Part 3 Establishing a symbolic culture atmosphere between the company and fleet.

Chapter 14 

Multinational Fleet – Current Culture Deficiency– New shipping Culture Concept

Multinational crews is here to stay.

Multinational fleet is no news to western countries and it will be taken as normal situation happened in our industrial like 80% international company around the world. Philippine for example had provided the oversea seaman ever since 1987 and is the world’s main supplier of seamen, making it the manning capital of the world. According to the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines, around 229,000 Filipino seamen were on board merchant shipping vessels around the world at any given time. In another example: The Ship Crew list, of Costs Concordia, include 1023 members embarked. Persons belonging to 38 different nationalities were embarked on board; the most represented are (see Crew List Costa Concordia at Civitavecchia departure on 13 January 2012):

 Philippines, 294 persons;

 India, 202 persons

 Indonesia 169 persons

 Italy, 149 persons

Shipping industrial constantly work with multinational crews from countries, including those from Denmark, North America, South America, Europe and Asia, such as Japan, the United States, Panama, Liberia, Cyprus, Bahamas, Jamaica, Greece, Malta, Singapore, Norway and the Republic of Germany. It is common for developed countries fleet to employed developing countries’ crew to constitute their own fleet or Flag of Convenience (FOC) fleet. 

The difficulties encounter in ISM code is Culture Difference. 

Once in a while the FOC vessels were potential threats to maritime environment and safety. Now through the efforts of International Safety Management (ISM) Code effectives in 2010; the International Management standard for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention are in place. In the preamble of this code said: 

2.  The Assembly adopted resolution A.443(XI), by which it invited all Governments to take the necessary steps to safeguard the shipmaster in the proper discharge of his responsibilities with regard to maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment.

3   The Assembly also adopted resolution A.680(17), by which it further recognized the need for appropriate organization of management to enable it to respond to the need of those on board ships to achieve and maintain high standards of safety and environmental protection.

4   Recognizing that no two shipping companies or shipowners are the same, and that ships operate under a wide range of different conditions, the Code is based on general principles and objectives.

5   The Code is expressed in broad terms so that it can have a widespread application. Clearly, different levels of management, whether shore-based or at sea, will require varying levels of knowledge and awareness of the items outlined.

6   The cornerstone of good safety management is commitment from the top. In matters of safety and pollution prevention it is the commitment, competence, attitudes and motivation of individuals at all levels that determines the end result.

In the efforts to set up International Management standard, ISM code had identified there were different barrier have to cross over and overcome which it stipulated in it preamble showing it respect of the difference of Governments, organization of management, shipping companies or shipowners, different levels of management and individuals at all levels.

The objectives of ISM code to set up an international standard to Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention are complicated and immense due to differences mentioned above. However, one thing is for sure “ NO one want to breach the safety on board and cause any pollution”. The same objectives are achieved differently by each group and level. The difficulties encounter in ISM code is Long Term Memory inside different barrier group: the culture difference.    

New Choas created by ISM code.

Each group like each person has it own LT Memory (it habit, it intuition or it conscious, it subconscious, it unconscious). ISM CODE 4   DESIGNATED PERSON(S): To ensure the safe operation of each ship and to provide a link between the Company and those on board, every Company, as appropriate, should designate a person or persons ashore having direct access to the highest level of management. 

This is good for extra support to crews on board especially the parts of management commitment not only in their involvement in the operation monitoring but also the part requirement for ensuring that adequate resources and shore-based support are applied, as required. Eventually due to the professional knowledge needed in DP ashore, shipping company have to use real seaman to do this management work with direct access to the highest level of management. However this real seaman DP (mostly are Captain or Chief Engineer) have no management knowledge and the management consulting company have no marine background, they just borrow the management concepts of 6 Sigma system to ISM code. 6 sigma is a manufacturer management concept which lack of creativity and feasibility to new challenge. It is doomed to end in someday. The company which invented it is finished. But the bad influences borrowed from its concept are here to stay for a long time. Any management system changes will need a determinate management and a great deal of works to accomplish.         

