Taking assessment on the next level

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Psychometric tests are not only about evaluating mental status, personality and/or ability. They are also, about providing targeted solutions for improving performance, safety and ultimately retention.
That is exactly the scope of ASCOT’s new major update.

Just by clicking on ACTION button next to a yellow or red factor a new window will emerge with description, suggestions and proposed solutions.

You can see this brief demonstration video for more information.

A Happy Ship is a Safe Ship

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This is a concept that it is argued on all training and support actions for seafarers by companies and organizations worldwide. This concept is absolutely correct; there is no dispute about that!

Since 2009, when I delivered my first training for seafarers about “Mental Health Awareness” until today, I strongly believe that a seafarer who is resilient, aware and healthy, physically and mentally, performs better, is safer and is much more loyal to the organization.

However, there is a very important factor that we seem to have neglected: the families. For every employee it is argued that their network consists of coworkers and a social network, mainly family. Based on that, it seems that we are overlooking maybe the most important part on a seafarer’s life.

Admittedly, in the past companies have offered significant health and support benefits to their seafarer’s families and at great expense as well. Even though, there is no statistical evidence about the effect of this, empirically, it seems that it gives the seafarer and their family peace of mind and this increases retention significantly.

So, it makes sense to argue that “A happy family makes the safe and well-performing seafarer.” Is that enough though? Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to speak with spouses of seafarers from many nationalities and ranks. My impression is “NO.” Let me be clear, I am not saying that these benefits are not important. They are very important! But they are simply not enough in some respects.

We neglect the stress and the burden a spouse experiences while their partner is onboard. We often mention how social media, if not used correctly, can affect the seafarer’s mental status, but we have not considered how we can assist the most significant source, the families, in avoiding these mistakes. Most organizations are providing, at considerable expense, the means for better and more direct communication, between seafarers and their family, but with no support, guidance or help to make this communication work for the benefit of all parties involved, including the company.

When I did my military service, I was a psychologist stationed abroad. Although, the camp provided modern services that made communication with our families easier and more direct, sometimes instead of helping and making us happier it had the opposite effect. Simple arguments and misunderstandings tended to be exaggerated by many soldiers, leading to stress and in some cases severe reactions like panic attacks and depression. In a couple of cases it caused suicidal thoughts as well. A significant factor that caused these symptoms and thoughts was that we were away, and as a result handling some information was extremely difficult.

My interaction with seafarers has shown me that they can present, and in some cases have presented, the same reactions for exactly the same reason. After a difficult day a heated or indifferent discussion because, for example, their spouse is tired can start a chain of thoughts that can lead them to very dark places. We need to acknowledge that the pressure upon the spouses is significant. It is not more or less than the pressure a seafarer experiences, it is just different.

Briefly, the spouse has to deal with the worry of the safe return of the seafarer as well as the everyday problems and issues that arise while the seafarer is away. Another important issue that we tend to overlook is that the spouse feels that they must assist the seafarer to readjust to the family’s everyday life upon their return. This is a great cause of pressure for some spouses. These issues are not as simple as they sound, and they are certainly not insignificant, since they cause a great deal of stress and pressure.

Training spouses, briefly but practically, on the following topics is beneficial:

• The reality of the maritime profession
• Acknowledging spouses’ difficulties
• Communication skills
• Social media
• Stress management and resilience
• Problem-solving
• Conflict resolution

Also, providing simple and practical advice can assist the family to function better. Consequently, the seafarer has greater peace of mind. Furthermore, it can play a paramount role on helping the seafarer perform better and remain in the profession longer without worrying about their family’s well-being.

All this might seem theoretical, but in reality, it is not. When interviewing seafarers about their concerns, family is one of the top three on their list, if not number one.

Currently, we are focusing so much on their technical, soft-skills, mental health and other training for good reason but, we neglect the family. A more holistic approach can definitely play a significant role in performance, safety and retention.

“A happy ship is a safe ship” indeed.

But: “A happy family makes a happy seafarer.”

Dimitrios Lyrakos is Chief Executive Officer of ASCOT Consulting LTD.

This article was originally posted on www.maritime-executive.com

Monitor the status of Assignments sent, in real time

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Do you wonder whether your potential examinees have received the automated email with the assignment(s) sent?

