Chapter 3

What we hear – the world we share

Most effective way of communication is asking. Most precious resource is culture.

The world we know is based on our brain’s memories structure. Every man comes from different backgrounds and cultures in the world. Two people meet in a circumstance and one man has some favor to ask from the other he will need the skill of communication. The purpose of communication is asking the service we need from others and we have to exchange information first to coordinate the step we will begin from. Shipboard is a team work, we seaman will need the communication skill to coordinate others to achieve the safety of operation. 

What is Communication? 

To exchange of knowledge, skill, intuition, culture, emotion; such as relay information through voice, vision, signals, writing or behavior. This defined the behavior of exchange some kind of information (environmental information in conscious level), something you know (ST memory and attention), something you think you know(LT context memory), something you should know(LT procedural memory); just like the way we sense the world in conscious and subconscious level. But something in our unconscious like emotion and intuition are very hard to communicate while we may have the intention but not knowing how. This is the real problem in communication, knowledge, skill, intuition, culture, emotion all consist part of us which we have no way to make it clear to other. People sometimes don’t even know himself of his own emotion and intuition. How can people explain to others what he is doing and why he is doing like that in his unconscious level? We have to check other’s reaction to make sure we had the desired effect in our communication with them. So, 

What is effective communication? 

People do not communicate with each other by passing their own way of thinking and doing alone. Instead, people communicate by, what they can expect (environment or ST memory, conscious) and what they can understand (rules/regulation or LT memory, subconscious) and what they can accept (culture or emotional, unconscious), receiving the message coming from others, to construct their own understanding of the context of others and willingly to response to sender’s request. Instead of just sending it out, it includes a positive receiving process too. If the receiver is not doing things to response the request of sender it is not an effective communication. Communication should be two ways reciprocate process. 

For humans, the concept of signal and noise is relative, not absolute: What is the signal for one person might be just noise to others? Each communicator use other’s signals to build, test and predict other's intentions in his brain. In fact, everyone is telling his own stories (search meaning in his own structure), he may not have listened to understand (not paying attention to new information), not linked with his LT memory reasonably (cannot get the context in other’s expression) and emotionally expel the true meaning of others (cannot agree on his unconscious level). The signal received has to suit the context of his own and do correct response as needed by sender to form a complete communication cycle. Human communication is to influence others in their receiving process, to create correct thoughts and actions to response to sender's purpose. It is a dynamic process of two ways, not just sending out massage by some means.

What is needed for effective communication? As above drawing.

Communication restrain by our mental ability of Magical 7: making written memo.

Communication is one of human activities; it also restrain by our mental limitation of Magical 7 as we see the world. We have to raise the receiver’s attention or motivate him first then give the massages in each expression we made for him to appraise, to rationalize, to decide and to remember. From the moment he perceived, the mental process also began to make sense of the context needed in his ST, LT and working memory. The process is so complicated that we mentally can handle only one massage in each statement we heard or received. That’s why we need simple sentence for crucial statement to be correctly understood. Everybody knows the effective communication is important, but the most basic limitation of 7 has not been respected. Even every point we made make sense to him in all memories, he still will face some difficulties about the points over magical 7. Listening along will not be enough, he will need to record those massage over his ST memory capacity each one by one. It also needs some kind of design to ease the anxiety of the receiver by sender. Making notes of the verbal communication seems a good idea for a cadet. Don’t over confidence about our self, we are human after all. We have to realize that any person we want to communicate is an iceberg before us with unfathomable subconscious depth and uncontrollable unconscious emotional tide carrying both of us.  