ISM CODE 7   SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS

The Company should establish procedures, plans and instructions, including checklists as appropriate, for key shipboard operations concerning the safety of the personnel, ship and protection of the environment. The various tasks should be defined and assigned to qualified personnel.

Procedures, plans and instructions are a must-be to define a company attitude toward marine hazards in operation also to provide a comprehensive working guidelines to new comer. The first problem is over-reliance in paper back checklists. The basic morale of land base factory management is “Do what you said and said what you do” to avoid any uncertainty and misleading which is good for the robot man (or real man in uniform) in the production line who only do few assembly steps. It is not workable even in a clerical employer in office. Since ISO 9000 introduced to shipping company, what they actually do is “Do as you need and said only you need”. In another words, they just keep the documented Procedures, plans and instructions to the minimum in order to save the trouble of “non conformity” which means  “not enough supporting documents”. Inside each procedure, only those crucial steps are retained to keep it as short as possible. No matter how perfect your original working manual and procedural Manuel all have to give way to “Conformity” in minimum way.    

Back to the scene at sea, the consequences of Documentation and internal /external verification, review and auditing procedures really cause a big trouble to crew before MLC 2006 effective. “Safety management system means a structured and documented system enabling Company personnel to implement effectively the Company safety and environmental protection policy.” This definition sounds not so much trouble. Imaging that if we ask a Pole Vault athlete to do a paper check list before his jumping with pole in hand “How many check points have to click before he can take off to reach his highest record?. The check lists could be summarized as a book. It is just impossible to do it in check list. They can only rehearsal the jumping sequences in their mind and remind themselves with very few points ( not more than his conscious capacity 7 ± 2 points, probably only one or two key points he sensed earlier this day). For a golfer to perfect his swing, he has one hundred more points to be check. Once the job was done on board by double check of other colleagues, now it become one man’s job with a writing board clipped with check list and a pen. Why? Because our ship have safety management system maintained on board (over-reliance on papers).   Which one of these two ways is more effective to ensure the managing objectives?  Every one knows the double check manually is the correct procedure. How about double check after paper check? Then, we don’t need check list at all.   

The second problem is using paper back checklists at scene. It may be a normal scene for a car parking fair collector in the roadside to hold a writing board with tickets to sign. But it is not a common scene in a raining, snowing or windy seaside terminal while ship crew prepared his lashing working and wore all his personal safety protection equipments with greasing gloves in his hands to fill up his Departure Check List. Asking the auditors how many Departure Check Lists are seen dirty and greasy while they are auditing as seen these check lists taken out from their files cabinets. The truth is, beside the cruiser liner with double or triple crews complement on board, no OOW or deck hands use the departure check at scene. Imaging the scene of flight attendants in an airplane, did they have a checklist on hands? Even for the social worker to do the field investigation, extra paper work means extra man power at scene with clean hands and good weather. This simple truth cannot be seen by management consulting company, governments, organization of management, shipping companies or shipowners, different levels of management but all levels of crews on board.

The third problem is the time wasted to prepare paper back checklists in internal /external verification, review and auditing procedures. “ …seafarers use up to 20% of their time working on tasks they deem as administrative burdens…in shipowners’ … offices the figure was 9%” Danish Maritime Authority Report 2013, p.6  

Management By Walking Around: double check procedures

This is not to blame the ISM code had did it. Probably the root causes is the ship management company did not have their own management philosophy or structure but have to comply to the ISM code in short notice. The pain may be eased by more understandable or professional management review by DP. Otherwise the laboring will prevail in the industrials. In the near future it have no sign to cease as this tedious work are usually done by the junior officers they just accept it as normal procedure. The extra man power issues are solved by MLC 2006 requirement in work/rest hours. If these checklists are really checked on scene, it will be the perfect condition. If these checklists are done at office, it is also good to serve a paper reminder to the jobs have to be done like these OOW are at school. The management concept in shipboard should be “management by walking around”. The original good practice of the job was done on board by double check of other colleagues should be retained, even in a cargo freight vessel. The documentary compliance should be done by verifying “double check had done by another crew”. If somebody had done the double check he should sign on the check list to stipulate in what time. These double checks signature record should present to Captain or senior officer for their Endorsement. As to those items need to be check and by who before departure should be stipulated in shipboard operation procedures, plans and instructions. The checklist should limited to double check procedures to avoid unnecessary paperwork. Good management structure is necessary but it is also important that good management concept should be introduced.                         