Now you can stop wonder! The latest update of the ACT platform allows you to monitor accurately and in real-time whether the assignment has been sent successfully, or not, whether the email has been opened and the link has been accessed.

You only need to go on the assignment page click on the assignment that you want to monitor, and you will be able to see the status of the email(s) sent. Alternatively, you can go to any individual examinee and monitor the status of the email sent from the questionnaire tab.

With this feature you can save time and stop wondering!

This is a feature that was proposed by companies that are using ASCOT’s ACT online platform.

If you have any suggestions about how to develop further our services, please do not hesitate to let us know at info@ascot-consulting.net we are always striving to provide the best possible services for your convenience.

 

ASCOT Consulting and IDESS IT join forces to offer comprehensive seafarer assessment services

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IDESS IT collaborates with ASCOT Consulting to produce a comprehensive suite of assessment tools for the maritime industry.

IDESS IT and ASCOT, have entered into an alliance, to offer clients a more comprehensive service covering the assessment of both knowledge and skills as well as behavioural attributes, by combining their respective resources.

IDESS IT is a training specialist with a track record covering more than 25 years in the assessment of crew competence, for recruitment screening, career development and skills retention. The management of these processes is facilitated by the IDESS IT portfolio of award winning software applications for continual learning. These include sEaLearn (www.sea-learn.com/ ), iTEST (www.itest-solutions.com/) as well as CASys, (www.competence-assurance.com)

ASCOT Consulting, established in 2003, is a leading specialist in psychometric assessment, consulting and training for the maritime industry. Having identified the need for a new approach to the practices currently used by the maritime industry, ASCOT has developed a suite of psychometric tests based on modern methodologies and criteria, determined from long experience working with H.R. practitioners and crew management professionals. The ACT online platform (https://ascot-consulting.net/act/), exclusively designed by ASCOT, is an application for screening, covering a broad range of psychometric parameters to assist with crew recruitment, retention, promotion, and performance.

The two companies will offer the market each other’s products with the common aim of providing the best software systems and tailor-made training and assessment services specifically for the shipping industry.

For more information visit our websites:

Are We Doing Enough for the Well-Being of our Seafarers?

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Are we doing enough for the mental health and well-being of our seafarers?

The answer is “no,” but this is not the end, but the beginning, of this article.

In one of the biggest and growing industries worldwide, in the industry with the biggest cultural diversity, mental health and well-being are factors that are important for most companies, but the quality of service is very low, completely inadequate, and it is dependable on the individual work of some of us.

In 2018, 18 percent of deaths of seafarers were suicides, others say 20 percent, others 25 percent, others even 30 percent. The truth is that we do not know for certain, because we do not have data, or we have contradictory data. This is mind-blowing for such a big industry, an industry that has so many issues to deal with.

ISM, TMSA and other regulatory bodies are beginning to set rules about seafarers’ mental health and well-being, but still there are several questions that rise:
1. What kind of regulations?
2. How to implement them?
3. How to monitor the quality of those regulations?

As ASCOT Consulting is assessing pilots and flight attendants on airlines, we often monitor the new changes in the aviation industry to update our tests and services. In the aviation industry, there is a specialization called Aviation Psychology: a specialized body of professionals that work with the other official bodies about the health, safety, soft skills and incident management. Aviation psychology has created mandates and protocols for accident handling, support and relief. Also, they play a prominent role in designing awareness and safety procedures, plus they take part in investigations from a behavior point of view.

While I was reading about this field, I could not stop wondering, why not in maritime? How beneficial would be for the industry to have a specialized body about these issues:
· Assessment
· Awareness
· Safety
· Soft Skills
· Mental Health
· CISM after an Accident or Piracy and many more.

Also, consider how beneficial it would be for the maritime companies as well. They would be able to identify ill-trained “professionals” for the very demanding and crucial jobs they have. A process like that could reduce costs and increase service quality.

We are in an industry that will face great changes in the coming years; changes that have to do with the workforce (seafarers) as well, if not mainly.