What need to communicate?  Knowledge, skill, culture, emotion, intuition

Knowledge, skill, culture, emotion, intuitive; these five elements actually make whole aspect of human factors of any one of us. You don’t want any part of you been neglected. So the communication proceeded have to cover all these aspects. It is effective time period we needed decide what kind of communication skill we should conduct.

l   Knowledge is something we know but stored in ST memory only, mostly is some kind of environmental information like weather, traffic and peoples…..etc. If we want the receiver to response correctly to current environment; knowledge base instructions is enough. No need to make extra efforts to communicate. Like we called a taxi in street and tell driver the address we want to go. After arrival we pay the taxi fare and forget about the taxi. This is small things in our daily life which we need to give knowledge based communication only. This knowledge base communication could be done by verbal. However, verbal communication is no an easy task either as it will have to respect the mental imitations inherited in each person as last paragraph stated. Like we have to have language abilities in verbal communication to speak something to other, the language we used is LT memory of both parties while the information we passed is our ST memory. How we keep verbal communication simple and follow the most effective way (culture and intuition) is vital in its success. The amount of information can also affect our communication process. Any amount of information communicated over our ST memory capacity is a learning process, not communication. 

l   Skill is something in our LT memory which we can do it without think over twice; is something we feel comfortable (or safe should we say in terms of management) while doing. We know LT memory can only be established after two months and verify its correctness many times after. Owing to our limited ST memory capacity, our skill like anything else in our LT memory has to subside to our subconscious. To communicate our skill with others, we will have to retreat it from our LT memory in our subconscious which consist of two parts, context memory and procedural memory. The communication problem of our skill is normalization which means we had done it so many times that we already forgot how to describe itto new comer both in context memory and procedural memory. Something is out of question to a skilled person may become a big problem to others. If context LT memories are too much to communicate by verbal only we will have to take the form of writing to facilitate frequent reference in later stage. Procedural memory related skill is the most difficult part to retreat if it concern of long times practicing, like a golfer lost his correct swing will be hard to recovery.  Those procedural LT memories too complicated to repeat it all again at the scene will have to learn by repeat practicing and correct its results by continuous small adjustments. 

l   

l   The culture have to communicate is because people come from different nation have culture difference to overcome. The culture is our group LT memory. We can rationalize our own LT memory/skill by our self and correct it for proper reason. But it will be very very hard to change our own culture due to it is group subconscious. Even a very evident mistake or things against basic human believe/right before the face of culture will seems as nature as it should be. Group subconscious is even blinder to the truth and could be easily manipulated and more binding to the subjects in it as the history had told us about the Adolf Hitler suing the group subconscious to built his Nazi empire which involved millions innocent kill. People just get used to the culture they had without any reasonable challenge made. The communication of culture usually comes from the request from an outsider who try to understand their practice of living. The culture may serve as two side blade which can use to our advantage or as to our handicap owing to his nature is Group Subconscious. The culture difference may show in our attitude toward power distance, sex, age and educational differences. If the group is a nation or a tribe it would very hard to change its culture for everyone is living inside the culture. No one will change his own people’s culture unless some kind of crisis is near or people are suffering from the culture they had. The pain is the motivation of culture change. It is also true in maritime industrial. We had suffered too much loss due to Human Element so we want to change the culture of shipboard operation so as to avoid any future loss we will suffer.   

l   The Emotion of us is not hard to communicate if we get along with our friends or relatives who we feel comfortable with. But the emotion or feeling comes from our unconscious will be a big problem to communicate with a foreigner who we feel some kind of strange feeling in us. The emotional feeling is the green or red light for communication or action. Any communication want to be success must choose the right moment and right person to do the right things. Anything to spoil the feeling will waste the communication efforts. If our spirit is high communication will be no problem at all and everything is OK. If our spirit is low we will more reluctant to take the action as we are requested. The strange feeling of a foreigner is actually an unconscious signal to us for the possible communication problem in our power distance, sex, age and educational differences. These differences in power distance and social restrictions will cause some emotional trouble. Sometimes people don’t care what you think or feel if their emotional reaction is strong. For an inexperienced OOW the emotional trouble is hard to say was caused by knowledge based mistake or ignorance. The actual cause of refusal emotion reaction may cause by his lack of necessary communication skills. This kind of emotional trouble could be solved by proper training but need some times to complete. Most of the time the training/learning process is slow especially involve with human interactions. The inexperienced OOW will suffer emotional trouble in his/her early days on board before he/she acquire necessary skill to communicate with his/her superiors. The culture difference in human interaction could also play an important part in this learning and training process. Like the pain is the motive to culture change, emotional trouble is the motive to learn. Any bad feeling or emotion comes along will be a propelling power to move us ahead. We have to take emotional problem as an internal motivation force to improve ourself rather than just forget about it.

