One of the key take homes from our recent Mental Health Survey was that the interior team seem to suffer a great deal with mental health due to poor management from their HOD or senior peers.
Whilst not everyone is a great leader sadly, there are definite steps you can take to try and be a better leader and run a happier interior team. Remember that small gestures go a long way in improving peoples mental wellbeing!
As the Chief Stew on a superyacht, one of your key responsibilities is ensuring that your crew operates like a well-oiled machine. With the high stakes of luxury service and the close quarters of life at sea, fostering a positive and efficient working environment is crucial but can be super tough.
Here are some pointers to try and adopt to assist along the way:
Lead by example
The foundation of good interior crew leadership is setting a positive example. As Chief Stew, your attitude, work ethic, and demeanour set the tone for your interior team. If you demonstrate professionalism, respect, and a strong work ethic, it’s likely your team will follow suit. Show that you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, do the dirty jobs that no one really wants to do! This shows you are not only a true part of your team but also that no job is beneath you.
Clear communication
Effective communication is essential in avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Hold morning meetings to outline your daily work lists, address any concerns/potential problems and ensure that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. Communicating well will also potentially remove issues down the line with crew claiming ‘they didn’t know how to do that’ also.
Try to encourage an open-door policy where interior crew feel comfortable bringing up issues or ideas. It might be that your Junior Stew really does have a fantastic idea about pantry organisation and even if it’s not the right idea for you, simply listening and welcoming ideas will make your team feel heard and valued!
Foster a supportive environment
This seemed to be one of the bigger issues, with yacht crew feeling excluded from certain cliques on board or left out of groups. As adults, this simply should not happen full stop but to help prevent this, you can encourage camaraderie through team-building activities and social events.
Recognise and celebrate individual and team achievements, no matter how small. A simple acknowledgment can go a long way in boosting morale and motivation. You should also show empathy and understanding towards your stew’s personal issues and stresses, and offer support when needed.
Conflict resolution
Conflicts are inevitable in any workplace, especially in the confined space of a yacht. Address conflicts quickly and fairly to prevent them from affecting the team’s dynamic. Listen to all parties involved, understand their perspectives, and work towards a compromise or solution that is acceptable to everyone. Maintaining impartiality and fairness is key!
Training and development
Investing in your interior crew’s professional development not only improves their skills but also shows that you value their growth. Offer regular training sessions and opportunities for the crew to learn new skills or improve existing ones – this can be as simple as Friday afternoon cocktail making for the crew!
Another yacht client of ours encourages the members of the team that have secondary skills to share their knowledge with the team so perhaps a training session on a perfect pedi, for example. No one is then suggesting you let the newly ‘qualified’ crew loose on guests but who doesn’t want to be able to perfect their nail varnishing skills!
Interior crew leadership should encourage stews to pursue certifications relevant to their roles, use the yachts training budget (if it has one) . A well-trained crew is more confident, competent, and motivated.
Delegation and trust
Delegation is crucial for effective team management. Trust your team members with responsibilities and avoid micromanaging. This not only empowers them but also frees you up to focus on other things, such as the guests!
Try to clearly outline expectations and provide the necessary resources and support, but allow them the autonomy to complete their tasks.
Trust will help give a sense of ownership and accountability and the team will feel like they are growing and learning and for them, it is something else to add to their CV and take with them to a new role in the future.
Maintain work-life balance
While life on a yacht can be demanding, it’s important to ensure your team gets enough rest and relaxation. A well-rested crew is more efficient and less prone to errors. Encourage healthy habits, such as regular exercise and eating healthily, which can significantly impact overall wellbeing.
Lead with empathy
Understanding and addressing the emotional and psychological needs of your team is critical. Show genuine concern for their wellbeing and be approachable. Empathetic leadership builds trust and loyalty, creating a supportive work environment where crew members feel valued and understood.
This is where you will need to adapt to individual personalities on board; we are not all wired the same and so what works for one of your team, may not for another! This will be a big learning curve in your interior crew leadership.
Continuous improvement
Encourage a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing processes and seeking feedback from your team on how things can be done better. Being open to new ideas and adaptable to change helps in keeping the team keen, motivated and improving overall performance.
We are now 11 years in at Quay Crew and we are constantly changing the way we do things and evolving as we come up with new ideas to improve; some work, some don’t but it is all about trying!
