Respect starts with "U"

I have learnt a lot about the male species over the last few years at sea. In the industry which I work in I am amongst people who have been at sea their entire livesIf you want to gain respect of the other crew on board it first must start with you showing them respect. Respect is one of my highest values in life and when it comes to working on a ship it has to work both ways for a comfortable working environment to be established.I have learnt and I’m still learning how to approach another crew member (males) when it comes to instructing them on a task or operational procedure concerning safety training. There is a certain way in which you are to speak to a guy especially when it comes from a woman in charge. A woman needs to speak in a tone of voice that doesn’t make her sound too feminine but at the same time shouldn’t change who she is to fit in with the rest of the guys. Having a strong, confident voice and being certain in what she is saying is a big point in this. Speak in a way which doesn’t come across as intimidating to the guys or that you are trying to show them up that you know better than them. There is always going to be that little bit of conflict within some of the guys having to take an order from a woman. Once that respect and trust is established by the woman being confident, strong and sure of herself and her ability then the atmosphere opens up to be a more comforting environment.

I guess you could say that you have to be thick skinned working on a ship. You have to learn to not take anything to heart, don’t hold grudges against another crew member because that all makes life very difficult on board for yourself and others working around you.
For me every day is a learning day on board. Whether it be learning more in my studies, ship board operations or different ways to interact and learn about other people on board. I guess an advantage which I have is that I am studying for a Diploma in Psychology via distant learning. It has helped me to understand different types of people and that way in which an environment influences the way people act and interact.

“Be Strong, Confident and Positive” – Happiness.