l   The intuition is almost impossible to communicate. However it is the deepest memory/root of human behavior and thoughts. We have to look at the impact it has caused in our way of communication. The intuition is the communication channel from our subconscious/unconscious to us. The intuition cannot tell what is right or wrong one by one like our conscious slow work. It just give us a feeling immediately about the things we are doing “Does it make me feel good (comfortable, safe or easy)?”. The feeling is so compelling that is very effective but impossible to explain. Most of the times it is working without noticed by our conscious. We did not feel any desire or requirement to communicate to others. Even the time is no rush we are still opting to do things by instinct. The same instinct already leads our life for many years since we are a baby. There is no way we would doubt our next step on the ground will cause a fall once we grow up. We take each step ahead with quite confident for this is our instinct leading us in the walking. We do almost everything with our instinct like eating, breathing, drinking, swimming…..etc. It is also possible we will do our shipboard operation out of instinct without thinking or surfacing on our conscious level. It is by the nature of instinct we face the communication problem so we need the briefing techniques to stipulate all necessary steps to ensure our requirements are met.      

In summary, Knowledge, skill, culture, emotion, and intuition all caused different communication problems. Knowledge communications need better verbal techniques. Skill communications need actual practicing or written techniques. Culture communications need our abilities to investigate the culture difference. Emotion communications have to overcome any negative impact in our efforts (or EQ, discussed in later chapter). Intuition is invisible to communicate so ample time must be allowed to eliminate possible misunderstanding by briefing.   

Communication verbal techniques: Rightful statement

Rightful statement is not always saying well of others, but always saying what we want and what we thought. Effective communication is two way. The most important thing is to open our self to let receiving party to response our requirement. Like the case study below:  

Case Study: Fatal collision in the Belfast VTS 

1. At 1854, the master of Union Moon (who are under the alcoholic influence) called Belfast VTS and reported that his vessel was passing the fairway buoy outbound 

2. At 1856 Belfast VTS called Union Moon to inform the master that Stena Feronia was the inbound vessel approaching his position and to ask him to confirm that he would ‘see this vessel red to red’ 

3. At 1856.03 “Union Moon” Master reply “ I see”.

4. At 1856.10 Belfast VTS ask UM Master “ You say you just altered your course to port over ?”

5. At 1856.29 Belfast VTS told UM Master “you are standing into danger with Stena Feronia,”

In this case, we can see Belfast VTS officer had done his job diligently but not communicate correctly. If Belfast VTS office had done rightful statement as below, it would be better for M.V. “Union Moon” to understand the real danger and what VTS expect him to comply. The point of rightful statement is saying what is “I want or I think ….” instead of “You should or you need ….”. 

1855.55 VTS : “Can you confirm Sir you will see this vessel red to red over ?”  

=>“ Can you confirm you will keep this vessel to your port side?” 

(Possible reply from a drunker : I will keep this vessel to my portside.)

=>” Please keep this vessel to your port side.” 

  “( Now it is a command of VTS saying what he want, no more confirmation exchanged.)

(Possible reply: I will keep this vessel to my portside.)

1856.10 VTS : “ Sir, can you confirm sir again please sir you say you just alter course to port is that correct?” 

=> “ Sir, please confirm you don’t altered course to port?” (this is the VTS need the UM to comply)

(Possible reply: No. I confirm I will not alter course to portside. )

=>” Sir, Please don’t alter course to portside.”.

