The word ‘shangied’ was a popular one a century ago. It was a method used to get unwilling land lubbers to sail the high seas in the merchant service by knocking the unsuspecting poor soul on the head and then hauling the unconscious person on board. On most occasions the ship would be away and sailing by the time the ‘shangied’ seaman awoke. Since then conditions onboard ships in the merchant service improved and although the word has survived, someone being physically shangied has not been heard of for many a year.
With rapid increase in technology, stringent maritime regulations and port operations improving in efficiency the seafarer is greatly pressurized and so sailing on a ship while exciting can at times be extremely stressful.
Stress on board may be attributed to the following:
· Being physically away from one’s family and friends for extended periods of time takes a heavy toll on a persons psyche.
· Many a time a seafarer is forced to sail and stay with people he does not necessarily bond with.
· With improved communication the sea farer gets to know problems at home with little opportunity to solve them leading to a great deal of frustration.
· The work at times may be overwhelming.
· Rough seas, machinery noise and vibration can be a serious irritant.
· While safety standards are high, the seafarer has danger as a constant companion and he knows it.
· Fatigue may be caused due to the watch system or poor accommodation effecting rest.
· Rapidly changing technology not followed up with adequate training.
· Food on board can be very rich with little or no exercise to follow.
· Misuse of alcohol.
· Little scope to do anything different leading to boredom.
· In the past the seafarer was relatively better off than his peers ashore in terms of earning and an opportunity to see the world. However this difference has since disappeared with folks ashore catching up.
It is up to the top management ashore and on board the ship to make the workplace a happy place for crew -- the more they can play and relieve stress, the harder and more efficiently they’ll work.
Here are some creative, action-oriented ideas to help inject a little “fun” into your workplace, while side stepping the more serious plans for improving productivity on board.
On Board the Ship:
Schedule exercise breaks. There’s no reason we can’t copy what many larger corporations are doing these days -- squeezing in stretch/dance breaks throughout the day during which employees step out of their work place or cubicles to do a group stretch to music. Every week pick a new exercise and a new stretch leader to get everyone going.
· Cultivate fun. Make your ship an exciting place to be by holding frequent contests, celebrations, and team-building activities. Be creative.
· Lead with laughter. Understand that taking 15 minutes to laugh will increase productivity, not reduce it. People think more clearly and operate more productively when they've had a break that clears the cobwebs from their brains. Laugh a lot and encourage your team to do the same.
· Encourage mini time-outs. Encourage everyone to relieve daily stress by taking a few minutes to do something they enjoy. A small break in the day’s routine can really reinvigorate a person’s thought process. Take short breaks yourself and encourage others to take them. Do whatever helps you to disengage from the project at hand: work on a crossword puzzle, listen to music or browse the net.
· Laugh at yourself. Lead the way in joking about difficult situations on board. When people can laugh in the midst of a breakdown, make fun of themselves after making a mistake, or share the story of a horrendous (but humorous) experience, they can defuse a lot of tension and stress. They also clear the way for themselves and others to work on those issues with greater enthusiasm and clarity.
· Create a fun team. Ask for employees' ideas for ways to add fun to the workplace. Consider creating a “fun team” whose job is to dream up ways to bring lighthearted fun into the ship. Let people use their creativity to raise the level of laughter, and there will be creativity left over for more concrete business objectives.
· Acknowledge birthdays. Celebrate the birthday of each of the crew. Let them know how much you appreciate their contributions with a small gift, cake, or token of gratitude for the role they play in the company. Encourage them to celebrate the birthday of a loved one while on board.
· Build a “Wall of Fame.” Designate an area where you can post pictures of crew, thank-you notes from clients and customers, and clippings about the organization’s success. Celebrate your people whenever and wherever you can.
· Let your hair down. Plan occasional group excursions to get everyone out of the ship once in a while. Have a group lunch in a nice restaurant, or take everyone on an impromptu trip in a foreign port.
· Designate a humor corner. Transform one corner of your break room or other area into a humor corner. There you can post cartoons, funny quotes and pictures, and other illustrations designed to relieve stress.
· Entertain yourself. Have a well stocked library with books and periodicals as well as movies.
On the Shore:
· Grievance Handling: Have a dedicated person ashore, maybe the Crewing manager/ Manager- QHSE to look into crew grievances and make positive efforts to address them as quickly as possible.
· Training: There must be a dedicated training cell which ensures that crew is well trained at all times. Be proactive and innovative in keeping crew well informed.
· Performance Appraisal & Reviews: Make sure that performance appraisals and reviews from the ship are received in time and are well documented. This would give the management ashore a good idea, as to quality of life on board the ship.
· Exit Interviews: Never forget to conduct an exit interview for employees leaving the organization. This is vital to get to know the employees perspective of life on board.
The crews, who sail your ships, are the greatest resource a good organization will have and in this context their welfare which eventually affects their efficiency is to be paramount in the organizations planning and scheme of things.
The trend in the developed world these days is to stay away from shipping because of the hardship and sacrifice involved.
Hopefully, with the right initiative, we will not have to return to having ‘shangied’ crew on board ships again.
Like all other industries which require knowledge workers, shipping too is going through the throes of an acute shortage of skilled man power. One area where sea farers fare rather poorly is in the employment market after the quit sailing for a life on shore. The sea farer is more often than not made to feel unwanted and useless. It is the fundamental responsibility of ship owners to not only make life on board as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, but also pay adequate attention to a sea farers life and employment opportunities when he chooses to quit sailing.
India’s maritime strength should not be taken for granted, but should be strengthened, by having a committed human resource, because it is not for nothing that the British built the greatest empire in recent history only because her navy ruled the seas.
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