In the modern world, professional museum staff are all managers. Maritime museums are basically like any other museum in their management needs. The crucial element in any museum is a loyal, energetic staff. The best museum staff structure is flexible and good at handling compromises. Rigid distinctions between curators and administrators need to be broken down. In a maritime museum, technical expertise gained through practical experience, such as in a shipyard, is necessary. As individuals rise in the museum hierarchy, decision making becomes an increasingly important part of the job. The central problem in museum staffing is making sure that those who rise to a decision making level are fully competent technically and academically. Recruitment of talented young people who can acquire these skills, and providing them with a varied background in the museum world, will provide the museum professionals of the future.