(Possible reply: No. I will not alter course to portside. )

1856.29 VTS “ Yes sir. This will stand you into danger with the Stena Feronia. You are standing into danger with Stena Feronia.”

=> “ NO sir. Please don’t alter course to portside. You are in collision danger with another vessel.”

(While UM doing wrong thing, VTS should not say anything Yes. 

Stena Feronia may means nothing to the ears of Union Moon.)      

1856.29  VTS “ She is bound to North side of fairway buoy, over.”

=> “ Another vessel is at portside of your ship.”  (point out the danger side to Union Moon)

=>ON SF bridge third mate saying “she’s altering” 

(third mate might noticed the side kick effect of UM while turning)

1856.43 UM : “ I see”. 

(Within one minute so much information had exchanged but no conclusion is reached. 

UM had promised nothing and no actions to take to avoid the danger situation verbally 

UM continue his turning since 1856.29 to 1856.43 while communicate with VTS. )

( VTS just give up and try in another vessel.) 

1856.47 VTS : “ Stena Feronia – Befast Harbour Radio over” 

=> “ M.V. Stena Feronia – Befast Harbour Radio Collision risk is imminent over” 

(Add Motor vessel can remind UM another vessel is around.)

to SF : danger is imminent. SF had over heard in VHF of the conversation with UM. UM had altered course to portside and VTS only said you will stand into danger with SF. No time for courtesy now.

ð third mate said UM is altering course very slowly. (This might be a misleading to PEC holder.)

ð for Any course altering always started slowly due to initial turning stage. 

ð If the third mate might have noticed side kick effect of turning in 1856.29, but no sure which way is turning by eyes. The verbal communication confirmed the turning is to portside of UM.

1856.50 SF : “Harbour radio – Stena Feronia ” 

=> “Harbour radio –Motor Vessel Stena Feronia”

SF lost his concentration in communication in verifying the movement and collision risk of UM.

(still the reply should always include the title of “Motor Vessel”. This is a reminder to all parties: you are talking to a Vessel.)

From the accident report of MAIB No. 26/2012 : Recommendations are made as below :

On receiving confirmation from Union Moon’s master that he was altering course to port, a warning message that followed the VTS Manual’s instructions would have been more effective in conveying the urgency of the situation, for example:

‘Union Moon, this is Belfast Port Control.

WARNING – from my equipment you are standing into danger with Stena Feronia

ADVICE – take immediate action.

Over’

The urgency of the situation could have been reinforced by quickly following up with a message directed to Stena Feronia such as:

‘Stena Feronia, this is Belfast Port Control.

WARNING – from my equipment Union Moon is altering course to port and you are standing into danger of collision.

ADVICE – take immediate action.

Over.’

Warning messages given in this short, sharp format achieve three things:

• They immediately gain the attention of those involved and anyone else keeping a listening watch on that VHF radio channel.

• They encourage the recipients of the message to take prompt action, rather than engage in lengthy VHF radio conversations.

• They decrease the likelihood of a misunderstanding arising through use of language.

 “Say what you want, not what others should….” is the motto in rightful statement which not only true to VTS but the same to all kinds of verbal communication due to the very limited human ST memory capacity and other things are competing our concentration in communication including the fatigue. The official recommendations are good but

‘Union Moon, this is Belfast Port Control.1

WARNING2 – from my equipment3 you are standing into danger4 with Stena Feronia5

ADVICE6 – take immediate action78.

Over’

had occupied PEC holder ST memory capacity (with 7 chunks only) to hold his ground. How can PEC holder add his massage into his memory when he have other things to do (take care of rudder, speed, heading, relative bearing of target, bearing change with collision risk……) over this situation to?

Change the way of verbal communication is not easy as this is a culture issues. In some cultures, they want to inspire his people/decedents to do something by asking question always. In another cultures, they just give the opposite statement with disgust tone while his real intention is in the tone, not the words he gives. For example: when a child is beside a steep slop, an Israel would say “ My dear, what will happen to you if you fell over the slop?.  A Chinese might say “ Hey you, you should step more close to the slope to see what will happen to you” with resent sound. It is the sound you should notice for a Chinese child, not the words (the words is a trap). While the rightful statement should be” Don’t step over the steep slope“.

