10 BEST PRACTICES for ... debriefing
Nature is not predictable so boats have to be places of consistent learning.
There is treasure waiting to be found. You just need the right question and a listening ear. Debriefs can turn any situation - even the scariest nightmares - into something meaningful. Even positive!
Over the years, I’ve done 1:1 debriefs, group debriefs, facilitated other peoples’ debriefs and had my own debriefs. They were entertaining, rewarding, hard, sometimes heart warming and occasionally comical.
Some memorable examples come to mind from the last decade - and yes … these are all true pieces of feedback that I’ve received:
“I think I’m in love with you”;
“I’ve never felt more patronised in my life”;
“If we don’t address hygiene onboard, I’m going to sue you”;
“You smell bad when you are stressed”;
“If you put me on watch with that person, I’ll quit”;
“This experience has fundamentally changed my life”;
Debriefs are not just for teachers, and they aren’t a waste of time.
Debriefing underpins excellence. Regular feedback sessions help teams, individuals, couples - onshore, or on land - be better. But, that doesn’t make it easy…
… a good debrief - if done well - is as exhausting as it is constructive. It requires active listening which is tiring. It most likely involves some level of emotional discomfort. It requires looking in the mirror, at the good and the bad.
But, … when has anything truly excellent in life come as a result of ‘easy’?
Debriefs have a bad reputation. ‘Too long’; ‘too depressing'; ‘too much preaching’; ‘too attacking’; ‘too formal’ - there are so many traps that are hard to avoid. A good debrief is an art. It’s a highly skilled operation. And, true to the subject matter, I’m still honing the skill myself.
But, over the years, I’ve amassed some tips and tricks. Some I came up with myself. Others I got taught. Here they all are, in one succinct list for you to take away and put into practice.
Read ahead, so that when people moan ‘no not another debrief’, you can surprise them with something snappy, effective, constructive and even fun! Nail this skill, and I am absolutely sure that will lead to a better experience at sea for everyone.
1. Shape debriefs to the situation
A two hour debrief after a regular sailing manoeuvre in the middle of a sailing day is inappropriately long. Just as, a 10 minute debrief on the day of departure from a 10 day sail is too short.
Debriefs need to be appropriately shaped to the situation they follow. Here are some suggestions: