Do you wonder how other Chief Stews create their schedules/rotas? How do schedules differentiate between vessel length and the size of the team? If you don’t, then this one is for you!
The truth is that no matter the vessel's length or how big/small your interior team is, to create the perfect schedule and rotation, you have to consider the following ten things:
Crew Skills- Understanding your interior crew's strengths and weaknesses will make a big difference in how you set your schedule. By the way, this also includes setting aside your ego and clarifying your strengths and weaknesses. You are also part of the team, and your skills could benefit or drawback your team and its performance. For example, if your team consists of 3 girls and one of them is a green stew who needs training in all the duties, my suggestion would be to a) rotate Chief Stew and Second equally between leading service and housekeeping/laundry, b) have the third stew as a Floater/Late Stew so she can get the training she needs and the opportunity to be on service to the guest as well.
Team Size- Depending on the vessel's length, the number of team players will change, and so will how you divide the roles of each. For example, on a team of 2-5 stews, you are likely to set a full rotation between the entire interior team or at least the senior ones. But, on a 60m.+, it is more efficient to assign your team members into three groups: service, housekeeping, and laundry.
Training- knowing what skills each individual on your team needs to grow in is key to creating the perfect schedule. This is when using the support and knowledge of your senior crew is invaluable. As HOD/Chief Stew, you won't be able to train everyone yourself, especially if you have a bigger team to manage. But your senior crew members can help you do that. Teaming a green crew with senior staff to work on tasks is an easy way to train while busy. Speak to your junior team about what areas interest them to grow in and your senior team about what they'd like to support. Of course, be wise and use your expertise to know how you can help them grow. Sometimes people don't know what they need help with, but you can see their struggles, which is the key to understanding how to support them.
Clarify Roles -A key element to your delegation strategy is ensuring your team members clearly understand their roles. Each person is a player, and the surer you and they are of their roles and responsibilities, the easier it is for you to assign work, review it, and demand excellence. Making a list of all the work that needs to get done and then delegating tasks according to each crew's specific function, position, and strengths will help you create the perfect schedule for your team and vessel. This exercise also enables you to discover any talent gaps.
Owner's Needs- Depending on the owner's needs and desires, your team's roles and schedules will vary. For example, in one boat, I worked for an owner who made me stand by the dining room during service (I couldn't move, not even to get more wine or bring plates, etc.) I had to radio my team to make the moves. In this case, because I had to stay put on every service like a duty guard, I couldn't rotate with the other girls between service and housekeeping, and I made the schedule and rotation with this in mind. Please consider how these needs could affect your rotations and create them accordingly to avoid your team feeling like they are picking up on someone else's slack.
Know your goal- Knowing your goal is essential in setting your schedule. Keep in mind this may change from time to time. For example, the charter schedule will differ from the off-charter schedule because your goals and team players' skills will shift. For instance, green stew #2 needs training in service, but she is the queen of organization and has excellent computer skills. And this means that during shipyard time, the green stew #2 will perform better in these projects than some of your senior crew and maybe even you if this is not your forte.
Prioritizing strengths vs. seniority should determine what jobs and roles you delegate in your team and projects. After all, you are trying to reach a goal, and using the resources available is crucial. Ask yourself:
- What matters to the captain, owners, and guests?
- What is my goal at this moment?
- What is it that we are trying to achieve? How do I get the best outcomes?
- How do I do it so it doesn't burn out my people?
- How do I use my resources wisely?
- And how do I get more out of underperforming resources?Leading Service- Many Chief Stews think that because they are HOD, this means "I have to lead service all the time." Even though you are the leader of the pack and service should be one of your strengths, you don't necessarily need to lead every time. For smaller teams, this is important to understand because, more than likely, you will have green stews that need training in all areas. And allowing them to lead service while you back them up will bring growth and confidence in their skills and the team. In my opinion, a Chief must train and lead by example while overseeing the interior department. I see my team players as potential chiefs, allowing them to experience all the job duties. This leads me to the next topic.
Rotations- In 14 years, I have seen all kinds of rotations inside the interior department, from daily to weekly and per-trip rotations. My favorite, by the way, is daily! I love daily rotations because it allows everyone to experience every part of the job. Plus, it gives everyone a breather; sometimes, you want to chill and iron and not be with the guests. It also allows the guests to meet and have the experience of socializing with all the interior crew. After all, we all have our charms and different ways of interacting with them. The rotation will depend on your interior crew skills and level of service. For example, if your team is skillful in all areas, it is easier to rotate between all interior duties. But if they aren't, you need to rotate them so that their skills and strengths are to the team and vessel's benefit.
For example, on my first Chief job on a 55m, we were an interior of 5, and one of the girls didn't care for rotation or housekeeping. She didn't want to be around guests and was our best laundress. She became the laundry girl 24/7. We had a busy laundry (who doesn't lol), so when she went on break, one of us would step in for her. The rest of the team would rotate between service, housekeeping, and crew mess. The 2nd stew and I would switch between leading service and Leading Housekeeping and always had one green stew backing us to teach them both duties. After a while, the 4 of us started to rotate equally. I made sure that even when I wasn't in service or housekeeping, I would pop in to help and ensure all was going smoothly. As a Chief, you must balance holding space and ensuring all is done correctly without micromanaging. Knowing when to let go and trusting they know what they are doing is an art you must master. I am a big fan of rotations because it invites the entire team to learn all the job duties. This is key if you want to ensure that the vessel will continue to flow within the same high standards even if you get sick or go on vacation.
Vessel Registration- Your schedule must adhere to specific regulations depending on the vessel's registration. I encourage you to learn about the state flag regulations regarding scheduling, especially hours of rest. If you are on a commercial vessel, you must adhere to MLC + Flag state regulations. Usually, all seafarers can only work 14 hours shifts; this translates to about 11-12 work hours + 2-3 hours break. I know this information is challenging to find and understand; that's why I created an entire Seafarer Rights section inside the MKSB, so you have all this information at your fingertips. Grab my Free Seafarer Rights Guide here.
Be flexible- It is essential to be flexible and adjust your schedule and rotation by keeping in mind the menstrual cycle of each member along the way. Why? Because when you are in your PMS or bleeding phase, you have less energy, which affects your work performance and mood. When possible, I make sure that the girl(s) on day 1 of the bleeding phase has a day off or, at minimum, stays in the laundry and gets an extended break. It's time for you to wake up to the power of your womb and support it as much as you can. As part of the MKSB, you get a Productivity Training to help you achieve menstrual rest onboard; Get here.
To wrap it up, remember that to create the perfect interior schedule/rotations, you need to know your interior crew strengths and skills, have clarity on the goals and role duties, and follow vessel regulations. Once you have this understanding, implementing it in a digital format is the next step. Inside the MKSB, you will find a digital and editable template that works for any vessel length and interior needs; Download it here!