“What I want” is our intuition. We modified our way of expression (rightful, questioning or negative) by the culture cultivated. Shipping is an international business; with some training we should be business like to use the rightful statement style. 

Communication written techniques: Standard Operation Procedure (SOP)

Any knowledge can passed down generation to generation without been manipulated by any purpose are written down on the papers. The hand writing itself represents an unmistakable identification to a special personality and generation. If it is for the purpose to communicate our skill, everything is on the papers will serve good to our intention. 

If something we have can help someone with limited experience or knowledge of the skill, but with a basic understanding, can successfully reproduce the results we want when unsupervised, this must be Standard Operation Procedures (SOP). SOP serves the same purpose as we need in skill communication: no mistake, no ambiguous, step by step, anyone can do the same thing as required, anyone can correctly apply the SOP can master the skill. SOPs describe both technical and fundamental operational elements in reasonable work sequences. SOP is a set of written instructions that document a regularly recurring work processes followed by organization’s standard.

Benefits of SOP

SOPs minimizes variation and promotes quality even if there are temporary or permanent personnel changes in OOW/EOOW through written procedures in bridge/engine room operations like the standing orders and night order issued by the master/chief engineer. SOPs should also help your crew to use supporting operational systems e.g. incident reporting or hazard identification….. etc. The shipping company should have a procedure in place for determining what procedures or processes need to be documented as SOP. For skilled key staff on board would regard the common risk involved in daily operation as part of working skill or professionalism required for each position while the crew only have limited experience or knowledge. 

SOPs are created by applying your operational practice to your daily actual activities and tasks without compromising the safety standard e.g. cargo/watertight door…. securing management.

It is in no way shore based management can fully recognize the risks involve in daily operations at scene. If the SOP is prepared by shore based management to save extra workload of shipboard management, the draft of SOP should nevertheless be reviewed by senior shipboard personnel for their comments first. The senior shipboard personnel are not necessary the key staffs on board, it should the personal practicing the procedures daily whose life in danger in the operation they conducted. SOP should be wrote by the crew and for the crew; regardless his rank. 

To overcome the culture difference of multinational crew this days, the language used in SOP should clearly differentiate non-negotiable “must-do” procedures from those where management permit greater degrees of judgment and initiative。Writing Styles of SOP should be in a concise, step-by-step, easy-to-read format. SOPs will often take the form of staff handbooks or manuals and may include checklists and forms. Staff will often take SOPs documents with them into the field. 

Company driven SOP for safety management have following requirements:

1. 1.     meet quality management system: The finalized SOPs should be approved as described in the company’s Quality Management system.
2. 2.     SOPs need to keep update in each new situation. Whenever a major incident or noticeable near miss which will cause serious injury or cost involved, SOP should be reviewed to cope with current situation.
3. 3.     SOPs should be also systematically reviewed on a periodic basis, e.g. every 1-2 years, to ensure remain current and appropriate, or to determine whether the SOPs are even needed.

Document Control

Each organization should develop a numbering system to systematically identify and label their SOPs. The structure of Procedure System and the sum of all SOPs should be considered carefully. Too many SOP could lead to a breakdown of the SOP System and introduce the violation in shipboard operation through “calculated risk” (to save time or to work with more efficiency). 

There are many industrials relying on SOP heavily since the beginning (like aviation, military, scientific research, medical,…….) and only recently the maritime industrial had adopted its practice and had accepted its requirement by IMO and other maritime nationals for shipping is an ancient industrial over many centuries. The most known and first one is “Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan” (SOPEP in MARPOL 73/78) requirement to cover the risk of marine pollution suffered in various countries and vast area affected by oil slick. This tide soon charged by the introduction of ISM 1995: safety management system aimed to create safety culture to eliminate the accidents and reduced the loss of time. Critical shipboard operation is defined in ISM code needs shipping industrial to set up SOP to handle. Some operations need by-products of SOP: Check List to double check it efficiency. 

