on your sleeve. People need to acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses.
Toolkit
Core competence No. 5: Persistence under pressure

Managers stick to their fundamental values, also when challenged. Such managers
are characterized in that they:
Do not hesitate to make unpleasant or unpopular decisions which they regard as
correct or as matters of principle
Trust their own abilities and decisions in critical situations
Take the time and space required to deal with conflicts
Seek inspiration and assistance but take relevant decisions and critical initiatives
themselves
Reflect on their own values and management style
Managers' deep-seated fundamental personal values should not be confused with
simple obstinacy, inflexible attitudes and sticking to principles. Fundamental values
are part of a more constant personal integrity.
This is a position of strength that the successful manager never abandons, even
under pressure. This is where they prefer to believe more in their own fundamental
values than their authority, even though it might cause them loss of respect, disciplinary action or even their job.
Persistence under pressure Examples of leadership:
Stick to important principles and attitudes with respect to employees, the company, superiors, customers and other people
Defend vulnerable people openly despite widespread local resistance
Are brave or principled enough to react in decisive situations on the basis of their
convictions rather than following established principles
Are willing to put their own job and procedures on the line in an important case,
even though it might be unpopular
65
A common approach by management is essential for well-being aboard.
Unanimous management makes for a better vessel

One of the major challenges in leadership at sea is rotating ship management teams
which means that in the course of a single tour, crews often sail with different captains, chief officers and chief engineers.
So it is important for well-being that management teams have more or less the same
approach to core things aboard. Otherwise it will sow the seeds for uncertainty which
can lead to confusion and uncertainty amongst the crew.
So it is important to ensure:
That rotating teams change over together
Good overlap/handover
Standard checklists are reviewed on handover
That handover includes a review of conditions aboard, such as a report on crew
well-being or if there have been some major events.
That they reach agreement and report on the background/intentions if a start has
been made on something new such as good communication aboard or other wellbeing projects.
They are bold enough here to tackle things when agreement cannot be reached.
Also try to establish a common approach or find a compromise.
The company has a special responsibility here in terms of the framework they have
established for how ship management teams work together, for example by giving
them the time and space to coordinate their work and planning. The company should
be especially aware of how rotating management teams work together. Similarly,
ship management should tell the company if they find it is difficult to get things to
function properly.
66
Time to think about leadership
How could I improve and what should I work on in my role as manager?

What works well aboard? When does it work best? What am I doing when I work
best as a manager?
What can I do something about aboard and what can I do nothing about?
| Good leadership
As a manager, what do I do well?
Toolkit
Good leadership is also about giving yourself the time once in a while to consider your
own role as a manager. In some companies, this has been made more systematic,
for example with manager appraisals but people should also consider making a small
assessment of themselves on the basis of such questions as:
There is also the option of asking colleagues or the crew. Their motivation for responding should be that it might otherwise be difficult to know how you are regarded
as a manager if you never ask other people, which makes it impossible to improve.
"You can't take action if you don't know about it."
Then I said: I cannot change anything if I don't know about it." He could see that
and said it was actually a good argument, one that he could accept. Communica tion is very much about daring to address each other the right way if there are
things you do not understand or are not satisfied with.
67
68
2. Communication and information

A manager communicates just by being there. People aboard identify with the manager whether he
speaks out or is silent, acts or does not act. If the
manager follows up on something, the crew will see
this as important, and if he /she does not, they will
reach the opposite conclusion.
The importance of body language

It is not just the spoken word that counts. Non-verbal language often means more
than we might be aware of.
Communication
| and
information
Worth knowing about communication
Toolkit
So it is important for managers to be aware of their

role and to be aware of the consequences of communication.
However, it is important that you do not begin to be over-conscious of your body

language. It is more that you should be aware that your body language also sends
messages, such as when you do not mean or believe in what you are standing there
saying; or if you are unsure of whether it is right. So the art is to be sure of what you
think and what you are going to say and then to communicate that. This will then be
reflected in your body language.
"We view, sense and interpret
the world differently"
When communicating, it is important to be aware
of the fact that "we view, sense and interpret
the world differently". When difficult situations
arise aboard the fact is that those involved take
a different view of what the situation really is
and who is at fault in what. The illustration here
shows this.
None of the people in the circle around the
pig see it in quite the same way. For example, the vet sees it as just an animal to
be treated. The little girl on holiday sees a
sweet little piggy. And she would be sad if
she knew that the butcher sees roast pork before his eyes.
In the same way, we as people may have completely different perceptions of the
same situation. This makes for misunderstandings and conflict if we are not prepared
to understand the way other people see things.
69
Good communication is a precondition for well-being.
An important part of leadership is being able to see our own and others' roles from
the outside and try to see what is involved for individuals. As in the illustration of how
different people view the pig.
As a manager, you should:
Avoid secrets and double messages. You may naturally have certain information
which you would not share with everybody but be aware of not keeping more secrets than is absolutely necessary.
Focus on direct, face-to-face communication as often as possible. The interest you
show in direct communication can help motivate your employees.
Communication aboard
Communication can be done formally by way of meetings and briefings or informally
in ordinary conversation. As we say, direct informal communication can be highly motivating. And informal communication is the most widespread on many vessels. But
informal personal communication is not always enough. You risk creating rumours
and misunderstandings if everything is done in personal conversations where in the
final count, only you know what has been said to whom.
Formal communication can be made via:
Meetings
E-mail
Notice boards
Or consider some other way aimed at generally informing employees and ensuring,
in a purely formal sense, that everybody gets the same message. However, the challenge here is to meet the needs of many people at the same time.
70
Toolkit
Communication
| and
information
Said does not mean heard; heard does not mean understood; understood does not
mean accepted; accepted does not mean done.
You also need to follow up on things and ensure that the message has been understood. Even though you might feel that things have been said clearly, people can fail
to understand the message in the way you had intended. The four communication
challenges below illustrate this:
Said does not mean heard
Heard does not mean understood
Understood does not mean accepted
Accepted does not mean done
Worth knowing about meeting leadership
Meetings aboard are an important tool for ensuring good communication and that
people feel they have been listened to and kept informed. So calling general meetings
can help promote a sense of good well-being.
At general meetings, it is possible to:
Inform everybody at the same time
Get an impression of what is happening aboard
Get a common view of things
Discuss and get input for matters relating to life aboard
Clarify management's feelings and values
Meetings aboard are typically:
Ship management meetings
Safety committee meetings
Operational meetings
General meetings with the whole crew
71
What are you trying to achieve from the meeting?