Language of work on board

The language of work on board must be established by the Company manages the ship, according both with the Solas requirements contained in the Solas (em.99/00) – Chapter V – Regulation 14, and ISM Code paragraph 6.6.

Each crewmember must have suitable skill to understand the work language and, for some activities, to give orders and instructions, and consequently to answer using the language of work.

The language of work must assure an effective skill of communication suitable to:

1) to warrantee adequate performance of the crew in the actions related to the safety;

2) to receive the information related to the application of the SMS procedures.

The Company of Costa Concordia, drafting and endorsing the “Management Company System Manual” (MAN 01SMS – Annex- 15), has established, in the paragraph 5-5-3, that the language of work on board of its ships is the Italian language.

It is worth to anticipate that, according with the evidences found at the end of the present investigation, Costa Concordia resulted in full compliance with all the SOLAS applicable regulations, matching therefore all the related requirements once she left the Civitavecchia Port on the evening of the 13 January 2013.

In a multinational crew ship using Italian language may not be appropriate unless all crews have proper Italian language training. When communication workloads are low any language is OK. While in an emergency case or communication workload is high the working language should be more effective than just fluent in management level.    

Current Culture Deficiency.

Psychology study found all men need a mental structure beside the confirmation (stroke) and Motivation (stimulation). This mental structure is their Long Term Memory (culture) they are comfortable to live and work with. If anything goes different they get confuse, angry, upset or depressed. Culture is the group/organization LT memory. Any man inside a culture group wills surely influenced by their culture which is part of his LT memory to do things around him. In this book we mentioned the culture in beginning of chapter 4, 5 and 6 but saved it to the last, in part three here. It is because this is not a “one man job”. It needs all personal in a group to work together to achieve. Let’s take a look at the safety culture first.

"IMPLEMENTING An effective SAFETY CULTURE"

Published in June 2013 by International Chamber of Shipping

What is a Safety Culture?

1. Recognition that all accidents are preventable and only usually occur following unsafe actions or a failure to follow established procedures.

2. Management and personnel who think constantly about safety. An effective safety culture will support a shipboard environment that encourages and requires all on board to proactively considering their own and others’ safety. In this way individual seafarers assume responsibility for safety rather than relying on others to provide it. Through mutual respect, increasing confidence in the value of the safety culture results in a more effective Safety Management System.

3. Always setting targets for continuous improvement, with a goal of zero accidents and ISM Code non-conformities. There are perhaps three key components to developing an effective safety culture:

• Commitment from the top;

• Measuring current performance and behaviour; and

• Modifying behaviour. 

What is a Safety Culture?

It is important for everyone in the company, ashore and afloat, to have an understanding and appreciation of the concept of safety culture. For a safety culture to be truly effective, the company must encourage and motivate its personnel to make safety and environmental awareness their highest priorities.” Unquote. 

Safety First is the slogan we are used to see in working place. However it is only a subjective hope in management point of view: to save all the cost and trouble that an incident/accident could bring. Things won’t happen automatically by our wish. We have to approach this goal from humanity angle. Safety is never the top priority in our human nature like the example in chapter 13 while I wondered my response to the Charge order in my first year of marriage. By human nature, another requirement of stimulation had taken higher priority of safety too. We are willing to take extra risk to keep us much more alive in our daily life like speeding, sky diving. Imaging: how much youngster fight (especially in group fighting) for their friends (or girl friend) without considering their own safety. Management who think constantly about safety first is correct. For personnel who think constantly about safety first is not correct. It is against human nature. Nature forces is called forces majeure is irresistible by one man’s own power. To seek for safety of an organization have to call for higher hierarchy of human nature. We can compromise our or organizations safety for at least three reasons; sense of belonging, self esteem or self-actualization. 

