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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Four: The Workplace -- essence of a culture > Teamwork, gangway crew, St. Barts, French West Indie, 2011
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01-JAN-2011

Teamwork, gangway crew, St. Barts, French West Indie, 2011

As our cruise ship was leaving St. Barts, I leaned over my cabin’s balcony to catch a crew of men dismantling a gangway. As the blue waters of the Caribbean swirl just below them, they function as an expert team. It is a drill they know by heart – each man has his place on the steps, which rise towards the leader who hoists a ladder over his head. Teamwork is an essential component of any workplace, and that is the key to this task.

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Phil Douglis17-Jan-2011 19:30
The slanting staircase and ladder here do indeed reflect the dangerous nature of their profession. I often climbed this gangway when it was perfectly straight and firmly anchored, and took great care with each step. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to manage when the same steps are in the process of being detached from the side of the ship.
Carol E Sandgren16-Jan-2011 22:14
The angle of these ladders you use here seems to punctuate how dangerous this task must be to these brave workers. It certainly looks daunting.
Phil Douglis16-Jan-2011 00:20
Good point, Iris. I think being responsible for the safety of others is a perfect example of teamwork at its best. And that is why I gave it this title.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)15-Jan-2011 23:36
A wonderful addition to your gallery depicting the workplace. In this case, it's a potentially dangerous workplace where the need for teamwork and cooperation is especially important, even if it's a drill known by heart. Nothing can be taken for granted because each person is responsible not only for his own safety, but for the safety of others.
Phil Douglis14-Jan-2011 23:04
Thanks, Celia, for appreciating what I was trying to say with this image. The tilt is indeed important -- the task here demands careful balance and skill. The danger, as you note, of working at sea, is always present. The alignment of the crew is important as well. There is order, not random chaos. They work, as you say, in harmony, and that is what teamwork is all about.
Cecilia Lim14-Jan-2011 21:49
This image is wonderful! All jobs that expose humans to the elements of the ocean are dangerous, and I love how the tilt in this image gives a feeling of danger and edginess to what the men are doing here. Yet we get a sense of organization and orderliness that is so crucial in jobs like these through their harmonious movements and repeated rhythms of their uniforms.
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