A meeting does not need to be especially long to be effective and give good results.
The most important thing is that it is absolutely clear what you are trying to achieve
from the meeting. Consider these important questions for having productive meetings:
What do you want to achieve from meetings?
What needs to be discussed/decided at the meeting and what could be done at
another time or via other channels of communication?
What options are there for making meetings more lively, varied and motivational?
A meeting can be about many things. The most important thing is for everyone
to clearly understand what the meeting is about.
What kind of meeting is it?

Is the meeting primarily for information, a consultation in which crew can give
their viewpoints, or a decision-making meeting where general agreement has to be
reached? It is important to be clear about this before the meeting.
Agenda items are often very different. For example, one item might be for information purposes, another might be for discussion and yet another about making a decision.
It can be a good idea for individual items to state what should be happening. If the
intention is clear from the start, it makes the meeting more effective and can make
it shorter.
72
How can you hold effective meetings?

Effective meetings can be achieved by:
Ensuring that there is an agenda for the meeting
Ensuring that agenda items have been prepared and that the people involved
know who should be preparing which items
Introducing the meeting with a "contract" an explanation of what the meeting
is intended to achieve, how much time is available and any priority for agenda
items.
Keeping an eye on the time
Toolkit
Restricting discussions to agenda items

Ensuring that all points of view are heard
Ending the meeting with a summary of what has been achieved and who is to do
what and when
Following up on decisions made at the meeting
New crew aboard
Communication
| and
information
Ensuring that decisions are made
A good start with information and a good introduction to life aboard is essential for
the well-being of new cadets and crew.
Management is responsible for ensuring that new crew receive a proper introduction.
The aim of an introductory meeting is to get the new people aboard to:
Feel welcome
Get to know the vessel
Get an overview of their duties
Get a basic understanding of the work, objectives, vision and values of the vessel
and the company
To retain crew in the business
In their first time aboard, new crew members will need:
To be shown around the vessel and to be introduced to its systems
To hear of the company's history, development, values, culture, business and assignments, goals and visions. In brief: why are we working here, what is important
for us, what kind of work are we doing and where are we going.
To be told of their duties now and in the future, how work is prioritized, what
the deadlines are, what competencies/authority they have. Also who they will be
working with internally and externally, quality requirements, when they will be attending meetings, training courses, etc. and the details of their induction.
To be presented with the vessel's routines, traditions, rules, business processes
and deadlines. In brief: what do we do, what don't we do, how do we do it?
73
An introduction to life aboard is a good start for new workmates.
When new aboard, it is difficult to remember everything. So it can be helpful to have

a list with notes on the crew and their professional skills. It can also be a good idea
to give new people a list of crew with specific knowledge whom they can contact.
So that other crew can quickly get an idea of new peoples abilities, the people concerned could send an e-mail or post a brief description of themselves on a common
notice board describing their background, professional and personal skills and their
forthcoming duties.
Professional introduction
It can be difficult to remember everything that you get told during your first days
aboard. So it may be a good idea to extend the induction process by switching between induction and specific jobs. If new crew members need to be trained, find
mentors to be responsible for training them up. It is nice to have a technically competent person to consult; you can be 'new' for many months.
Social introduction
The social introduction is important and it is a good idea if an experienced crew
member guides the new member. In her / his action the guides can show how the
company's values and attitudes work in practice and they can also provide an introduction to social activities aboard.
Suitable introduction
We all learn differently so it is important than the induction process can be modified
to meet new colleagues needs for information. Ask new employees how they find it
easiest to learn and organize the process on that basis. Training means being aware
of how to do this.
74
Sparring develops new ideas

Sparring is a good idea when new members of crew are to be instructed in their duties and how they are prioritized. This means that new crew should try to find out for
themselves how to do their duties in practice. At the same time, you follow the process so that you can give good advice. It may also possibly give you and those aboard
some new ideas as to how work can be done.
Appraisal meetings
This also makes it possible to have a mutual dialogue on the requirements and expectations that those concerned have for their future duties.
Communication
| and
information
It is important that new arrivals get clear, unambiguous feedback on their immediate
superior's view of their first months aboard from a work as well as a social point of
view.
Toolkit
It is a good idea to have an appraisal meeting after a few weeks. The aim is to assess new peoples first weeks aboard and to identify their needs for development and
training in the short term.
This process can really help to ensure that the people concerned thrive aboard and
want to remain in the sector. Cadets or inexperienced seamen may need to have
special attention paid to how things are going for them and that they get to use their
skills and ideas aboard.
Ground rules for communication
Another part of communication aboard involves using the right tone and speaking in
the right way.
Reaching mutual agreement on "Good communication aboard" helps establish a common starting point for good communication. If the tone aboard is tough and inappropriate, the tool on next page can provide the basis for discussion and agreements so
that you can rely on each other.
75
Tool 1: Developing the Ground Rules

The ground rules can be worked out in several short meetings with the whole
crew present. Each meeting need not take more than 30 minutes if those present
know about what is involved and that the meeting has also been otherwise wellprepared.
1. Mapping 1st meeting
Ask people to consider the question: "What do you consider is a good way of
speaking to each other?"
Take turns to make a suggestion each.
Write suggestions up on the flipover. Ask whether there are others who have a
similar suggestion. For example if the answer is "Tell the person concerned that
you are dissatisfied", find out whether there are others who have a similar suggestion.
Gather the suggestions into some common agreed themes preferably no more
than five or six in all and post them somewhere where everybody passes by.
2. Prioritising 2nd meeting
If there are lots of different suggestions, prioritize the 5-10 most important agreements on "Good communication aboard" (read more about how to work on priorities on p. 86 in the "Focusing on well-being" tool).
3. How to follow the rules 3rd meeting
Agree on how to ensure compliance with the ground rules. Should there be quarterly meetings to review the situation? What should be done if people do not comply? Who is to be responsible for monitoring compliance?
76
Tool 2: Developing the Ground Rules