Five New Shipping Culture Concept

Culture is an organization’s Long Term Memory. If the Culture on board is exactly what we want it will be the solution to all problems beside the professionalism (KUP Knowledge, understanding and proficiency regulated by other IMO modal courses). Men's mistake is always justified by the Culture for everybody does the same thing. Common Culture is no where to be find for all crews are coming from different originates. These culture differences had created a lot of problems in international shipping and our personal level discomfort like disappointment, embarrassment, failure, and loss. Seafarers and the industrial have to find something in common interest to establish the solid group for organizational safety and personal web of safety to guard on his career. 

We need five new culture concepts Empathy, Accountability, EQ (emotional management), Wisdom (intricate motivation) and Trust in guiding our personal success. Only one culture is needed in company management is the Trust between seafarers and his company in reporting policy.

Empathy: to Sense Others right.

Empathy is most often defined by the metaphors of 'standing in someone else's shoes' or 'seeing through someone else's eyes'. Just like the leadership have four basic aspects, the empathy have four aspects too; Self-Empathy inward, Mirrored Empathy outward, Imaginative Empathy downward and Empathic Arising, Creativity,  Action upward.  

Self-Empathy inward is to live in an awareness of our own well-being: 

l   Mindful sensory awareness of our own internal feelings, experiences and state.

l   Getting connected with our inner state. 

l   Becoming self aware of what is happening inside ourselves without judgments.

l   Translating our inner judgments into feelings and needs of others.

l   Having good friends listen to us helps feel into our own self more deeply.

To aware of our inner self (Self-Empathy) helps in our health. If we can aware our inner self we can calm it down with proper ways. The idea state is to keep everything blank. 

Mirrored Empathy outward is to cross others inner state to help them in some ways. 

l   Mirrored Empathy of others via mirror neurons is part of human nature - reflecting others in ourselves and ourselves being reflected by others.

l   Human have same neurons in our brain fire when we do an action and see the same action happening in someone else. 

l   The process in which a person or group influences the behavior of another person or group through the conscious or unconscious induction of emotional states and behavioral attitudes. (Schoenewolf 49-61).

l   Empathic (active) listening and physical mirroring exercises can help foster our empathy toward others.

Mirrored Empathy is part of animal’s nature. We cannot help ourself feeling bad if we seeing something are sad. It is common to see in US western movies when the gunman kills his horse for broken legs with one shot or a lady to cry before a movie scene. Men are getting more emotional while aging. Once something is irrelevant now may become unbearable. Chinese say sailing days are more the guts are less. In other words we need more emotional support than we are young in our career.

Imaginative Empathy downward is to replace our feeling with their (our subordinates).    

l   Young man cannot take extra pressure for not knowing what to do.

l   Young man can only look around all essential information without doing anything.

l   Young man can only wait for your orders without any judgment of its correctness.

l   We can imagine being someone else or imagine being another person and take on the role of that.

Imaginative Empathy downward is to retreat to our early days to do some help to Young man. Why we have to do this is we might need their help one day (remember we could slip or lapse one day) or the good tradition will surely pass onto next generation to start the Virtuous Cycle for behaviour mirrored is human nature.  

Empathic Action upward is the willingness we want to help to our superiors.   

l   Once empathy connection is created, we want to take safety action together.

l   There's a quality in this action which is very connected and has a deep resonance.

l   It's responding in an appropriate way to the other by holding their needs, values, feelings, (common humanity) etc. in mind in the action process.

l   Empathic action upward may be blocked until an adequate level of self, mirrored and imaginative empathy are in place. 

l   Always looking for creative ways to resolve conflict.