“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. “

ISM code 8.1

The Company should establish procedures to identify, describe and respond to potential emergency shipboard situations.

ISM code 9.2

The Company should establish procedures for the implementation of corrective action. 

ISM code 10.3 

The Company should establish procedures in its SMS to identify equipment and technical systems the sudden operational failure of which may result in hazardous situations. The SMS should provide for specific measures aimed at promoting the reliability of such equipment or systems. These measures should include the regular testing of stand-by arrangements and equipment or technical systems that are not in continuous use. 

But one point is missing in this process in seeking safe culture on board “who should do the double check work on board once ISM code requirement of various SOPs are in place?”. The crew at the work would never be the appropriate one to overlook his own work ( or mistake: what we expect from him is he can find out his own mistake by check list) while crew is the one who had the initiative to sacrifice the safety for efficiency to save his own work time. We now give crew a checklist to slow down his own pace to achieve the safety propose. This is against basic human nature if he is already work bounded (not enough food, sleep, rest…... for no rest time available). New SOP with new check list further deprives his resting time. In the way of lift the safety culture, shipboard personal also have to lift with soaring paper works to be finished to comply with the procedures. The ISM system did not recognize that every check list actually you will need a manager to check items by items not just assigning an extra work to crew to do while he is doing the job at hand and have to take a pen in another hand to click the check list (one more hand to hold the paper). Without extra manpower in place, no crew is willing to believe ISM code will lift our safety culture awareness. It only invites the violation of the SOP and paralyzes the will of a good seaman to be always honest. The situation is rectified by Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 convention by ILO, not IMO.     

In human factor, we must consider the real impact to shipboard personal in seeking safety policy implantation. ISM code aimed to cultivate the safety culture but in the path to it’s fully implantation is difficult to current seaman with endless paper works and unfamiliarity of new SOPs requirement.  From IMO :

“Effective implementation of the ISM Code should lead to a move away from a culture of "unthinking" compliance with external rules towards a culture of "thinking" self-regulation of safety - the development of a 'safety culture'. The safety culture involves moving to a culture of self regulation, with every individual - from the top to the bottom - feeling responsible for actions taken to improve safety and performance. Application of the ISM Code should support and encourage the development of a safety culture in shipping.”

Effective Communications in Culture Difference

We have explained culture difference in their way of express themselves in verbal communication paragraph. All countries have different languages and to have a better understanding of different culture it is required to have knowledge of languages of different countries. One crew might want to get his purpose by expressing his desire with rightful, questioning or negative statement as his own culture. It is impossible to know all crews languages in today multi nation ship personal environment. We should encourage the use of rightful statement in shipping industrial. 

Cultural differences can sometimes mean some signals are missed by non verbal gesture. In October 1970 Chairman Mao invited an American author and journalist to stand next to him atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace to show the reconciliation with America. While this gesture seems obscure to American diplomats, and hence they did not respond to it, but the symbolism was clear to the Chinese people. Atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace beside National Chairman Mao means this man is in same level with Mao. 

Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior which affect verbal and nonverbal communication. The Power Inequality of each culture will affect their way of thinking, speaking, listening, seeing and interpreting with others. Whether one says what he want openly or talks around the issue; whether one looks other person in the eye pretend listening and just thinking things of his own-or the one stand close to each other but don’t believe what other saying-or he who reply swiftly yes, yes…actually have no idea of what you are talking…., all of these and many more are rules of politeness in their culture.  

Each culture has its own temperance about their response to the Individualism, Uncertainty, Masculinity…..etc,. Whether one willingly sacrifice his own interest to cooperate with you; whether one looks for more support from other then his own efforts to do the job-or the one can stand alone the suffering once anything goes wrong and need more dedication to the work…., all of these and many more are group temperance in their culture.

