Effective teamwork and collaboration among crew members are not just desirable; they are essential for ensuring safety at sea. This is a well-known fact, and it is difficult to be creative in answering the question of how it may enhance safety at sea.
Teamwork and Collaboration have great impacts on Shared Responsibility, Shared Knowledge, Efficient Coordination, Collective Decision-Making, a Positive Work Environment, Increased Job Satisfaction, Reduced Fatigue, and so on.
The main questions are how to gain “Teamwork” and “Collaboration” and how to approach them.
First, interpersonal relationships should be established. Senior officers must implement open communication between all crewmembers, as it is the main key to Teamwork and Collaboration. In other words, you have to become a “Team” rather than just crewmembers.
Interpersonal relationships onboard have always been a major factor affecting the Safety of Life at sea. On board our ship, each crew member fully believes that teamwork is a top priority for the general performance of the vessel. The level of collaboration between the Engine and Deck departments has reached the highest level that could be imagined. Once, during a grill party, Chief Cook shared his impression with the others: “For the 20 years spent working at sea, I’ve never seen such relationships between Engineers and Deck Crew”. That was a pleasure to hear for everyone despite officers or ratings.
The possibility for Juniors to have open communication with Seniors enhances their motivation to learn more due to the Seniors’ readiness to share their personal experiences.
During rest hours, crew members keep gathering together. We do sports, play video games, grill meat, and have conversations not only about working but also about personal topics. One of our crewmembers once said, “Wow, guys! Remember this moment and this crew! It would never happen again.” But we are sure that this practice must take place onboard each vessel.
As a result of how things are onboard, the crew stays motivated and happy and performs at a high level related to their duties and safety practices onboard.