Empathic action upward is the best reward a leader can received by which we can count on other’s active response to any neglect, worry, suspect of ours. 

Empathy: what you don’t like should not do it to others, said by Confucius (only by this concept of empathy along, Confucius becomes the greatest educator in China history). In other wards, what we want every body will do it for me.If we have come to this stage of life it is hard to say we can have any enemy ever and no body will challenge your leadership. 

Empathy is more like the emotional resonance with our colleagues which is the first step of effective communication. It is also the basic virtue of human to take care of each other. We feel the same pain as we see others suffering as long as we seeing them as human, not as animal or object. It is our emotional urge inside our nature. There is no way to pretend it they knows it by heart. You have empathy or not is not just by your talking.

Accountability: to Do the Thing Right.

Accountability is often used as an umbrella term to describe a broad field of responsibility and practice. The use of more narrow terms to express a specific interest is thus not uncommon, even in computer programming has accountability. Although it is widely mentioned, the meaning of it is still hard to explain in western culture. Traditionally, leaders and other power elites have not seen themselves accountable as individuals. They were either above the law, as sovereign -- "the King can do no wrong" -- or they had immunity just because they were leaders. Alternatively, they were considered mere representatives of a state or organization which, it was believed carried the responsibility for any wrongdoings. This is obvious wrong in today’s environment and no one is dared to claim it righteousness in this way. What is accountability?  The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner. (quoted from http://www.businessdictionary.com) This definition had contained three aspects; 1.account for its activities, 2. accept responsibility for them, and 3. to disclose the results in a transparent manner.

Accountability is to do the right thing in the right time. To do the right thing; so, we can face the whole world without hesitation. To do it in the right time; is a broader term to express we are doing in exactly what others had expected from us, or else we can say in the right place and right persons……. Imaging one man always do it right what self image he will be. Well, this is his image. Guan Yu is one of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia, Guan's true life stories have largely given way to fictionalize ones or passed down the generations, in which his deeds and moral qualities have been lionized. Guan is respected as an epitome of loyalty and righteousness. He is one of the most well-known military generals worshipped by the Chinese people. Guan Yu, as a god, does not necessarily bless those who go to battle but rather, people who observe the code of brotherhood and righteousness.

Today, Guan Yu is still widely worshipped by the Chinese, with many shrines to him are found in homes or businesses. In Hong Kong, a shrine for Guan is located in each police station. Though by no means mandatory, most Chinese policemen worship and pay respect to him. Although seemingly ironic, members of the Mafia worship Guan as well. The motto of Guan Yu are:“I collapse after Sky collapsed, I dismantle after Earth dismantled, keep my promise and do right thing, favor and hate I shall repay, even subtle and unknown I will not disgrace myself”.  

If we follow the same aspects of leadership four wayward; there will be inner personnel accountability, outward department accountability, downward subordinate accountability and upward leader accountability. 

Inner Personal Accountability: Working for Your Inner Boss.

l   define the values that drive personal accountability.

l   demonstrate characteristics of personal accountability.

l   identify benefits of practicing personal accountability at work.

l   Set steps for validating an accountability plan.

Our personality has many traits which is unknown to us due to our conscious limited capacity of magical 7. Our personal traits become part of our subconscious to support our daily activities. Everybody has his own evaluation of everything (including the merit of each virtue) in the world beforehand. When things happened we will response without any hesitation and take it as granted. This is our inner accountability that has set a potential value for everything but unknown to us. It’s our responsibility to find it out and fine tuned with social norms to be a more responsible man,

We are educated man the society had taught us one set of social norms in our native country. On board ship is a team work environment which is different from our collage and social life, but similar to military service where they will ask you to sacrifice for the country or your colleagues. Self sacrifice or the dedication to the work is nothing taught before high school. We know the concept and how it is working, but not me. When the time comes, the problem is “do you willing to follow the social norms they requested to obey safety first rule?” or “you want do it in your own way with calculated risk?”. Our inner boss is our “Adult” personality which acts according to mere facts and findings. We also have the macho side to act as our guts told us “Yes or No”and our “Child” side to avoid the responsibility laid before us. It is easy to cheat the whole world but impossible to cheat ourself. It is the most difficult parts in our personal growth to give up our own valuation to accept the social norms. It’s also called “integrity” in an organization or “righteousness” before the God in religion terms.           