It disappoints me greatly when seafarers of all ranks cannot be convinced that assessment, mental health, resilience and soft skills play an important role, a role that will become even more important in the future. It is not their fault. Most of them have undergone tests and training, theoretical, outside of the scope of their profession, so they cannot see the point of all this. We have to admit that they are right!

I was unpleasantly impressed when on a study of the most stressful occupations in the world, I could find Executive Officers, Conference Organizers and Taxi Drivers but nothing about Maritime. I am not saying that these jobs are not stressful, but I was surprised, so I contacted the authors. Their response was no surprise to me: we either do not have any data, or we have too much contradictory data (like the example with suicide data that I mentioned in the beginning of this article).

I am not saying that with specialized and recognized services there will be no accidents or piracy incidents. What I am saying is that the number of these incidents can be reduced; we can learn from them; we can offer better services to the seafarers that have experienced them. This would be extremely beneficial for the industry as a whole.

It might seem like science fiction or like something that it is not essential, but for those who think that, I ask this: “If it has worked for so many other industries, including aviation, why can’t we make it work for maritime?

Dimitrios Lyrakos is CEO of ASCOT Consulting.

This article was originally posted on www.maritime-executive.com

Automation & Seafarers: The end of a profession, or its evolution?

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As automation is becoming an integral part of everyday life, the shipping industry makes no exception. Mr. Dimitrios Lyrakos, Chief Executive Officer, ASCOT Consulting LTD, describes how automation will affect the maritime sector, saying that the number of seafarers will decline, but these changes will create new job opportunities as well.

Based on a recent study by the University of Oxford (2019) in the UK, it has been determined that 50% of the current job positions, worldwide, will be lost in the coming decades due to automation and new advances in technology. A number that, by itself, is staggering no doubt.

What does it mean for the maritime industry?

Over the past few years, we have seen articles and videos of autonomous vessels. Does that mean that seafarers will be a profession of the past in the coming years? Is it possible, one of the most ancient professions to be lost? And where does it leave the millions of seafarers, crew operators and every other field that is associated and even depends on the existence of seafarers?

Based on my experience, and the experience of others, we have to admit that the maritime industry, although gigantic, is probably the most resistant in technological advances. This is understandable though, if you consider that the history of the maritime profession is lost literally in the ages, since the dawn of mankind. Nevertheless, change is inevitable, regardless of if me like it or not, if we agree or not and if we admit that it is coming or pretend that nothing is happening.

There are different theories about how the modern automated vessels will be. However, although  the theory of a fully automated vessel with drowns for engineers and only two or three people monitoring it in hubs, is impressive and very Star Trek or Star Wars like, depending on your preference,  is still decades ahead. Personally, I believe that the next generation of autonomous vessels will be remotely controlled. Meaning that it will have crew, almost certainly smaller than today and it will be on a control center, managing the vessel  from there. This belief is based on the development of automated trucks and airplanes. Modern models of trucks are capable to park, unpark, maintain speed, evaluate the condition of the driver, and even make driving corrections, very much like modern cars. Personally, sometimes, on long trips I feel useless, since the only thing I have to do is to hold the wheel. As a matter of fact though, if I did not, it is highly unlikely that I would reach safely  my destination. It is believed that in a few years we will witness the first driverless cars and trucks, much like some buses that are in some cities around the world. Even those models though are controlled by a hub and are supervised by persons.

In aviation the technological advancements are even greater. Have in mind that, in comparison to the maritime industry, aviation is more prone to embrace change and any new technology that will improve efficiency and safety. Nowadays, modern planes can take off, fly, make course corrections and land on their own, without the interference of a human pilot. But who of us would feel comfortable to fly with a plane that does not have a pilot? I most definitely would prefer to walk. It is my firm belief that aviation and maritime are closely connected, more than any of us could imagine. Both industries are considered to be high on risks of accidents and every accident has many severe consequences, on human life and ecology. So how can a crewless vessel operate? From the possibilities that I see before me, I believe, that in the coming decades the profession of the seafarers will not get extinct, but it will reduced and significantly change in terms of demands. The only condition for that is the ability and determination to acknowledge the coming changes and involve. To be fair, the first that needs  to evolve are the crew operators, manning agencies, training centers etc. as  it is illogical to demand change from a professional, who has no idea how to do it and why, without providing to them with the necessary tools. No one can blame a seafarer, who is used to operate in a specific way and now it is asked from him to embrace new technologies, that they  do not know, no one has showed them how to adapt, is scared that will take their job and most importantly do not understand why! These in combination and fear that “I will be replaced by a computer” makes everyone resistant and negative to change because it creates fear and insecurity that one day will be obsolete.

