When you hear “ Performance Management,” what comes to mind?
Spreadsheets. Performance targets. Metrics. Micromanagement. Another tick-box exercise from corporate life creeping into yachting?
It’s time to rethink that.
In fact, I encourage vessels to move away from the concept of performance management entirely and shift toward performance reviews — genuine, two-way conversations that strengthen relationships, clarify expectations, and support growth. And at the centre of effective performance reviews lies a tool many yachts still overlook: KPIs.
Yes — KPIs. But not the kind you’re used to.
In the luxury yachting sector, where exceptional service relies on teamwork, emotional intelligence, and human dynamics, KPIs can become something far more meaningful than checklists or productivity markers. When designed intentionally, with the individual in mind, KPIs create clarity, accountability, engagement, and a measurable pathway for development.
Let me show you how.
Rethinking KPIs through a human lens
Where do we measure psychological safety, morale, communication, teamwork, or human value?
These are the indicators that make or break a season, yet they too often go unmeasured.
As part of our Uplevel Program, we’ve been working with several vessels to build holistic HR systems that blend leadership coaching with human-centric KPIs. One 50m charter yacht in particular experienced this shift firsthand.
On paper, performance looked fine. Below the surface, our one-on-one crew debriefs told a different story: low morale, departmental silos, and crew feeling undervalued. What they wanted most wasn’t a pizza night or another team-building session, it was feedback, direction, and a sense of growth. But many heads of department had never been trained to conduct performance reviews that were anything more than administrative tasks.
The problem wasn’t lack of effort; it was lack of structure.
Designing KPIs that measure what matters
Together with the heads of department, we co-designed a customized KPI matrix that measured not just operational performance, but the vessel’s core cultural behaviours.
Some of the people-centred KPIs included:
- Respectful Communication: Does the crew member navigate conflict calmly and constructively?
- Team Contribution: Do they step in and support colleagues during pressure points?
- Self-Management: Are they consistent, reliable, and self-aware?
- Growth Mindset: Do they participate meaningfully in feedback, coaching, and learning opportunities?
These KPIs weren’t handed down from the bridge. They were co-created with the crew. For many vessels, this is where the magic happens: everyone understands what “good leadership” and “effective teamwork” look like because they helped define it.
The impact?
Fairness increased. Expectations became transparent. Trust began to rebuild.
From Metrics to Momentum
Focus on supporting the crew to reach… Growth is the goal
Once these KPIs were embedded into their performance appraisals and 1:1 leadership check-ins, a shift occurred.
A junior deckhand who felt unseen suddenly had a clear path forward; she could identify exactly what she needed to improve to progress in her career. With coaching and KPI-aligned mentoring, she became one of the most motivated crew on board.
In the galley, a chef who often struggled under pressure learned to regulate his emotions and communicate more calmly with the interior team. With consistent feedback loops, he strengthened not just his performance, but his relationships.
KPIs that cultivate culture
When done well, KPIs don’t just measure performance.
They shape culture.
They help the crew understand what’s expected of them not only in terms of tasks, but in how they treat each other. They make feedback conversations objective and psychologically safe. And they provide a roadmap for progression, something crew constantly say they want, yet rarely receive.
For the captain of this vessel, KPIs became a time-saver and a stress-reducer. Instead of reactive management, he now had structured, consistent systems that aligned leadership across all departments.
The outcomes were undeniable:
- Reduced turnover
- Stronger cohesion
- Higher engagement
- More open communication
- A noticeable lift in morale
Making it work on your vessel
If you’re curious about how to embed KPIs that serve both performance and people, consider starting here:
- Redefine what success looks like
Include behaviours, communication, and leadership traits, not just job tasks. - Make KPIs collaborative
Involve crew in defining and refining them. Buy-in is everything. - Integrate with appraisals & coaching
Use KPIs as the bridge between self-reflection, feedback, and career development. - Measure progress, not perfection
Focus on supporting the crew to reach higher metric scores than the previous year.. Growth is the goal, not policing.
The bottom line?
KPIs are not just about getting more done. They’re about getting better together.
In yachting, where the quality of crew dynamics directly affects service, safety, and longevity, we can’t afford to treat performance like a checklist. If we want to retain talent, we need to focus on the human-centric metrics.
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