Another slightly more amusing game can be based on:
"10 ground rules for ensuring that communication aboard creates conflicts and
poor well-being."
If you disagree with a colleague or manager, do not go to see them but tell
everybody else what your disagreement is about
Stick to what you believe - instead of asking
Toolkit
Call out and criticise when there is something you think is not how it should be,
instead of asking and checking
Make up and repeat rumours rather than further investigating things
In any event, have as few meetings as possible
Stick to the workmates you already agree with and avoid everybody else in
the mess and elsewhere.
As captain and manager, show yourself as little as possible in areas where crew
are present.
Communication
| and
information
Only arrange meetings for those that already agree with each other
As captain and manager, ensure that the crew know as little about your plans
and each other's jobs and duties as possible
And give brief, unclear messages when assigning duties
Discuss the ten ground rules and then make your own and talk about how you
would really like things to be aboard, which can also help prevent bullying.
If you want to know more

"The mental working environment in practice", Jrgen Mller Christansen et. al., Personnel Management.
September 2005. (Only available in Danish)
Available on the Danish State Employer's Authority website at www.perst.dk
"Hndbog om psykisk arbejdsmilj" (Mental Working Environment Handbook), Danish Working Environment Service. Ver. 3. Published December 2004. (Only available in Danish)
Available from the Working Environment Service website at www.at.dk
77
78
3. Conflict management and prevention

Conflicts are natural and happen all the time. They
can have positive as well as negative consequences
for the ship. It is the way they are resolved that determines the outcome. Negative consequences may
lead to relations between some people becoming
locked or possibly even to a total breach. Positive
outcomes could be people learning from the conflict
and getting new ideas.
Keeping a track on conflicts and dealing with them
is therefore an important management skill.
Conflict ladder step by step
Toolkit
The conflict ladder shows how a conflict can escalate from a small disagreement into
open hostility. At each step, there is the option of either going up or down the ladder,
that is either escalating or relaxing the conflict. Seeing a conflict escalate is associated with considerable human loss.
Conflict management
| and
prevention
7. Polarisation
6. Open hostility
5. Magnifying the enemy
4. Dialogue is given up
3. The problem escalates
2. Personification
1. Disagreement
Development
Learning
Closer relations
Green conflict
The first step on a ladder is disagreement. We disagree about something but provided
the parties resolve the situation rapidly and constructively, the conflict will have positive outcomes. This means that we need to focus on the situation and not drag the
other person's personality into the picture, and as a result you will learn from each
other and each other's situation.
What can I do as manager to keep the conflict in the green?
Regularly check the temperature of crew well-being and relations. Talk openly to
them about how work is going (see under "Focusing of well-being" p. 85)
Be a good role model and tackle disagreements constructively. (read more about
conflict management and mediation p. 82)
Make space for flexibility aboard for differences in the crew
Take the initiative to hold discussions about the best way of tackling conflicts
aboard. For example, discuss it at a crew meeting and work out some general
ground rules together (see p. 75 Ground rules for communication)
79
Yellow conflict
In the next three steps it all becomes personal. The problem escalates and there is
less dialogue. Those involved switch their focus from the actual problem to the personalities. People increasingly see the other party's negative characteristics.
What can I do as manager?
An independent party now needs to help sort it all out so that the conflict does not
escalate further.
Do not be afraid of intervening and offering your help
Call the parties in to a meeting and tell them what the meeting is about so they
are prepared
Help the parties talk together. It will help them understand and listen to each other
better. Read more about Mediation on p. 82
Make it clear how you as manager can and cannot help and how you will deal
with the matter of confidentiality
Help the parties understand more about the situation and their possible options by
asking open questions, such as "In this situation, what is important for you?" or
"What do you think is important for the other?" Be supportive without taking sides
or playing down the problem
Consider whether there is something you can do yourself at the organisational
level to defuse the conflict. Consider for example working conditions is there
uncertainty about who has the authority/competence to do what?
Give the parties time to take the responsibility for finding a solution that satisfies
both
Check whether the parties need help afterwards
Follow-up subsequently ask them how it is going
Make sure you talk things through before they develop into conflicts that are
hard to resolve.
80
Conflict ladder
Polarisation Chief Officer
demands sackings
Open hostility The Filipinos obstruct
work and harass the Chief Officer
The captain acted here to

prevent further escalation
Magnifying the enemy

Dialogue is given up The Chief Officer hurls the
vacuum cleaner at the bosun. The Filipinos only do
as ordered
The problem escalates
Personification - The Chief Officer criticises the Filipino bosun
for being useless
Disagreement Various episodes in which the Chief Officer and

Filipino crew have a different view of what should be done aboard.
And how people should talk to each other
Toolkit
Red conflict
What can I do as manager?

