This morning we received new orders to head directly to Ibiza and we are currently on passage in rolling seas enjoying the beauty of the Med. We should be finally at our destination by 1200 tomorrow.

We realized that today in the past seven weeks we have been at sea for four. The effects of the sea, motion and stress is starting to take its toll on everyone. We are all looking forward to being tied up in a static place for a few days. Everyone needs to stretch their legs ashore for more than just a few hours. They say that being in a small boat in difficult environmental conditions can be one of the most psychologically stressful of places. It has been an excellent learning experience that highlights the qualities that make a crew work well in such situations. What works here, while you are exploring at the edge, is good preparation for every challenge one can face either in business, life or other similar missions.

Lasse and his famous Chinese sweet and spicy prawns.
[ photo - James Frankham ]

We are constantly asked how we get along. With all the reality based television programs showing extreme conflict between people it is a good question. We sat around the table and talked about it, James had the best answer - because we have to. There is not even a question of not getting along. I think that it can be traced to the characteristics of each person. Everyone has similarities. No one seems to scare easily when things get rough, everyone is honest with each other, everyone cares about each other, we all understand each other's specific roles and collectively we care deeply about the mission. When the sea becomes monotonous we also take turns in amusing each other, the distractions are powerful. Lasse as our chef has a huge role to play in making life in difficult situations as easy as possible. When the routine becomes so predictable and your options for activity are extremely limited by environmental conditions, the meal times become so important. It is a point of contact for all of us, a time of diversion. Regardless of watches and sleeping schedules we always break bread as a group.

A Mediterranean horizon.
[ photo - James Frankham ]

There is a fundamental glue that holds everything together and provides a point of reference for everyone on board. This glue is the most important aspect of our mission. It is the responsibility to tell the story, the responsibility we all feel to the people who follow STARSHIP. Leadership on STARSHIP is intriguing; the route of the ship provides a context, each individual provides a perspective and from each of the individual perspectives comes a plan. In many ways the crew operates in an ideal fashion, generally always leading to the most direct path in accomplishing the mission. Leadership, in terms of meeting mission goals, is a collective effort. Leadership roles constantly change and are exercised by everyone onboard depending on the particular needs of any given situation. There are many lessons from this to be transferred to business. The concept of a goal is a universal, a mission statement is a core corporate ideal, however many of these mission statements are junk. It is not a roadmap but a compass point. Every task and every action reflects the direction of that compass point. That is the trick to building a great team and letting in evolve. Leadership, if it is truly working, will always be a sliding scale. The greatest teams are those that self regulate without conflict in achievement of the mission. Of many of the teams I’ve been exposed to I would have to say this is one of the most effective. I think it works because of the trust, capabilities and the respect each member of the crew has and gives.

Tomorrow we reach land; tomorrow we hope to do some exploring.

Fair winds, calm seas

Brady

RECENT LINKS :
Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust - www.chimprehab.com
Senegalese Fishing Cooperative - www.enda.sn/cyberpop