Outward Department Accountability: working with other departments.

l   opportunities for questions, comments and critique among different apartment 

l   discursive activity that supports knowledge production and exchange

l   facilitate public recognition of organizations safety standards

“outward’ accountability – defined as the process of being called to account for one’s actions, responding to external scrutiny, and assuming public responsibility (Mulgan, 2000). 

This is the part we want to cheat the whole world for our own benefits. Any one can see cheating is not an easy job. So the best policy is honest. The energy saved can be used to promote our professionalism through something we did not familiar but essential to whole ship’s operation through open questions, comments and critique.

Downward subordinate accountability: working with our subordinates, if he can

l   monitoring performances and rewarding successful outcomes.

l   manager shares same success with his subordinates as well. If he cannot.

l   time spent in initial training can save much more time in the long run.

l   provide appropriate training so they can do their duties, in both case

l   manager become more valuable as the teams become more productive and talented

To do the right things for your subordinates even they come from other country and race is the right thing to do. When you help them they will help you as well. This is also the right thing for them to do. Accountability is not complicated and easy to follow.  

Upward leader accountability: working with our boss

l   account for its activities, 

l   accept responsibility for them,

l   disclose the results in a transparent manner.

Upward accountability' to senior managers, organizations and company is the most traditional concept. Or in another phrase “"A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct". This is concept is most frequently discussed in NGO (Non Government Organization) development project as NGO did not have a boss to monitor them. It is also the same for multinational crew who can always find his job through different manning agencies especially in crew shortage era like now. Who is his boss?  What can we do? 

If we think in this way, the culture difference is actually now and then and everywhere. Like in FIFA 2014, GB had four founding teams in the competition. And China has 13 billions of people in hundreds of dialects, how came these people won't fight each other. Yes, they did fighting each other all the times. How can these people have their social identity with their country without compromising their own differences in the district and dialect? It is the sense of belonging greater than the sense of themselves creates the accountability to their people. 

Accountability must be embedded in the culture at all levels and influence the way the organization is governed and managed, forms relationships and engages each other. Most organizations exhibit some, but not all, of the Critical Success Factors of Accountability. Within each factor or wedge of the wheel, there are a number of levels reflecting an organization’s evolution from basic to more complex cultures of accountability. 

l   At the two lowest levels, accountability is seen merely as an obligation that must be met. This is reactive stage: doing by other’s request as an obligation.

l   As accountability becomes more deeply embedded in the culture, there is the recognition that the policies and processes must not only be in place, but there must be evidence that they are being effectively used and lead to clear accountability outcomes. This is the proactive stage: doing in ones own will as a responsibility.

l   When accountability is fully embedded in the culture, it results in a transformation of the organization. This is an automatic stage: doing without second thought as a habit.

The desire to keep our accountability must come from our “consistency”, not “cause and effect”. If we ask for the accountability by punishment policy, it is powerless for people are likely to take the calculated risk to save their efforts and time. People can take the blame for his own actions. If the actions they took will endanger to his fellow amigo he will surely think it over before action. The risks of social crisis take more weight than his suffering of punishment.  

