MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES 1

Management Techniques

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INTRODUCTION

The book, ‘It’s your Ship’, written by D. Michael Abrashoff describes different management

techniques for effective leadership in business. The story depicts how Captain Abrashoff was

able to change the typical top-down leadership approach to manage the ship effectively. When

the captain was appointed as the commander of the USS Benfold, he realized that it would take

more than being a conventional leader to manage the Ship efficiently. The ship was well-

equipped with the most advanced technology of the late 90’s (Abrashoff, 2002). It has 8600 tons

of armor with sophisticate computerized missile, an efficient gas turbine system to enhance its

thrilling combat speed and a highly trained and skilled crew (Abrashoff, 2002). However, the

ship had a low performance and productivity. The captain realized that the ship’s advanced

technology system was just a facilitator and the performance of the ship could only be

determined by the crew members. After his analysis, he discovered that the low morale among

the crew members decreased the overall efficiency of the ship. Therefore, he devised and

implemented a management system that would eventually inspire and motivate the crew

members to be more confident and productive. He also ensured that he was a team player and the

slogan, ‘It’s your ship’, became part of their working culture. The leadership model turned out to

be a success and it earned him a recognition for the naval efficiency. During his time as the

Captain, the ship’s productivity increased and the operational costs reduced significantly. The

model has been recognized in business management to reduce operational costs and increase

productivity.

CAPTAIN STYLES
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The captain acknowledged that the typical top-down management system was incapable of

creating a conducive environment for the crew members. He realized that the management style

did not recognize their individual efforts and ideas, which would improve the ship’s efficiency.

Therefore, he adopted new leadership styles that incorporated his team’s ideas, well-being and

respect.

In his book, the captain elaborates how seeing negative situation through the eyes of his crew

enabled him to establish a conducive work culture for his team (Abrashoff, 2002). He described

how one failure of a sailor was due to his seniors lack of consideration (Abrashoff, 2002). The

sailor slept during his night watch, which could have resulted in the death of fellow crew

members (Abrashoff, 2002). Abrashoff considered the offense very serious and sent the sailor for

punishment. During the judgement, it was established that the sailor did not fall asleep

intentionally. He had been overworked prior to his duty due to a command passed to him by his

seniors. Abrashoff realized that such unreasonable command would have costed the crew

members their lives. He learnt that it was crucial for the seniors to be empathetic and considerate

before passing such commands.

The captain also encouraged communication and trust among his members. He described how

one radioman was able to unclog the monstrous communication blockage in 1997 (Abrashoff,

2002). During the Iraq crisis, the cost of data transmission increased and some messages could

not be delivered due to the massive blockage. John, the radioman, suggested to the captain how

he could help solve the menace (Abrashoff, 2002). Although the captain appreciated the idea, he

had to send it to the head of communication for approval. The idea was rejected and the problem
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continued to worsen (Abrashoff, 2002). The captain had no choice but to implement the idea

after a few weeks. The implementation of the ideas was perfect and monstrous communication

blockage was solved in just a few hours. Abrashoff expressed his regret for not implementing the

idea right away because it costed the ship a lot of time and money. He also appreciated trusting

and communicating with John was crucial in solving a problem that seemed impossible to solve.

Abrashoff also focused on retaining his team remembers. He was able to increase the ship’s

retention rate form 28 percent to 100 percent (Abrashoff, 2002). He was able to achieve the

retention rate by respecting and trusting the members. He also argued how the strategy saved the

ship a lot of money. Replacing and training career sailor would cost the ship about $100, 000 per

new sailor (Abrashoff, 2002). Therefore, retaining the highly-skilled personnel was crucial in

improving the ship’s efficiency.

8 OPERATION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

a) Team Building

The captain focused on building a strong and effective team. The strategy involved building the

morale and team skills of the individuals. Abrashoff implemented the strategy by making cross

country part of the team’s activities (Abrashoff, 2002). It improved and strengthened the team’s

spirit and morale. Furthermore, the captain also groomed young sailor to be more effective team

players. He observed that young sailors were assigned difficult tasks and received harsh remarks

from their respective officers (Abrashoff, 2002). The harsh treatment made the young develop

low morale in their posts. Therefore, the captain groomed them to accept more responsibility and

taught on what was expected of them. These methods created a strong and productive team.
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Strong and productive teams are key in increasing the productivity of business and organizations

and therefore, it should be the core of any management technique.

b) Leading by example

Management leaders should lead by example. The captain acknowledged that sometimes he did

not agree with his leaders (Abrashoff, 2002). However, he still respected the orders from his

seniors and challenged them in the right manner. He explained that he obeyed his seniors even

when he disagreed with them (Abrashoff, 2002). This translated to how his crew members

reacted and responded to his orders. They also obeyed him and challenged him when necessary.

c) Listening Aggressively

Leaders should listen to their members aggressively. The captain realized that the younger sailors

were full of great ideas that no one paid attention to (Abrashoff, 2002). He made it his goal to

listen to their ideas and identify those that could improve the ship’s efficiency if implemented

(Abrashoff, 2002). He also interviewed the crew members occasionally to understand their lives

and experiences. The interviews enable him to understand their dreams and expectations. This

enabled him to create a conducive working environment, which increased their productivity and

morale.

d) Effective communication

Every management leader should communicate with their subordinates effectively. They should

elaborate the purpose and meaning of any mission. The captain observed that most of the crew

members were not enthusiastic about their work (Abrashoff, 2002). They would just report to

work to receive their paycheck (Abrashoff, 2002). He decided to design a compelling vision that

would give them a purpose at work (Abrashoff, 2002). The vision inspired the crew to work with

enthusiasm, which increased the overall efficiency of the ship.

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e) Result-oriented

Leaders should be result-oriented. They should focus on implementing solutions that generate

expected result. The captain dismissed the salutes he would receive as the commander

(Abrashoff, 2002). Instead, he focused on encouraging his team to develop solution that would

increase their combat readiness (Abrashoff, 2002). During his tenure, he enforced policies and

procedures that challenged the existing regulations for a better performance.

f) Take command

Management leaders should take command of their positions. They should not allow themselves

to feel intimidated because it would make their members distrust them. When the captain

assumed the command of the ship, he realized the crew members were not motivated and cared

less about their leaders. This was because they were not respected or listened to. The captain

decided to take command and implement a strategy that would motivate and encourage them. He

did not wait for a directive from his superiors to suggest a solution that would increase their

productivity.

g) Creating a climate of trust

Management leaders should trust their team members and encourage them to do their best. The

captain elaborates how he helped an officer who was on probation redeem himself to be one of

the best performers (Abrashoff, 2002). The officer had low self-esteem and was constantly

bullied by his fellow officers. Abrashoff encouraged him to believe himself and not to allow

other people to put him down. The captain also assured him that he trusted him and would

support him. Eventually, the officer become very reliable and one of the best officers the captain

had ever met. Therefore, it is crucial to create a climate of trust that allows employees to believe

in their own strengths.

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h) Calculated risks

Management leaders should take risks to improve an organization’s efficiency. The captain

explained that he took a risk to implement a management model that was against the

conventional bureaucracy system in the navy. Therefore, he was able to be more efficient than

other captains who had relied on the old system.

CONCLUSION

I would definitely like to work with this type of boss. His leadership style encourages one to

grow their career and build their self-confidence. It also creates a healthy working culture and

inspires one to do their best.

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REFERENCES

Michael Abrashoff, C. (2002). IT'S YOUR SHIP. New York: Hachette Book Group.