Get the parties to agree to a mediation process. You may need to use your formal
authority to get the parties together. Read more about mediation
Conflict management
| and
prevention
The final three steps mean more emnity, open hostility and polarisation. The conflict
develops into a war in which accusations and destructive attacks are made against
each other. The original case has been forgotten.
Get help from external consultants

Consider whether the parties should be separated by redeploying them or reorganizing work.
Consider whether other crew aboard ship should be briefed and involved
On p. 53, you can read about a conflict that Capt. Hildur Friis resolved. He intervened
as a manager when the conflict was on its way into the red zone. And he predicted
that the outcome could easily have been much worse.
81
Mediation the manager as a conflict-solver

Mediation or conflict resolution is a system in which a neutral third party (the
manager) is responsible for re-establishing constructive dialogue, allowing the
parties to resolve the conflict themselves. Mediation means being in the middle.
The manager must avoid becoming a judge. That creates winners and losers which
does not help relations. The fact that it may also sometimes be necessary to dismiss employees because of their inability to work together is quite another matter.
Then we are no longer talking about mediation.
Important considerations and tasks
As manager, your most important function is to be a neutral moderator, so you
should consider the following before you start:
Are you part of the conflict yourself?
Do you have strong sympathy/antipathy for either of the parties?
If you answer yes to either of the questions, you will find it very difficult to be neutral. It would probably be better to choose someone else as mediator.
Remember the importance of the following during mediation:
Do not suggest solutions yourself
Do not express your own attitudes and put the blame on one or the other person
Stick to strictly being a moderator throughout the entire process
Create a framework in which the parties feel secure and find their own solutions
Ask questions along the way
Summarise where the parties have got to and express optimism and hope
There are five phases in conflict mediation:
1) The parties are informed about the procedure and each give their side of the
conflict
2) The parties agree on the nature of the problem
3) The parties find solutions
4) The parties negotiate solutions
5) The parties agree on the future
82
Mediation step by step

Before starting on mediation, ensure that:
You are seated between and equally far from both parties
The parties sit facing each other
Everybody can have eye contact
Phase 1 - Information on the process and view of the conflict
The manager reports on the process and proceedings
People speak one at a time and listen to each other
Do not discuss each other's statements
The manager is in the chair and is therefore the person to ask questions and
summarize
The manager asks questions and tries to establish the background to the conflict
The manager summarizes the most important input
Phase 2 Establish common understanding /identification of the

problems
The manager endeavours to get the parties to reach mutual understanding
Conflict management
| and
prevention
The other party reports on the conflict. Get him/her started by saying: "Now it
is your turn to say how you see the situation "
Toolkit
One party reports on the conflict. Start for example by saying: "Tell me a little
about how you see the situation"
The manager controls proceedings so that the parties explain their own needs
and interests instead of making demands on the other party. Proceedings can
be controlled for example by way of such questions as "What do you feel is important? Have I understood you correctly in this what you need is..., that you
agree on.......?" etc.
The manager lists their common problems and ensures that the parties agree
on the list. "Do you agree that the main problems are...and ...?"
The manager concludes Phase 2 when there is a common understanding of
what the main problems are. For example: "We disagree how to do the duties
we share and on who is responsible for ensuring work is done properly and on
time."
It can be a good idea to write the main problems down
Phase 3 Create solutions
The manager asks the parties to provide ideas for solutions, one at a time, using
such questions as "How do you think the problem could be solved?"
83
Brainstorming for possible solutions under the leadership of the manager. This
means that other people's proposals should not be criticized but used to provide
inspiration for other, different proposals
The manager inspires the parties to assess each other's ideas in positive terms,
for example by saying: "What are the possibilities for this proposal?"
Phase 4 Negotiating solutions
The manager encourages the two parties:
To talk about how they both see the future, for example:
"How do you think these solutions will work in future for you both?"
Consider what can be done and what it will require
Stick to the things where agreement has now been reached
Emphasize the issues on which they have moved towards each other
Phase 5 Make agreements
Agreements should usually be written down by the manager (these are confidential agreements ) and contain the following:
- A brief description of the problem and solutions
- Who does what and when. It is important for both parties to make an effort
- Both parties are winners
A good solution:
- Takes into account the interests of both parties
- Contains realistic obligations for both parties
- Is easy to understand and comply with
- Satisfies both parties
84
Preventing conflicts
One way of tackling the process of preventing conflicts is to establish a dialogue on
well-being aboard. This could be about how you can work together to enhance general
well-being or you might decide to work specifically on preventing social isolation.
This method is not suitable if you have major conflicts aboard since it rarely leads
to a more tolerable situation. Past experience has shown, however, that people are
"braver" than one would think provided that management are positive about the
process.
The four phases of the process are described below. Each phase can be dealt with in
half an hour given good preparation.
Tool: Focus on Well-being
This tool focuses on what works and what should be improved.
1) L
et everybody sits by themselves for 5 - 10 mins
considering the two questions.
What works well for well-being aboard?
How could well-being aboard be better?
Conflict management
| and
prevention
Phase 1 What can we do better?
Toolkit
There are issues that everybody has an opinion about. It is important to get everybody's views so as to set up a well balanced project for promoting positive aspects aboard while identifying and raising the profile of the issues that could be
improved.
Then set up small groups of 3-4 people.

2) The small groups then discuss their proposals for the two questions. Write their
proposals on the flip over:
What works well?
What could work better?
3) At a joint meeting subsequently, each group presents their view of what works
well and what could be better.
This means that groups respond rather than individuals having to stand up for
themselves.
The various groups suggestions should be written on a flip-over or a board.
This way you get an overall view of what works and what could be improved in
working on promoting well-being, as expressed in the employees own words.
85
Phase 2 Prioritising
Then prioritize where action needs to be taken. Here it is important to clarify what
people think is most important. But it is important to be aware that this is just an
indicator. Management then need to think what can be done given the resources/
frameworks that are available.
Priorities can be determined by a simple vote. Tell people that they have a total of
three votes which can be cast by using a speed marker to tick the three topics they
think are most important, meaning one vote per topic per individual voter.
This gives the group's view on priorities. It also means that as management, you
have a clear indication of what the crew feels is most important aboard.
Phase 3 Solutions
The next phase consists of making suggestions for improvements. Proposals can
often be implemented immediately. There might be small things that have irritated
lots of people for a long time, such as never be able to find things because of
people not putting tools back where they belong.
Other proposals may need more planning and further consideration. Management
should do some further planning on such proposals and possibly prioritize them
according to the vessel's resources and options. Management can then either do
more work on the proposals themselves or set up working groups with representatives from management and crew (see below).
1) For each of the three highest priority themes, discuss:
What can you do together?
What can management do?
What can individuals do?
Make an action plan that says who is holding the rope, who does what and
when something should happen
It is most effective when done in smaller groups.
2) Proposals for solutions and action plans should be presented to everyone.
This lets them all have a chance to say something and possibly make good additional suggestions.
Phase 4 Taking proposed solutions forward
Consider setting up a small working group to continue the process subsequently,
with the captain being a member ex officio and one or two crew members as
well.
86
The working group's assignment is to:

