- In an effort to enhance fatigue management IMO has amended the "fitness for duty - hours of rest" requirements to provide watch keepers on-board ships with increased rest periods on the latest STCW Amendments in line with the ILO MLC. Despite the fact that over the last 20 months STCW latest amendments are in place and ILO MLC is due for implementation by August the 20th a number of problems are experienced as follows: Problem # 1 : Inconsistency between work & Rest Hours IMO States in STCW Section A-VIII/1 : Fitness for duty that each crew member shall be provided with a rest period of not less than: a minimum of 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period; and 77 hours in any 7-day period. At the same time ILO MLC states the following rule on work/rest: (a) maximum hours of work shall not exceed: (i) 14 hours in any 24-hour period; and (ii) 72 hours in any seven-day period; or (b) minimum hours of rest shall not be less than: (i) ten hours in any 24-hour period; and (ii) 77 hours in any seven-day period.   The inconsistency lies to the fact that despite both regulations...

What does your sitting style or your voice tone say? What message do you send when you cross your arms? Mastering body language can have an effect not only on job interviews, presentations and social occasions, but also on your brain!

Being resilient means remaining a thriving enterprise despite the emerging challenges. Which are the capabilities, skills, and self-care practices that contribute in building professional resilience in maritime industry?

We have all tried to adopt a resilient life routine once with no results. Though everyone has 24 hours in a day, some people seem to always get much more done. Thus, how do they do it?

In today’s corporate life, dependent on negotiation, compromise, and collaboration, the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) cannot be understated. We hear that many organizations now use EQ testing in order to hire new staff. But, what's more important in determining life success? Our ability to learn and apply knowledge or emotional intelligence ?

It has been 30 years since the initial drafting and 20 years since the mandatory introduction and of the ISM Code. While a lot of ink has been spent around the globe, we do not have a clear structure on how to assess the effectiveness of the ISM Code and at the same time we have seen very limited reports on the subject. However, we have a clear understanding of how shipping stakeholders work and that will guide us to assess where we stand.

Organizations -  including maritime ones -  receive a large amount of emails every day. In most cases this can lead to disorganization or inefficiency. These business email tips will help you understand the email writing format!

Lately, there have been many signs that leadership development is being flawed; an assumption rising from the fact that although people search what behaviors to change in order to become a better leader, they do not search how to change those behaviors. It is of essence therefore, to generate a discussion on leadership development focusing on the self-awareness part, the foundation to ensure good leadership.

Anxiety: Either a short term "state" or a long term "trait". Studies have shown that although too much anxiety and stress make negative impact in the workplace, when in the right amount, they can enhance one’s performance. It is of essence, therefore that seafarers have the right answers to the following questions...

Think of smart phones, Google Applications, Amazon, smart aviation technologies or even smart cars! It is obvious that all the above and more will come also into shipping. Thus, what will be the future of the marine training look like?