Seafarers in order to survive the coming changes need to evolve, which means that we need to change their training, technical and mental. We need to prepare them, if not obligated to do so, to be ready for these changes, in order to be efficient and to feel safe for their job position. There is a necessity to modernize the curriculum and change our demands and expectations from the seafarers, emphasizing that will ensure their job. While talking to a very experienced master, he described me that when ECDIs first appeared, it was met with skepticism if not dismissal, because there was the misconception that will make eventually officers obsolete. Nowadays it is unthinkable to be onboard a vessel with out ECDIS, or an officer not to be trained on this system.

What does it mean in terms of jobs?

Personally, I believe, based on similar situations in the past on other industries that inevitably the number of seafarers will decline. There is nothing that we can do about that. At the same time these changes will create new job opportunities as well, like before. It is certain that the number of required seafarers to operate a vessel safely and efficiently will be reduced with the remote controlled vessels, even if it is required to have a few onboard for safety purposes. This excess number of seafarers that will have trouble to find job, will be forced to find other field of occupation on the new opportunities that will rise. For example cyber security is a relatively new term and it seems that on maritime it is still on the beginning. We have a duty to help current and future seafarers to help them familiarize with these concepts and technologies, to be more efficient and easily employable.

Another important change that is already taking place and will be even greater the coming years is the type of seafarer that is needed, in terms of training, knowledge and personality-behavior. I do not presume to know about the first two so I will avoid making any comments. I can speak about the last one, personality-behavior. The type of seafarer has changed significantly over the past few years and it will go on changing even more. The soft skills that was a “nice to have trend” on a seafarer is no longer a necessity. Characteristics like efficient problem solving, in terms of personality trait, not only ability, flexibility in change, adaptability and many more are becoming of paramount importance in maritime. Much like the demands on pilots that they have almost totally changed in aviation over the past few decades. The need for a creation of an effective personality profile of a seafarer, taking into account cultural difference, work problems and challenges will rise soon.

Concluding, change, although scary and difficult is inevitable. It is my firm belief that on a profession that challenges are everyday life, hardships are part of the job description and resilience is an absolute necessity. The automated vessels will have a significant impact but it will not signify the end of this noble profession ( provided of course that all involved parties will get prepared for the coming “storm”). Every change is difficult, confusing ,scary and seems unnecessary, but is unavoidable and the only requirement is to adjust as affectively as we can. So we need to prepare the new generation of seafarers now, today and this means that we need to make adjustments ourselves before we demand they reinvent the wheel. History has shown that when you foresee, acknowledge the coming change and prepare yourself for it, you thrive. If you pretend that nothing is happening, when it will come you with just, if at all survive.

We must as trainers, assessors and crew operators to adapt as service providers to change and evolve, in order to be able to pass on these changes to the seafarers. We are the ones that will guide them, through those difficult waters. Let us make it right!

By Dimitrios Lyrakos, Chief Executive Officer, ASCOT Consulting LTD

This article was originally posted on www.safety4sea.com

The Importance of Psychological Safety Precautions in Maritime

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Over the past few years the Tanker Management Self-Assessment (TMSA), the International Safety Management (ISM) code and other regulative bodies have added recommendations or regulations about the psychometric evaluation of seafarers, but there is still quite strong skepticism among the maritime industry.

Even with the application of Key Performance Indexes (KPIs) that include soft skills abilities for officers, there is little research, if any, about psychological safety precautions on seafarers. Because of the nature of the job, seafarers are among the first to experience occupational stress, burnout and various other psychological problems. Therefore, there is a wide misconception that an evaluation procedure will “force” companies to dismiss a large number of their seafarers. We, the companies and professionals who are providing this service, are partly to blame for this misconception, because we do not provide the necessary support and/or training.