Like we cannot always learn other’s language, we cannot understand other’s culture fully. Each man before us is like an iceberg with unfathomable subconscious depth and uncontrollable unconscious emotional tide. What we can do to detect the culture difference is like doing scientific research by proper sequences. Like last chapter described man are living mostly by his own imagination and interpretation of the world. If we try to understand one crew we will have to see through his environments, his binding rules/regulation, his role definition, his relationship with others, his core believe in himself, his feeling about the world. We would probably say we cannot understand ourself correctly how can we understand others. To overcome the obstacles of culture differenc we have to ask every possible aspect as throughout as possible. If we can find proper question in each layer to break through each layer everything will become transparent to us. It evetually will make sense in their native ways which are not famliar by us.

It will take a lot time to finish this job, it also not an easy job. It will depend on our determination or does we really have to or we should to or we must to find out. Through long time history, there is an easy way to eliminate the culture difference by use the role of comprador: a native manager in foriegn industrials. These compradors serves as two purpose : the next generation leader and the leader who will be folowed by his folk now. Make sure you have proper arrangement to let them give you proper briefings before you step in the battle to slove the culture problem by yourself. Usually the highest rank in his national is the comprador you should turn for help. The briefing should include all aspects mentioned above for a throughout understanding.  

There is also the danger that people can ‘over-read’ culture and see individual’s behaviour to be overly culturally determined, rather than being a background factor to which the individual should be responsible by himself. Whether this individual are acting right in his culture can only be determined by his comprador. Because the culture are group subconscious that much stronger than anyone own conscious, we can expect very accurate results by this arrangment. We seaman also need some culture (group subconscious) to facilitate our shipboard operation and care for personal. Those cultures we need for maritime industrial will be discussed later. 

Emotion is the communication channel of our unconscious to our conscious. 

Our subconscious and unconscious cannot tell us what is right or wrong while something happened. We have to figure it out later in conscious in words in writings in thoughts if our subconscious already figures it out. If our subconscious had not sorted it out yet, we probably would some subconscious body movements (smile, shrug, sign or scratch our head) to reply and wait. But, we do have the feeling that something is OK to go or not. This feeling is the situational awareness. One Captain makes his point very clear that a good anchorage is an anchorage where the Master feels comfortable. The feel can mean lots of things to us, it can be affected by environments (weather, landscape layout, water depth, current direction, other ship around….) and our physical condition (sleep well, eat well, clothing well…) knowledge, skill, intuition and relationship with other and our emotional stress status..…etc. The crew who can listen to his heart closely will more cautious of the actions he is taking.   

Different cultures display their emotion differently. Some cultures get very emotional when they are debating an issue while other cultures try to keep their emotions hidden and sharing only the "rational" or factual aspects of the situation. 21 century is a emotional century. Everything we do we do try to search for emotional significance in it. Actually we are seeking for reasonable explanation in all our conscious levels by the feeling.If we feel good about the things we are going to do, it means all our conscsious level agreed oln these decisions. If we feel strange it might imply something is not coincide with our subconscious knowledge and we wait for the reason come out from our subconscious. If we feel something bad is happening it means we don’t agree on these decisions. Like the FIFA 2014, German got the championship for they had gave away many German football traditional techniques(like air ball which means uncertainty in catching and prolonged air time for the defense team to prepare) and thoughts but all guided by big data statistic (totally rational) analysis received from numerous sources. Once every player in the field, they do (excellent defense, distribute the ball and move in correct route to penetrate…..) with all their energy; still everyone feel confortable in mind. Not every strike can get the goal as they planned but th feeling still is comfortable means all conscious levels give green light signal to what we had done previously. That will be enough for football player for everything is under control, nothing is out of their expectation. No shock, No pause, no sign, no sorry, no weary……… No spiritual damaged, just comfortable means everything is fine, let go now and do your job again. German called it “beautiful football”. In shipping, we will need the “gorgeous sailing” concept in same principal.