1) Put the results of the meeting into good order and circulate the report to all.
2) Review the issues raised, think about them and discuss them.
3) Continue the process with an action plan stating which activities and solutions
are to be implemented, with the timetable and persons responsible.
4) Call a meeting on the plan with everybody presents so it can be discussed,
modified and improved.
5) Follow up on activities right to the end, tidy up loose ends and consider
progress.
This process can be used many times when taking the temperature of well-being
aboard.
It can also serve as the vessel's mental working environment risk assessment.
Toolkit
Conflict management
| and
prevention
87
Discussion meeting on well-being

What works well for
well-being aboard?
88
What could be better

for well-being aboard?

"Conflicts at sea" a film made by Seahealth Denmark on conflicts and advice to stop them happening.
The film can be shown aboard, with a discussion on being aware of language and shipboard communication.
"En konflikt to vindere" (One conflict two winners), Hans Boserup and Anne-Suzette Humle, Danish
Mediation Board 1993. (Only available in Danish)
"En samtale to vindere" (One conversation two winners)", Anne-Suzette Humle, Schultz 1993. (Only
available in Danish)
How to have a conversation, mediate the message clearly, listen to the other person and find joint
solutions.
"Konfliktmgling. Mediation retsmgling" (Conflict mediation. Mediation legal arbitration), Vibeke
Vindelv, Danish Association of Lawyers and Economists Press, 2004.
(Only available in Danish)
Good websites with documentation on conflict arbitration and mediation in Danish:

www.konfliktloesning.dk
Toolkit
www.mediationcenter.dk
Conflict management
| and
prevention
89
90
4. Preventing social isolation

This chapter has a collection of good ideas and tips
from the seamen interviewed for this book. There
are also various recommendations from two reports
on social isolation:"Lost at sea lost at home" Cardiff
University and "If you are a good leader I am a good
follower by Fabienne Knudsen. Both are based on
a whole series of interviews with seamen.
Create opportunities for people to get together
Focus on mealtimes as social events
Meals aboard are most important, simply for the enjoyment of food and partly too,
the socializing that goes with eating together.
Because of the way watches are organized aboard, meals are often taken at different
times. Consider whether something could be done to make it easier for the crew to
eat together.
The cook is important. Cooks should not just be good at making food. They often get
to act as the social centre of the vessel.
Joint activities
Toolkit
Hold various kinds of competition, especially those where language and different cultures have little impact. Think of
"Welfare officer"
Preventing social
isolation
Some vessels also have a welfare officer whose special duty is to promote welfare
aboard. His job will be made easier if the company also provides the necessary
physical framework, facilities and equipment aboard.
Social life aboard very much depends on the master. But the social life of the entire crew should not depend on the ability and needs of a single individual. This is
something that should be delegated aboard.
Excursions ashore
Consider the possibility of excursions ashore. Mooring at a quay instead of a buoy
gives the crew the chance to going ashore.
Work on physical conditions aboard
Consider socializing in its broadest sense, for example gym and table tennis facilities.
Discuss whether your facilities aboard can be made more attractive or whether you
should acquire something new.
Dialogue with the company on important matters
Part of management's duties is to be in dialogue with the company and draw attention to the conditions and frameworks that affect welfare and well-being aboard.
91
Competitions give new opportunities for togetherness.
There are various issues relating to preventing social isolation aboard but also wellbeing in general and it is here that the company is well-placed to make decisions.
This primarily involves:
Providing the opportunity for crew to contact their homes
Better access to private e-mail
Receiving mail as frequently as possible
Ensuring access to news media
Mediating social contacts between seamen's families
Making it possible to get home in the event of a family crisis
As much predictability as possible for crew work schedules so that seamen's
departures and arrivals are as predictable as possible
Option of accompanying tours aboard maximum opportunities for wives and possibly children to sail aboard.
Make sure that the right language skills are available aboard.
It is not just a question of safety but also of well-being that all crew should at the
very least be able to communicate with each other in a common language.
Consider the advantages of having the same crews.
It can be a manning policy aimed at having the same seamen on the same vessels.
92
And you see each other differently.
When people already know each other; they know something about the others' expectations, reaction patterns and working rhythm. Everyone has different expectations and limits, which is why we need to get used to each other. And the less we know
about other people (for example different nationalities), the harder it is to meet each
other's expectations.
Toolkit
It can also boost employee loyalty and minimize the risk of some people being underqualified. It naturally increases employee job security with all the attendant advantages for them, their workmates and the company.
|
Preventing social
isolation
93
If you want to know more:

Lost at sea, lost at home". Michelle Thomas, Cardiff University.
Downloadable at: www.seahealth.dk
"Ship's officer", Kevin Mogensen, assistant researcher under Prof. Birgitte Simonsen, Center for Youth
Research in conjunction with the Danish Shipowners Association. November 2003 (Only available in
Danish).
Identifying and analyzing the interaction between the shipping business and young people, with special
emphasis on recruitment.
"If you are a good leader, I am a good follower, Fabienne Knudsen, Report on "Working and leisure
relations between Danes and Filipinos aboard Danish vessels". 2003.
"The isolated seafarer," Birgit Larsen Jensen. Paper from occupational health nurse's training. September 2002. Tutor: Birte Aarslev-Jensen (Only available in Danish).
Downloadable at : http://soemandskoner.dk/billed/iso-soemand.pdf
94
5. Crisis management
It is natural to react after a violent or difficult event
even if you or your workmates do not feel that anything serious happened.
Worth knowing about crises
Precisely when people react to a crisis varies. Reactions normally disappear after 1-2 weeks but if you
subsequently experience something that reminds
you of the unpleasant event, it may well take slightly
longer before reactions totally disappear.
It is impossible to know in advance what events or
episodes get us to react and sometimes reactions may
also be an expression of "the final straw". Some of the
events that generally cause us to react are listed below:
What typically causes a crisis reaction?
Some of the events that can typically make us react are listed below.
People's lives are threatened
Toolkit
People feel threatened or harassed

