17 ISSUE 12 | MARCH-APRIL 2025 cies—exactly when confidence is crucial! The consequences of uncertainty in these situations can be severe. High psychological safety allows low confidence to be expressed To tackle low confidence, we need an open and trusting work environment on board where everyone feels that they can voice their concerns and doesn´t feel ashamed of what they do not know—more so if it is something as important as how to act in an emergency. This is called psychological safety. It’s the feeling that it is okay to speak up, share insights (even when they’re unpleasant or inconvenient), disagree openly, and surface concerns without fear of negative repercussions or pressure to sugarcoat bad news. High psychological safety removes interpersonal fear and encourages honest communication. It fosters an environment where humans feel encouraged to share ideas without fear of personal judgment or stepping on toes. It feels safe to share feedback, including negative upward feedback to leaders about where improvements or changes are needed. It’s okay to admit mistakes, to be exposed, and to speak the truth. Knowing that low confidence can quietly exist on any vessel worldwide and that it can negatively influence performance, Green-Jakobsen’s position is that leaders and officers should develop an awareness of this risk. Open discussions about job performance confidence should become a natural part of dialogues among all crew members on board. Allowing them to speak up and admit that they might not feel confident towards all their tasks—without losing face—creates the opportunity to understand what can help a team or an individual improve their performance. After all, confidence and performance levels go hand in hand. Building confidence can take time Confidence isn’t something we can simply demand; it’s something we nurture over time. To help crews build their confidence, several of Green-Jakobsen’s clients have revamped their onboarding processes. They discuss, elaborate, and repeat important parts of the safety familiarisation and emergency readiness—not just during the first 24 hours on board, but many times over. By normalising and even encouraging the crew to openly admit their shortcomings and treating those as learning opportunities instead of personal faults, we ensure improved skill levels. This approach improves competence, not only during the operation of critical equipment but also in many other situations. Human Performance Column in association with HUMAN PERFORMANCE
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