Psychosocial risks in the workplace

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has identified 12 psychosocial risks or psychological safety precautions:

1. Psychological Support
2. Organizational Culture
3. Clear Leadership & Expectations
4. Civility & Respect
5. Psychological Job Fit
6. Growth & Development
7. Recognition & Reward
8. Involvement & Influence
9. Workload Management
10. Engagement
11. Balance
12. Psychological Protection
13. Bulling

These factors relate to the content of and the context to work.

Let us see some examples of psychosocial risks that can be associated with the characteristics of the seafarer’s job description. One of the unique characteristics of seafarers is that while on board a vessel they work, rest, collaborate and interact all within the same space and with the same people. Hence they lack the advantage of being able to relax and take some time off from a person or situation that has stressed them.

Work schedule

Work schedule, including long working hours and shift work, has been related to work attitudes, such as job satisfaction and schedule satisfaction. Apart from these factors, it also includes, in seafarers, “the sense that I am always at work and this becomes annoying and frustrating.” In recent studies by ITC it has been concluded that fatigue is one of the major factors of accidents aboard vessels.

Environment and equipment

Experts have identified several characteristics of the physical environment (e.g. inadequate equipment availability, suitability or maintenance, lack of space, poor lighting and excessive noise) as psychosocial risk which can be experienced as stressful or a potential for harm.

Organizational culture and function

There are various aspects of organizational culture which can be experienced as stressful by workers and have the potential for harm. These include, notably, poor communication, poor leadership and lack of definition of, or agreement on, organizational objectives.

Interpersonal relationships at work

Bad interpersonal relationships at work are recognized psychosocial risks which can be experienced as stressful and have the potential for harm. These include: social or physical isolation, poor relationships with superiors, interpersonal conflict, lack of support, and bullying, harassment and violence at work. Especially on a vessel, where the people are confined on a limited space and interact all the time with each other, the above critical issues increase the possibility of problematic relationships in seafarers’ professional and personal life.

The risk management necessity and managing psychosocial risks

Managing and consequently preventing psychosocial risks can ensure a healthier, smoother running, more productive and safer working environment on board a vessel, where crises can be dealt easier, quicker and more effectively. At this point it is worth mentioning that in the E.U. alone the cost of accidents because of psychosocial risks was estimated in 2016 at 20 billion euros ($23 billion), an amount that could be saved if assessment  and prevention measures had been taken. Also, insurance providers in Maritime like Lloyds have reported an increase on premiums because of the rise on accidents. Therefore  proper measures to prevent those psychological risks from escalating can be a great value for money for the maritime industry.

One of the most practical models of risk management comprises the following steps:

• Identification of risks
• Assessment of the associated risk
• Design of reasonably practicable interventions
• Implementation of interventions
• Monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness of intervention
• Feedback and reassessment of risk
• Review of information and training needs of employees

Risk assessment 

One of the essential drivers of continual improvement in the psychosocial work environment is the assessment of psychosocial risk factors. This does not include only the current mental and physical state of the examinee, but also the risk factors that could create a risk: mental, personal, occupational etc. Proper assessment is one of the cornerstones for prevention and, essentially, to have a crew on a vessel that is fully functional, not without problems, but with the necessary skills and abilities to effectively deal with them.

Risk assessment can also be applied to the promotion procedure. A seafarer who is about to be promoted might be fully trained for his new duties, but mentally and psychologically can be unable to fulfill them. A proper risk assessment can identify personality characteristics that need to be addressed in order to assist him/her become a better officer.

Over the past few years, ASCOT Consulting has provided assessment and consultation, if needed, about the psychosocial risks in the maritime workplace. What we have seen, and most importantly, what our clients have seen, not only from the maritime industry, is that dealing preventively in this particular field is far more cost effective, safe and productive than ignoring a possibility and dealing with the problem after it appears. Consequently, assessing the mental, cognitive and behavioral state of a seafarer, regardless of their position, assures the safety of the crew, and the ship and it can prevent any company from liability.

Dimitrios Lyrakos is Clinical & Forensic Psychologist at ASCOT Consulting.

This article was originally posted on www.maritime-executive.com

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