People are unprepared for what is happening
Their normal ways of dealing with challenges are inadequate
Crisis
| Management
The situation is perceived as unmanageable

- Because it is overwhelming
- Because they have no experience draw on
- Because they have no control over the situation
They may also get strong feelings of helplessness and vulnerability
Standard crisis reactions
A range of typical crisis signals may appear after a crisis event. Be aware of these if
you recognize them in yourself or in other people.
95
Crisis reactions may be divided into three categories.

Physical reactions
Mental reactions
Behavioural reactions
General malaise
It is like a film that keeps

on playing
Exaggerated activity
Trembling hands
Sudden tears
Isolation
Raised pulse rate
Self condemnation/
feelings of guilt
Fear of being alone
Nausea and vomiting
Anger and irritability
Passivity
Dizziness
Anxiety and panic

reactions
Increased sick leave
Alternating sweating and

shivering
A sense of unreality and

a distorted sense of time
Exaggerated larking
about or jokes
You can read more about the symptoms of stress on p. 100.

What can be done?
What can those affected by a crisis do for themselves?
Be aware of their own reactions and compare them to typical crisis reactions
Tell workmates about the event
Tell family and friends
Avoid isolation
Try to maintain normal daily routines
Do not delay going back to work again too long it is helpful to be with workmates
who know your working environment
But do not start again too early either give yourself to time to get back on top
again
How can you help a colleague after a difficult or violent situation?
When talking to a colleague after a difficult event, you can help best by:
Finding somewhere you can sit undisturbed
Being close (physically and mentally)
Listening actively
Talking openly and directly about the event
Finding out what your colleague needs
Avoiding humour and telling funny stories
Not playing things down. Never say "forget it"
Not giving good advice
Trying to control the conversation and talking of your own experience
96
When to seek professional help

Crisis reactions are a natural part of our lives and are quite simply the result of the
body and mind reacting. If you are threatened, it is perfectly normal to be nervous
about going back to work. It is a kind of protection mechanism.
If you have been subjected to a difficult event, you should seek professional help if:
You have not slept for several days.
Your speech is disconnected and not understandable.
You see yourself or those around you as unreal.
You do not recognize yourself.
Those close to you say they cannot recognize you.
You keep getting flashbacks of the event or parts of it as if it were a film.
Crisis reactions are catching role of the manager
If a member of the crew suffers a crisis, it is important that you as manager know
what you should be aware of and what initiatives should be taken.
As a manager, you should ensure that:
The whole group should be considered. Speak to the whole group and keep them
informed.
Toolkit
The whole group may be affected and suffer reactions.

Relations may suffer in the wake of the crisis.
Special consideration should be shown to those affected by a crisis when they return to work.
Employee appraisals should be held as part of post-event treatment.
Crisis
| Management
Contact should be maintained with a colleague suffering from a crisis when he/she
is on sick leave.
A report should be made to the Danish Maritime Authority if the event leads to sick
leave.
The safety committee aboard is briefed.
Organise activities to prevent and reduce crisis reactions
Experience has shown that crisis reactions and any health impacts can be minimized
or completely removed if the company has a good crisis management service and
managerial backing when the service is needed. A crisis service should at the very
least include:
Guidelines for mental first aid from colleagues, for example by way of training from
crisis service personnel.
A procedure for safe, fast and easy access to professional counselling.
Guidelines for support and backing from management associated with, and in the
time after, a violent event.
Knowing what requires a crisis event report.
97
Seahealth Denmark crisis service

Seahealth Denmark has made arrangements with a wide range of psychologists who
deal with counselling throughout most of Denmark. This means that a dense network
of psychologists can offer assistance to personnel needing counselling, irrespective of
the reason. Whether it is in connection with an accident, work pressure or the like.
Requesting counselling
The Service's telephones are manned day and night. Call (+45) 3311 1833. Initial
contact is thus with Seahealth Denmark staff. The company, captain or other people
can call if help is needed or just guidelines for a specific situation. If help is needed,
the Service will arrange emergency assistance or long-term psychological treatment
depending on the specific need.
Counselling often works best when the person affected has returned home and a
couple of days have passed since the event. But in other instances, help may be
needed on-site and this too can normally be arranged after a specific assessment and
with the agreement of the company.
When actually treating illness aboard, call Radio Medical on (+45) 7545 6766.
Read more at www.seahealth.dk.
98

Stress the facts
Stress is the body's 'flee or fight' reaction that is
automatically activated when exposed to mental or
physical activity on the edge of what we can cope
with. The brain signals the adrenal cortex to produce
adrenalin the catalyst for the rapid changes that
occur. The central nervous system is also affected,
raising awareness and speeding up reactions. Together they act to help the body escape acute danger. If the body stays in its alert condition for too long, however, it leads to wear on
the organism.
Stress is not an illness, it is a condition. It is a natural reaction to an imbalance

between the resources we have and the demands we make on it. There can be
several reasons for such an imbalance arising from work and home life. If it persists for a long time, stress can lead to disease.
This definition of stress is by stress researcher Dr. Bo Netterstrm.
Toolkit
R esourc es
Resources
Reasons for stress aboard
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
D emand s
Demands
Demands that are impossible to live up to

