12 April 2007

‘I love what I do – I think I’ve got the best job in the Royal Navy,’ says lieutenant commander John Scivier. Many people would agree. John is commanding officer of HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned warship in the world and a national icon of maritime heritage – famed for leading Nelson to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. John’s job involves orchestrating on-board ceremonial events such as formal dinners and medal presentation ceremonies. ‘As commanding officer, it’s up to me to show senior figures round the ship so I need to be up to speed on 250 years of naval history - not just on Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar.’

Fully integrated within Portsmouth Historical Dockyard, the ship is a major tourist icon attracting 380,000 visitors a year. ‘I’m ultimately responsible for its PR, media and marketing,’ he says. ‘Until I arrived I had no real experience of these things so it’s been a steep learning curve.’ Managing the ship’s variation of personnel also poses challenges. ‘While sailors might be used to military discipline, civil servants are not,’ he says. ‘One has to adopt a different management style in consideration of this fact’.

‘Military personnel have one type of annual appraisal system, but civil servants have another’ John continues. ‘Plus, civil servants have different legislation controlling them than the military - for example, I need to know simple things like overtime rules and sickness absence. It makes HR harder but I enjoy it.’

John sees his current role as a good stepping stone as he approaches his Royal Navy ‘twilight years’. He has another year on HMS Victory, then up to another six in the Royal Navy. ‘But whether I stay that long depends on promotion and other factors. If the right civilian opportunity comes up I may take it,’ he says.

With this possible transition in mind, he joined ILM last year. ‘It’s helped familiarise me with the ethos of civilian management, including the similarities and differences with the military. And there’s no doubt that having ILM Fellow after my name on business cards sets me apart. It shows I have that extra level of commitment.’