St Brendan


Florence listened quietly while Einar talked. She didn't say anything as soon as he stopped, her face not showing much of anything. Finally, she nodded. “I must say, I wasn't really expecting this. I'm not sure it deserved an apology like that but I appreciate it nonetheless.”
“Part of the problem as you said is that you're trying to figure things out and I think it was too soon for me, who you cannot put in a nice category you're familiar with, to join.” She seemed to hesitate for a moment. A handful of seconds later, she added, “The problem wasn't that you're not a 'high-class, well heeled' captain. It probably wouldn't hurt if you could at least pretend to be one of those when necessary, but that's another problem. As long as you're clean and decently clothed…” She cocked an eyebrow at that but didn't elaborate.
The girl shook her head. “The problem, as I see it, is that neither Horace nor you have any experience at your current positions, which led to quite a few errors. Those related to me were more of a symptom than the real sickness. I would bet that neither you nor Horace were in the past in a position to interact often with the officers of your ships, which led to misconceptions on what a captain or an XO is supposed to be, to do. The role of the captain is to achieve the mission. The role of the XO is to make sure the ship can achieve the mission. And by ship I mean the ship itself of course, but also the crew, etc.”
“It seems pretty simple said like that, but there are a lot of consequences about that. For example, the captain's goal is the mission. It doesn't mean he decides what the mission is. Which in our case, meant that it would have been a perfectly reasonable solution if the shareholders decided on what the mission was supposed to be and hired someone else to captain the ship. Having more shares doesn't make you a good captain, XO or whatever. It merely says that you're good at whatever allowed you to get the money to buy the shares.”
“In my opinion, that was the first mistake.” She grimaced slightly. “And probably one that led me to have a not so good opinion of you in the first place. I'm not saying you shouldn't have been made captain, but that it should have been done based on other criterion.”
“Other than that, it means that if the XO thinks someone is ready for something, the captain trusts him. It is the XO's role to assign everyone in the right position, to form them for whatever positions are needed. As such, he's supposed to know exactly everything the crew can, and cannot do. So if he thinks someone is ready for something… 'Trust but verify' is pretty close to the basics as far as leadership is concerned. Which is something you utterly failed to demonstrate where I'm concerned.” She didn't sound accusatory as she said that, it sounded more as a lecture…one she might have heard before. “You're not the only one in that though, so…” She shrugged.
“The second problem, is a problem of behaviour, and there, both Horace and you made a huge mistake: except in time-critical situations you never contradict your XO - or any of your officers for that matter - in front of anyone else. Never, ever, do that. If you don't agree, talk to that officer, and tell him to change whatever decision has been taken. After you've let him explain why that decision was taken in the first place. And have that officer announce the change. Otherwise, it's pretty much a slap in the face, it shows a lack of trust in that officers skills or decsions and it completely kills his credibility in front of the crew.”
“As for Horace, he shouldn't have let you do it like that. It is critically important that the XO be able to confront a captain about whatever decision has been made. And he can do it in public, depending his concerns. In some cases, it is the only thing to do, for example if those concerns are shared by the crew: the captain shouldn't explain every decision to everyone, but explaining it to the XO… Well, if others hear it… Here, he should have fought for me, and tried to explain why he agreed before you killed my suggestion. Maybe he would have changed your mind, maybe not. The result is not that important. What matters is that the crew knows the XO is there and will fight for them, making them willing to go the extra mile. And it is important for the captain to know that the XO is not a parrot, but someone he can count on to point possible mistakes, to make sure that decisions are taken for the right reason. An XO who can't oppose a captain is worse than useless, long term he's a danger to the ship. It's vital that Horace learns to do that, and be forceful about it - without being antagonist of course.”
She lifted a shoulder with a slight moue. “Granted, all of that is much more important in a military ship, but it's a matter of level, not of principles.” She paused longer this time, leaving time for Einar to digest all of that. “As for how to do fix that… Well… At this point I'd say the best option could be to hire someone with captain experience for a few month. Have him be the captain for a while with you as XO first, then with you as captain, Horace as XO and him as a coach of sorts. On a small ship like that, I'm not sure what it'd give if the captain wasn't a shareholder. Or more precisely, if the shareholders are simple members of the crew so I'm not sure it would be a good idea. She seemed to think about that for a while, obviously quite interested by the idea. “It could work if everyone's responsibilities were clear I suppose, but it could be dangerous.”
She shook her head after a moment. “Other than that, try to find some sort of uniform for the crew. Simple ones, could be just a jacket with an albatross on the breast for example. It promotes unity, and gives an identity to the ship that the traders you talk to will be glad to see. Maybe as importantly, yes, a ship at port doesn't get money. But you must see those times as an investment: one where you talk to the shops that could work to upgrade or fix the ship, go to the bars traders and crews frequent. You need to know the people, the places, in your sector of trade. You need to create a network of people you know but more importantly, who know you. A lot of deals could come your way with that. And if it's not deals, it will be tips or news. Oh and of course, don't leave a place with open berths, that was stupid.”