Unclear expectations for one's performance
Lack of qualifications and/or experience
Lack of knowledge, oversight or information about the job
Little opportunity to make use of abilities and qualifications
Little influence on the job and/or organization of work
Unresolved conflicts aboard
Meaningless work
Lack of support from management and workmates
99
Uncertainty of employment
Work/ life imbalance
Social isolation
Signs of stress
Be aware of signs of stress in the crew as a whole and as individuals
General signs of stress in the crew
Poor motivation and efficiency
Poor quality and service.
Meetings and agreements cancelled
Aggressive atmosphere
No humour
Signs of stress in the individual
As a manager or employee, be aware of the symptoms and signs of stress described
below. This applies if you experience them yourself or see/hear a colleague complaining or reporting several of the symptoms below which are physical, mental and
behavioural.
Physical symptoms:
Tense muscles in neck, body
Frequent colds and flu
Allergy
Raised pulse
Cardiovascular disease
Head/stomach ache
Shaking/nervous tic
Sleeplessness
Fainting
Fatigue
Mental symptoms:
Bad mood
Endless worries
Irritability/anger
Less desire to socialise with others
Loss of/increased appetite
Feeling pressurised at work
Difficulty concentrating/remembering
Depression
100
A feeling of not being able to live up to the demands of work can cause stress.
Behavioural symptoms:
Sleeplessness
Increased intake of alcohol, coffee
and tobacco
Drug abuse
Anger and aggression
Isolation, lack of emotion
Reduced motivation and commitment
Reduced performance
Being busy is most often associated with the wish and motivation to tackle jobs
that need doing.
You get energy and satisfaction by doing the job and pleasure from having reached
your target.
Such feelings are totally absent when suffering stress.
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
Difference between being busy and stress
Toolkit
Increased sick leave
There is no pleasure or energy and you just go on to the next task immediately.
Prevent stress make for better well-being
Generally, a good sense of well-being aboard means fewer conflicts and less stress,
and even if they do arise, the crew will be more confident that they can be dealt with
them by themselves or with help from a manager.
101
Plan work so crew get their rest.
As a manager, creating well-being means you should act as follows:

Prevent stress and 'short fuses' by organizing duties appropriately.
Create clear frameworks and help by prioritizing duties.
Give crew the opportunity to influence their duties.
Take responsibility for creating a preventative culture aboard.
Work to develop standard agreements for good relations aboard (see the Communication Tool p. 76).
Preventative strategies
At the joint level and the role of management in tackling stress
Make stress and well-being the subject of general discussion aboard (see Methods
for general meetings on well-being p. 85).
Set clear goals for the process.
Make demands on your own management/company.
Management is responsible for prioritizing duties.
Feed-back to crew help prevent stress.
Management planning should be predictable and realistic.
Social and professional support.
Look after yourself a stressed-out manager is not a good role model and stress
is contagious.
At the individual level
Meet your targets and expectations in your work and your opportunities.
Identify what exactly makes you stressed-out in your work and speak to your line
manager and colleagues about it.
Try to influence your duties.
102
Use your social network on shore and aboard. Just identifying problems reduces
your stress.
Take exercise, meditate or relax.
Work on your limits and say no.
Set clear targets for what you want out of your job, your family and your whole
life.
Consider the options you actually have for reducing your level of stress instead of
complaining to everybody. Moaning about things will not remove your stress.
Think of workable solutions when you have relationship problems and ensure that
your solution meets everybody's reasonable needs.
Match your level of ambition and performance to the pressures on your time and
work. None of us is superhuman.
Bullying
Managers are especially responsible for ensuring a good mental working environment
aboard, especially when it comes to bullying. As a manager, you need to take bullying
seriously and it is important that you take a constructive approach to addressing and
dealing with conflicts.
Definition of bullying:
Bullying arises when one or more people regularly and over an extended period,
or repeatedly and abusively, subject one or more other people to offensive actions
that the victim sees as wounding or humiliating.
Aggressive actions only become bullying when those subjected to them are unable
to defend themselves.
Bullying actions
Bullying can happen and be expressed in many ways. Here are the most ordinary
situations that managers should be aware of:
Keeping back essential information
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
The definition comes from the Danish Working Environment Service's guidance on
"Bullying and sexual harassment".
Toolkit
Teasing that both parties regard as good-natured, or occasional rows are not bullying.
Wounding remarks
Reducing or taking away responsibility and duties without justification
Backbiting or exclusion from the social and professional community
Being told off or laughed at
Threatened or actual physical attacks
Animosity or silence in response to questions or attempts to talk
Talking down the victim's job, performance at work or abilities
Unpleasant written messages, for example e-mail
Unpleasant teasing
103
Be aware that work can involve conflicting demands.
Sneering or disparagement due for example to age or gender

Being made to work on personal matters for example
Examples of reasons for bullying:
Bullies who feel that their jobs are under threat may choose to run down and intrigue against competitors. They do so by making it sound as if they have professional objections and are acting in the best interests of the company.
A new manager is seen as a threat to a group.
Someone wishing to avoid harassment takes part in bullying another person so as
to be accepted as one of the gang.
A manager wishes to get rid of an employee but it turns out not to be so easy. The
manager tries instead to make life miserable for the individual.
Bullying can also arise as a result of other mental impacts in the working environment, such as:
Exaggerated, contradictory or unclear demands on employees.
Differences in treatment.
Change can lead to bullying if not accompanied by information and openness.
A lack of constructive problem-solving in the workplace.
Unclear values and standards for workplace conduct.
Differences in attitudes and views between people in the workplace.
104
10 tips for managers on dealing with bullying

1. Be a good role model.

The way you treat other people inspires them to do the same: Do not be a
bully yourself, protect potential victims and show the crew that you will not put
up with bullying.
2. Help establish a personnel policy that prevents bullying. Or follow up on the

one you have. For example, make local agreements on the ground rules for
"Good communication aboard" (see Toolkit p. 76).
3. Cover the mental working environment in the workplace risk assessment and
ensure to follow up on any problems or hold a meeting in which you discuss
well-being (see Toolkit p. 85).
4. Be open in employee appraisals and listen out for signals of bullying.

Always take it seriously if an employee feels badly treated and chooses to report it.
5. Listen to the victim and the bully.

