The holiday rush starts early for us at Lydia Mar Manila. By November, several of our principals fly in to meet and speak with crew, normally over a hearty meal. These relaxed lunches have always been great opportunities for crew and clients to dialogue, exchange ideas, provide feedback, and deliver updates.
Crew also attended various trainings and workshops hosted by our principals and partners. Mastermind Shipmanagement held a special ratings seminar to discuss career growth, safety, and some exciting news from the company.
Meanwhile, the Mission to Seafarers (MtS) conducted a workshop on Social-Wellbeing for crew, where attendees learned techniques on how to manage long-distance relationships and communication challenges. According to Martin Scheerbarth, Managing Director of Lydia Mar Athens, they are keen to mount more online or face-to-face social-wellbeing seminars with the Mission to Seafarers, to reach more crew and their families. You can read more about the Social-Wellbeing program on the MtS website.
Similar to previous years, a leadership training was also held, but this year had a specific focus—Conflict Management. Conflict is normal in everyday life, including life onboard. Most people view conflict as a win-lose situation but some conflict can also be constructive and may serve as a path towards the best decisions without disrespecting anyone. Bedrock Consulting and its trainer, Nonie, workshopped the leadership ranks of of Lydia Mar Athens, Lydia Mar Hamburg, and Nova Marine Carriers, to give them the tools and knowledge on how to manage conflict properly. At the end of the day, it’s about respect, as one of our participants said it, his favorite portion was, “Explaining the factors and all aspects of communication and treating each other with respect”
And finally, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a Christmas celebration! Lydia Mar Manila wrapped up all the activities from the week with a Denim & Disco Night Party at the AMOSUP Convention Hall in Intramuros. Manila. Raffle prizes, performances, and an all-night-long dance floor were among the highlights of the evening. Wanna see what went down? Read up on our Christmas Party feature here.