"Consistency also helps us avoid unpleasant emotions. It helps us stick to what we know and avoid the chance of disappointment, embarrassment, failure, and loss. Moreover, people are not only driven to "be" consistent, but are also driven to "appear to be" consistent. That's because, socially, consistency is a desirable personal trait. It is seen as rational, trustworthy, stable, and decisive. Inconsistency, on the other hand, is usually frowned upon. It is seen as irrational, deceptive, unstable, and indecisive. Think about the people you most admire. Aren't most of them remarkably "consistent" in their actions and beliefs? Don't they seem incredibly decisive and sure?" We all want to be a hero in some way. The concept of consistency makes us look like a hero no matter how small contribution we can offer to others. This is the reason why Guan Yu was so widely worship in all the generations onward. The man with consistency who always does the right thing is a hero to us. For we as a human always fail before the temptations and we do need the social bond like the brotherhood where we can turn to in times of trouble to get the help in time. Accountability is the brotherhood to help each other in reaching almost any goal including safety concerns.

Accountability is our rational urge to do the right thing. Usually there will come with a choice whether to be good or to be bad. There also come the ruler inside our consciousness does it worth or not. For the brotherhood sake, I will sacrifice my own interest to fulfill the mission they trusted upon me. I am doing so is for keeping my back straight as proud as I can be, not to disgrace my ancestor or my family. The honor of accountability is my goal.

Temperance : to Hold the Feeling Right.

is believed that no virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire. Temperance is generally defined by control over excess, such as abstinence, chastity, modesty, humility, prudence, self-regulation, forgiveness and mercy; each of these involves restraining some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or anger. 

Now we have to distinguish the difference of feeling and emotion. Feelings are with more impulsive desire and more shorted period than emotion. And we always in the urge to do something about it like hungry, sleepy or angry. Anything we feel like to do is our feeling, it include our basic survival need and some strong emotions.   

As discussed in Chapter 11, “Our emotion (subconscious feeling) will decide whether our life; our relationship with others, and work performance are good or bad by ourself. General speaking, the one has more emotion reactions control will have more achievements in his life. Sometimes our emotion reactions control is called our Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) which is the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotion reactions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

Our emotional intelligence is like our emotional state fluctuated all the times. A man with good EQ may still do some foolish things sometime. If we cannot manage our emotion reactions all our talents in intellectual and emotional intelligence could be wasted. This is called emotional management. This is of great importance that we understand our emotions are nature but the reactions we assigned to each emotion are our life time habits. Emotions are by Mother Nature and emotional reactions are by us.”

Emotional management seems like very personal thing but it is not true. Emotions are like deep sea (deep subconscious) everybody is soaked inside it without notice. For example, if we have a good mood it is easy to get others to feel the same, if we are feeling sad others will just keep silence for avoid disturbing to you. In a good mood, the complacency set in: a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc. How to avoid the complacency that inevitably accompanies success and how to use knowledge to reduce the risks that complacency brings with it? The issue of complacency is epidemic in all large organizations. Because the root causes of complacency lie deep in the human psyche, there is no known cure. Feeling of pleasure or security killed us.

Imaging the scene of Costa Concortia while ship is grounding and severe list to starboard side everything seems fallen apart. The senses of fear swallow everybody on bridge together with the scream heard from time to time. This is the time you have to control your emotions of fear.

Another example is the situation awareness. Situation awareness is nothing but a sense of danger feels inside to urge us to do the right thing. When we feel good the sense of danger loosed. Emotion has the penetration power to pass from the past to today. Only by remember the happiness you had with your wife before is enough for you to endure or to loose something more today. The sense of fear last month can have your intuition to choose other way around even against the procedures and SOP. The bad feeling (your subconscious objection to your decision) is also important to our decision process to double check what we had done or about to do immediately. The feeling of strange is our brain try to work out something in our subconscious. Hold the feeling right is the key to continuous success.  

It is nature for human to have the feeling like we have emotion, but it take lots of strength to restrain our nature impulse. The impulse can be very powerful to overwhelm our rational mind. There will be some rituals made out by the wisdom man (saints) to restrain and mitigate the Nature desire. These rituals are mostly found in each religion we are baptized. Those man have the negative feeling should seek for his own cue through the religion he is in even the ritual he did is by calling his God’s name will help a lot. The ritual in any way should keep it simple and can be recurrence as many as possible for the feeling comes like the tornadoes. The cue must be immediate and effective at once.