The simple 3-step framework that helps shipping companies solve their communication issues

There is a simple yet very effective framework that I use with the shipping and crewing companies I help.

Companies that employ office staff and seafarers from various countries, collaborating towards the completion of various tasks and projects.

Inevitably, this multiculturalism leads to communication gaps that if left unaddressed, can create not only tensions and complaints from stakeholders and Principals but very often human incidents and environmental accidents.

This framework ensures that each and every employee feels equally respected, valued, and listened to.

We need to ensure that the trainees are divided into homogenous groups, i.e. with colleagues from the same or a very similar culture.

When they have been allocated in the appropriate groups, we can start the training:

STEP ONE: We start by looking into the trainees' own culture. 

When we are within the comforts of the environment we grew up in it isn't easy to understand that we are who we are because of the language, traditions, and religion passed down on us by our parents. We see things from our cultural lens. I only realised how Greek I am (despite being half Filipina) when I left Greece's comfort and moved to England.

STEP TWO: We learn about the other group's culture.

There are usually just a couple of main cultures a company employs. A common example is Filipinos and Greeks or Eastern Europeans. After training the group on their own culture, which usually gives them many lightbulb moments, we educate them on the culture of the group they need to work with in real life. The trainees gain a deeper understanding of why the other group thinks or acts the way it does. This results in deeper empathy, less negative cultural stereotyping, and most importantly, increases the chances for more harmonious collaboration.

STEP THREE: We create the Company Culture

After the group has gained self-awareness and knowledge of the cultural dos and don'ts of the other nationals, we proceed by blending all these into a company culture. We take the Company's Vision, Mission and Values and under their umbrella, we ensure that there is an environment that everyone has equal opportunities to excel and progress, regardless of where they come from.

And that's basically it. A very straightforward process that serves as the backbone of every cross-cultural communication training I deliver.

By taking this holistic approach, I ensure that the training permits the participants to be who they are.

This training does not tell them that they have to change who they fundamentally are.

What it does is raise awareness of the reasons behind a certain behaviour and the impact that it may have on their colleagues, the Principals, and the overall operation.

The training also provides practical examples and tips of how one can adjust how they communicate, in the written or spoken word, to ensure that the other person has successfully understood their message.

In the end, we all speak English in shipping, but do we all mean the same thing?

Because one thing that I have learned since I moved to the Philippines is behind the phrase "Yes, ma'am" and the blank look of the person talking to me is that the reason Filipinos avoid asking questions is that our cultural values are different: Greeks value honesty and straightforward talk, while Filipinos fear of "loss of face" is more important to them.

If you want to minimise errors, incidents, unnecessary expenses, and complaints caused by miscommunication, and instead, create a Company Culture where all your seafarers and office staff feel equally valued and rewarded, then drop me a private message on LinkedIn so we can book a call and discuss how I can help you.