Alex Clarke's observations aboard ships place stewards among the people who hear how the crew is doing. They protect ordinary confidences while ensuring that serious bullying reaches the captain. He distinguishes incidents he has witnessed from a chief petty officer friend's account of a lieutenant who believed he had done nothing wrong. Engineering officers also hear a great deal because their work takes them into compartments throughout the ship. These personal observations explain how command can learn about problems outside the formal reporting chain.
Notable Point · 31:28-34:31
Stewards as an informal command feedback channel
Stewards' contact with the crew can alert a captain to bullying, while engineering officers gain a broad view of shipboard conditions through their work across compartments.