On managing people
This is the first in a series of blogs that look at various management issues.
Look after each other……. Try drawing a parallel!
My wife and I enjoyed a cruise to Iceland earlier this year, 2023 on the Bolette, one of Fred Olsen’s ships. It was not our first cruise and certainly not our first sea voyage. We have sailed to Norway on the Astoria a number of times, the Baltic on the Magellan and the Adriatic on the Magnifica. Whilst the quality and standards of each ship and voyage varied according to the age of the ship and the calm of the sea, there was two things that stood out to me generally on the Bolette and they were the politeness of the crew, no matter who they were or what role they played and the ‘teamwork’ that was constantly on display, where the visible crew, such as the entertainment crew were often seen multitasking and with a smile.
The Daily Announcement
On the Bolette, a highlight of the day was the Captain’s midday state of the day address, in which he explained the ship’s position and what weather to expect. He made announcements about the next port of call and what to expect there. He congratulated crew who had a birthday that day and at the end of his announcement pronounced that ‘most importantly, look after each other’. It became his catchphrase and brought a smile around the ship each time you heard it.
Gala Nights
Cruise ships always have ‘gala nights’ when the crew wear their dress uniforms and all passengers are encouraged to wear their best bib and tucker. I always wear a white dinner jacket not a black one, not wishing to stand out of course. On ‘gala nights’, the lucky ones meet the Captain and senior officers for drinks or they might be invited to sit at the Captain’s Table. Now that’s quite an experience. We have done it once. The hoi polloi sit staring at the Captain’s Table wondering how the Captain’s dinner guests had been chosen. My guess was that it was something to do with booking a suite and spending a lot of money. But I also noticed that certain staff said ‘hello’ quite a lot and I wondered whether they were spotters charged with filling the Captain’s Table. It also followed that you received an invitation to visit the bridge.
Bossy Wake Up Calls
Another character that made an impression on me on another ship, the Magellan, was the ships hotel manager. This lady seemed to wield a great deal of power on the ship. Even the Captain admitted he was frightened of her. She came into her own, again with her announcements. These were about shore trips and principally the time to be back on board or be left behind and then there was the rigmarole of disembarking at the final port of call. The problem here was that passengers had a habit of forgetting their hand luggage and as far as shore trips were concerned it was a case of swimming after the ship if it had not waited. The forceful announcement was along the lines that the ship still had a gangplank, which could easily be brought into use.
Knowing your team
A cruise is often more enjoyable if the entertainment team are talented performers, so it came as a surprise that on a night when the Captain introduced his crew to the passengers that it turned out to be unexpectedly a very entertaining evening. The basic idea was that the Captain would introduce his senior staff one by one. They gave their names and country of origin and then explained their jobs and aspirations. One tyke when asked what his career plan was, said to do your job, Captain. Moving along the line, the next crew member was a young lady. Having given her name, she said she was a secretary. Who’s Secretary are you? Yours Captain she promptly replied. The Captain had a high profile on the ship, often seen lunching with his senior staff in the cafeteria. His last appearance was on disembarkation saying goodbye to the departing passengers. Apparently, the introductions to the crew were all well scripted and the Captain admitted he would have liked to have been a stand-up comedian.
Look after each other!
My feeling after ending my cruises was that there was a lot to learn and take onboard with the management of a cruise ship. There was a clear welcome to guests (and a pleasant goodbye) and in between always a pleasant exchange with the crew. There were clear communications between the crew and the passengers. There was clearly a place for humour, power by walkabout, as well as a time to be serious. There was always a way to capture people’s attention as well as ways of looking after each other.
Robert Campbell
This is the second blog on Management issues. This time about teams and recruitment.
Did You Pick Your Own Team?
Factors affecting the continuity of your team:
- Turnover Rate 10% per annum
- Sickness Absence Rate 5%
- Annual Leave 10%
One of my eight Partners once told me that I wouldn’t be happy until I’d chosen all of my own team. It took around ten years to reach the stage where the staff with one or two exceptions had ‘turned over’. I notice that on the Surgery Website, some ten years later that both the doctors and staff have virtually ‘turned over’ over again. Looking at statistical sources on the internet, such as Linked In, a turnover of around 10% might be par for the course. In a staffing compliment of 30 that would mean at least three vacancies each year. Does that sound familiar? It is also notable that the overall sickness rate for England hovers around 5%, having been higher in recent years, which suggests that one or two of a staff of 30 might be absent each working day, thereby diluting your team constantly. Add to this annual leave and another 10% will be absent.
Dead men’s shoes
Keeping your team together might also be a problem if one or more members get ‘itchy feet’. The phrase ‘waiting for dead men’s shoes’ was quite common early in my career as colleagues accumulated up to 40 years to make the best of their pensions. I had a career plan in my head that suggested I moved on after three years but no more than five years. I achieved this goal for at least two thirds of my career. Curiously, nowadays it is quite common for employees to want to move on or change jobs at five years. I am beginning to think that there is an argument for fixed term contracts, but not necessarily short-term contracts. Management theorists suggest that there are five stages to building a team, forming, storming, norming, performing and mourning. When you think about it, it might take five years to pass through these stages.
Don’t let ‘em pull you in!
So, how can you be sure that you have created a highly successful and effective team. The truth is that I’m not sure you can. A failing team could be put down to poor recruitment. I recall standing outside a jewellers store in Downtown Manhattan. Yes, my wife always likes studying the content of a jewellery shop window. Out of the shops door comes a huge gentleman who looks at us window gazing and blurts out ‘don’t let them pull you in’. There is much talk these days of being careful and thorough when recruiting. Have you carried out the required background checks. One recent recruitment experience highlighted the need to listen to those who raise questions about an applicant’s employment history. I don’t like being presented with applications that have what I would regard as key elements missing until I interview them. Be careful too about protected characteristics and avoid any opportunities to be accused of discrimination. As you will know, these characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. As annoying as they be anonymised job applications can be a way to avoid accusations.
The choice is yours
Then, is it a matter of the size of your team and the skills and expertise you will need to do the job. Do you need to look at education and qualifications. Are there issues about being overqualified or lacking in experience. Is there a proven track record, and evidence of further education and training in specific skills. Then, one that I have found can clinch it an individual. Is it all down to personality. Do you need someone who just sits at a desk and computer with their head down or do you need a good communicator. You will make mistakes, but the choice is yours.
