I get it; you have been a second stew for a few years now; you know how to do your stewardess duties to perfection, and to be honest, you probably feel that your learning time has ended. You desire more responsibility; more money, and you feel ready to jump into a Chief Stew position.
I applaud and celebrate you for listening to your inner guidance because you are ready! As a stewardess who experienced the jump over 12 years ago, I want to guide you so you can experience a smooth transition into your new role.
Six simple skills to Master Before the Jump into a Chief Stewardess Role
1. Know your strength and weakness
Knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not is crucial to your new management role and team. If you are a team leader, acknowledging your strengths will make you more aware of your team members. Accepting your weaknesses enables a better self-assessment, a way to work around or avoid them. Accept them but don’t stress over them, as it is far more critical to improve your pre-existing strengths than fixing the weakened ones. This will also help you focus on your teams’ strengths and help you place your interior crew where they will be more productive instead of trying to correct their weaknesses by pointing them out constantly. To find your strengths for free, go here. I also invite you to ask ten people you trust and value their opinion to share with you what three superpowers (strengths) you have!
2. Change your focus
You are likely considering jumping into a Chief Stew role because you're awesome at your job. But the crazy thing about your new position is that it’s not about you anymore. As a stewardess, your number one job is to accomplish tasks. Now, your number one job as a Chief Stew is to help other people outstandingly accomplish tasks.
This shift is often difficult for first-time chief stews, but it’s crucial—your performance will be tied to your team's performance. This means if your team fails, you fail. And if they succeed? You can take credit, but you have to share it with the rest of the team, or they won’t be willing to do an excellent job for you in the future.
3. Learn to listen
Many new chief stewardesses want to make bold changes quickly to show that they're in charge—and it's a bad idea. Resist this temptation, and take plenty of time to understand your vessel and team fully. Set up individual meetings with your new or current members to understand their roles. Ask questions about what they like about their job, their most significant challenges, and any ideas they have for improving the interior team and vessel.
You can’t please everyone, but saying, “I would love to get your input as I make plans for the future,” goes a long way in building positive relationships and open communication. And understanding what people’s goals, hang-ups, and challenges are can help you support them in performing at a higher level.
Also, let them know that you’re open to listening on an ongoing basis. Whether having an open-door policy or scheduling “office hours” each day, ensure your stewardesses know when and how they can reach out to you.
You can start tapping into this, even as a second stew. Listening to your current team and casually asking them how they feel as part of the team and what they believe can be improved at an individual and collective level will help you access that emotional intelligence (empathy) that will make you a better listener. If you have a good relationship with your current chief, maybe you can even ask her if she will allow you to lead the next interior meeting so you can become comfortable with this part of the role.
4. Model behavior
Complaining about the boss or other crew member over cocktails? Showing up 15 minutes late to work? As a chief stew, you’ll be looked at as a role model by your fellow stewardesses and others in the vessel. You can’t expect your team to give their best at work if they don’t see you doing it, so be sure you are always on your A-game. This means: meeting deadlines, showing up on time, sticking to your word, keeping your personal opinion under wraps, and doing your best to represent your department and vessel.
5. Develop strong communication skills
You must learn to communicate effectively with your co-workers and clients to get your point across and create a safe environment.
First, go back to point #3 and practice listening.
The next one to consider is your body language and tone of voice. Body language can tell just as much as what a person says, if not more. Ensure your language is clear, and if you are angry, take a few minutes to cool down before speaking. Remember that it is better to meet in person so nothing is misconstrued than communicating through text or email.
Keep Criticism constructive. When you manage others, you want them to do their best. Ensure your comments aren’t emotionally charged and the person you're speaking with understands what you're trying to say when giving feedback. Provide positive reinforcement when a job is well-done, and find ways to add tips for improvement without being "that boss.”
Restate what you hear. Rephrasing what your co-workers, captain, or even client’s “guests” say to you by repeating the important points shows you are listening and understanding what you were told. It gives both parties a chance to clarify if there is any confusion, and by repeating it, you'll remember.
Get a little personal. Find ways to interact on a personal level without going too far. You'll go a long way toward building trust.
Never stop improving. Effective communication is a skill you must practice. Observe how others respond to your communication to clue you in on areas for improvement. With the support of the YM Self-Leadership Mini-Course, you will heighten and develop your communication skills in no time. Click here to learn more.
6. Develop a Management Interior System
Many stewardesses have to-do lists, but only a few have a system that gets them toward those goals. Yes, it is a system that leads to success. It helps you make consistent, daily progress toward your goals. In this case, running a tight, smooth ship translates to excelling at your job.
A system like Mermaids Kick-Starter Bible will give you the FOUNDATION required to experience less stress and more creativity over stew duties.
It will allow you more TIME to be hands-on at your job, creating unforgettable memories for your guests. And as a chief stew, this is primordial as your team needs a leader and mentor that leads by example.
It will provide you CONFIDENCE in knowing you have a professional interior management system covering your vessel’s needs. This helps you feel more relaxed, allowing you to be more passionate, attentive, creative, and present in your job, which translates to sharing your voice and gifts with others.
The problem with not following a system is that you’re prone to engage more in ‘busywork’ because there won’t be any focus. By following a system, however, you have the ultimate clarity on what needs to happen now — daily, weekly, monthly — to make focused progress toward your team’s long-term goals. This focus will make you and your stewardesses incredibly productive and a Top-Notch team to have onboard. Download the MKSB here.