Do not reach hasty conclusions. Try to get the parties to talk.
6. Make passive witness active in getting the bully to stop.

7. Take action if you detect bullying.

You are jointly responsible if, as manager, you just let it happen.
8. Find simple, practical solutions.

9. Show the crew that they can come to you if they are bullied and contact other
people in the company from whom the bully can ask for help.
10. Take care not to be misunderstood - and not seen as a bully yourself.
Employee appraisals
Whilst these appraisal meetings are intended for employee development, they can
also give the impression an indication of conditions at work and well-being aboard.
on pressure
| ofFocus
work and stress
Routine dialogue between management and the rest of the crew is vital for being
aware of the mental working environment and for working on it.
Toolkit
What the manager can also do

Day-to-day dialogue
105

"Stress", Thomas Milsted, Jyllandspostens Press 2006 (Only available in Danish).
"The 7 habits of highly effective people", Stephen R. Covey, Simon & Schuster, 2004.
"Stress in the workplace", Bo Netterstrm (Only available in Danish).
Links:
www.center-for-stress.dk
www.seahealth.dk
106

In addition to the different nationalities, multiculturalism can also involve
different cultures for the different
groups aboard, meaning that the
different groups may have different
ways of seeing things and different
ideas about who is the most important aboard. They might for example
be the people on the bridge rather
than those in the engine room, or
the young rather than the older people aboard. Here, the watchword for
good well-being aboard is to know each other well.
Taking a structured approach to each other
You can hold an introductory 'getting-to-know-you' meeting aboard at the start of a
tour at which people introduce themselves.
Everyone can be asked to say something about their background, about what they
have done in the past and where they have sailed. Then people know who they are
working with.
There could also be a discussion on such questions as:
What is good seamanship?
What makes a good workmate?
How can we have a good tour together, one that can meet our expectations?
You can also discuss well-being in a mixed crew by talking about:
What are the advantages of our having different cultural backgrounds?
What are the disadvantages of our having different cultural backgrounds?
How can we ensure that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Clear expectations from management

Such meetings also give management the chance to report a little on the expectations they have for the tour and about well-being aboard.
Multicultural crew
| management
This could help towards more common understanding and perhaps also some understanding as to why people take a different view of some essential things.
Toolkit
Those attending the meeting should get the questions in advance but they should not
be answered in writing.
107
There may be other things that are significant for multiculturalism. For example, it
would probably be important for it to be emphasized that people should ask or go to
their supervisor if there is something they are in doubt about.
Consider making it clear when a common ship's language should be used so that
everybody can join in.
(See also more on Developing the ground rules for communication p. 76)
Make a special effort to get to know each other.
Prejudice exercise
A slightly different, amusing exercise that you might consider arranging on a more
festive occasion is to divide the crew in two different groups such as engine room
versus bridge, young versus old or the different nationalities aboard.
Each group should talk about what prejudices they think the other groups have above
themselves. The other groups then take their turns.
This means that if it was about nationalities, the Danes should say what prejudices
they believe the Filipinos have about the Danes, and then what prejudices the Poles
have about Danes.
Then switch so that the Filipinos say what prejudices they think the other groups
have about them in general.
Or perhaps the people from the bridge should say what prejudices they believe the
other groups aboard have about people on the bridge.
108
What must the fish be thinking about us?
This exercise makes it possible to laugh at each other's prejudices but it also enables
people to talk about what cultural differences there really are and what as a member
of the team one should be aware of for good social relations aboard.
"If you are a good leader I am a good follower, Fabienne Knudsen, Report on "Working and leisure relations between Danes and Filipinos aboard Danish vessels", 2003
Toolkit
Multicultural crew
| management
109
Notes
110
Notes
Toolkit
Multicultural crew
| management
111
Notes
112

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5.

Pirates on the river Bonny

We talked a lot about the episode afterwards. We managed aboard by talking

Niels Kristian Klausen, Captain

Crises can be difficult to cope with by yourself.

The result was that it actually strengthened relations aboard.

See part 2: Crisis management/

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

Colleagues in possible crisis

Jens Evald Pedersen, Captain

John Agathon, Chief Engineer

Gustav Schmidt Hansen, Engineer

See part 2: Crisis management/

6. Focus on pressure of work and stress

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

Niels Kristian Klausen, Captain

Paperwork has become part of the job.

John M. Jrgensen, Steward

Niels Kristian Klausen, Captain

Manage working time aboard

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

Pressure of work depends on the type of vessel and duties.

Pressure of work depends on the vessel's tasking and route

John M. Jrgensen, Steward

Lack of well-qualified crew

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

I make a real point of ensuring that I complete my outstanding work. I prefer to

Jens Evald Pedersen, Captain

Preventing pressure of work and stress

See part 2: Focus on pressure of work and stress/

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

Niels Kristian Klausen, Captain

Jens Evald Pedersen, Captain

See part 2: Focus on pressure of work and stress/

7. Multicultural crew management

Francisco Caquilala Cuerdo, Engineer

Listen, try and ask until you are sure you

Different reactions to the atmosphere

Hildur Friis, Captain

So it is specially important to ensure that problems get sorted or otherwise they

Francisco Caquilala Cuerdo, Engineer

Different cultures see things differently. So it is especially important to be

Interpreting the hierarchy differently

Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer

Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer

Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer

Accidents, language and cultural differences

John M. Jrgensen, Steward

John M. Jrgensen, Steward

Arrange events so everyone can join in.

Taking a structured approach to each other

Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer

We have no culture in common and it is easy to misunderstand each other. With a

Helle Barner Jespersen, Chief Officer

"Successful Leaders1)" is a project in which employees

What makes some managers especially successful?

Written for KL and KTO - Vksthus for Ledelse, 2005.

Sparring and training are important parts of management duties.

Lars Peter Jensen, Captain

Core competency No. 2: Trust from sparring

Trust from sparring examples of leadership:

Are concerned about employee development

Show confidence in employees, encourage development and help find solutions