Happy talk: verbal communications and effective navigation
Our ability to communicate with each other defines our existence. Life would be very difficult if we could not communicate our thoughts to each other. Even falling in love would be hard! Communication with our fellow humans defines our relationships in life. It also defines our ability to perform our tasks and duties in the workplace. This article explains why the role of verbal communications during navigation is critical
Navigating a ship into a port and berthing it safely is a difficult task requiring the combined efforts of the entire bridge team. A mistake on the part of any one individual could lead to an accident. In case of fog or bad weather, the risks get bigger. In some ports and in some fairways, or river passages, the ship may be operating with such small margins of safety that there is no room for communication errors.
Think about a passage of a VLCC in the Malacca Straits, or a passage in the St Lawrence Seaway, or the Mississippi. How many seconds would you have before grounding, if a wrong helm or incorrect engine order is executed?
The entire team has to work together to safely navigate the vessel. Now, imagine the mix of nationalities on many ships today. The officers might be from one or two nationalities with ABs from another. The Pilot, tug crews and linesmen may come from different countries, as might the port control and VTS operator personnel.
Each of these individuals may have different accents, even if they speak a common language. Yet it is generally agreed that good verbal communication between all these professionals is critical to the safety of the vessel.
Effective bridge communication
The purpose of communication is to convey your thoughts to another person, and to get them to carry out the actions you want them to take. It is important to encourage them to speak their mind too, so that you are sure that your message has been clearly understood. If the communication fails in getting the listener to carry out the desired action correctly, it could lead to an accident.
Considering the multi-national environment in the maritime world, it is essential that when you speak, you do so clearly and slowly. Use simple words and short sentences and ensure that you are loud enough to be heard above the general sound level in the surroundings.
English may not be the first, second or even the third language of your listener. The IMO Standard Maritime Communication Phrase (SMCP) is a good resource to use, since seafarers from all countries are familiar with it. Using the standard phrases is good practice even if English is your first language. It makes things clearer to the listener.
After speaking, wait to see if the words are understood by the listener. As a general rule, the policy onboard should require the listener to repeat what they have heard and for the speaker to then acknowledge that what the listener has just repeated was correct. This is generally referred to as ‘Closed Loop Communication’.
The speaker’s duty does not end once the listener has repeated the communication. To avoid accidents, the speaker must then observe and verify that the correct action has been carried out.
Communication subtleties
These rules of speaking and listening are taught in most colleges as part of their Bridge Team Management (BTM) or Bridge Resource Management (BRM) courses.
However, there are several other important aspects of communication not taught quite so often. For example, it’s important to note your own tone and body language, as this can affect the listener’s response to the communication.
An angry or irritable tone discourages the listener from sharing his or her thoughts in the future. If a junior officer is intimidated, he or she will be reluctant to convey their doubts about the navigational situation and thereby reduce the overall effectiveness of the bridge team. Imagine if, due to being afraid of angering a senior person, the junior officer fails to report that the ship is setting off towards the wrong side of the channel!
An encouraging tone helps give bridge team members the confidence to share their thoughts and concerns. A smile or convivial pat on the shoulder while talking to someone, or even a simple encouraging nod to acknowledge the contribution of a team member, can go a long way in establishing a stronger rapport and sense of team spirit on the bridge.
We often hear the words ‘planning’ and ‘risk assessment’ onboard ships. While I’m certainly not advocating carrying out a risk assessment every time you speak, it’s nevertheless important to consider ‘planning’ your more important communications, especially if you are not very comfortable in the language being spoken.
It’s a good idea to prepare your questions and perhaps even keep notes ready, in order to ensure that you achieve the required goals through the conversation. If you are concerned about the clarity of your speech, or your accent, try to practise as often as you can. Watching movies in that language is also an effective learning tool. Thanks to shorter stays in ports, and difficulties arising from security concerns, it may no longer be possible to make friends ashore to practise your language skills on!
Stay alert
Navigating a ship requires constant alertness and vigilance, especially in congested or shallow waters and during port approaches and berthing. Verbal communications on the bridge should therefore be kept to the minimum required for navigating. It’s easy to get distracted discussing the football game or the latest movie. Too many or too few communications become harmful to safe navigation; getting the balance right is key.
Author: Captain Pradeep Chawla,
Anglo Eastern Group