When Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen was a cadet nearly two decades ago, the possibility of having a mentor was not an option, while the term itself did not even exist. Yet, he was lucky to meet a captain who was good at moulding and challenging him at one and the same time.
“We hit it off great and conversed like good friends. He was good at involving and assisting me, which encouraged me to make further efforts. Every time I made a mistake, I knew that he would help me find a solution rather than just haul me over the coals”, Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen says about the period of his training as a cadet, when he had a dedicated teacher.
43-year-old Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen, who is now the captain of MAREN MAERSK, has for several years voluntarily functioned as a mentor for cadets and trainees from all over the world. Being a mentor, he makes a virtue of meeting new seafarers exactly where they are in their training.
“It matters a lot what level they are at, and how much responsibility they are ready to take on. At the same time, you also have to have the guts to kick them into deep water and watch if they can swim – in case it’s too soon, you should be ready to pull them back up again,” he says.
Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen always puts an effort into not discriminating between cadets and the rest of the crew, thereby treating both of them with equal respect. It requires effort to find a way to the individual cadet’s challenges and needs, but it’s all worth the effort:
“To be on good terms with each other requires mutual respect. Getting to know each other may take some time, but that would actually enable me to put the efforts exactly where it is necessary.”
As a mentor, you should be prepared to - and interested in - in acquiring a long-term relationship with the young. Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen has by now been a mentor of 8-10 cadets, and he is always ready to answer their phone calls and texts, even though they are no longer working on the same ship.
“I tell them that they’re always welcome to call me so that we can look at the situation together. Anja whom I mentored, when I was the captain of GUDRUN MAERSK, and who’s now the 1st officer at Celebrity Cruises. She occasionally writes to me or calls me when she needs my opinion on something.”
To Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen, being a mentor is also an investment into a good work life – for both the cadet, himself and the cadet’s future colleagues:
“Being a mentor is about shaping a future colleague. We’ll probably sail together again, or a colleague of mine will. I help them develop a solid knowledge and skill base, which they then can draw on in their future career as seafarers.”
Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen has been sailing as a captain for the last five years, and during that time, he has witnessed how big the effect of getting a proper start has on the well-being and development of cadets as they transit from school to an embarkation at sea:
“Through continual support and training, we automatically increase their quality of life on board. That simply makes them happier. For instance, if a cadet and I are docking and something goes wrong, I usually say to the cadet to breathe in and out, get an overview of the situation and carry on. In the meanwhile, I’ll hold the ship,” Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen says and continues: “Of particular importance in such situations and in general is to explain what is going on. Allow the cadets to be your eyes and your ears and make it clear for them that it is crucial to inform the mentor of what is happening because that will enable him or her to provide them with the necessary assistance and the best tools for solving a specific problem.”
According to Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen, to pass on this feeling of calm and security is the essence and the main task of mentorship. He believes that many cadets require a clearer message today that asking for help is actually alright.
Tommy Tjagvad Kristiansen started his education at Kogtved School of Maritime Education and Training in 1995, continued at Svendborg Navigationsskole (now SIMAC) and has been sailing for Mærsk throughout his career at sea.
He became a captain five years ago and is currently the captain of the container ship MAREN MAERSK.
He has been working as a mentor for 15-20 years and has provided guidance to 8-10 cadets.
He was Anja Boytang’s mentor on the container ship GUDRUN MAERSK.
