Jørgen has turned his back on soft wrappings!

Jørgen Mathiassen, chief engineer on the ’Esvagt Alpha’, is the daily leader for one of two alternating first mates on board – and sometimes a trainee.

The ESVAGT Leadership Education has given him insight into some of the mechanisms that he recognised from his daily life – and strengthened his belief that he can solve the challenges that may come his way:

“It has confirmed that much of what we do is right, so we will do more of it,” says Jørgen Mathiassen:

“We have also gained new skills and tools that I am working on taking into practice. I previously focussed on the good things when giving feedback. I didn’t talk about the things that weren’t working well or were inexpedient. And if I did, I parcelled it in with soft wrappings on either side. Now I am more direct. If something is not working, then I say so. I do not shout or get annoyed – but I do say it,” he says.

For Jørgen Mathiassen, delivering constructive criticism strengthens his leadership.

“It makes me think about things more than I did before. When I think that something needs to be done in a different way, then I need to communicate it. I need to explain what it is that I am dissatisfied with – this makes me think more than I would if I merely ignored it,” he says.

Another element that has been taken on board is personality profiles:

“Putting people into boxes is fascinating and is something that we do subconsciously all the time. Now we have the skills to react to what we observe and an insight into how to handle the various types of people so that our interaction is a positive experience,” says Jørgen Mathiassen.

The module on ’psychological fusing’ has also been taken on board. When the ’Esvagt Sigma’ rescued four sailors from a wrecked schooner in the North Sea, the sailors were transferred to the ’Esvagt Alpha’, which was on its way to a crew change on the ’Esvagt Sigma’.

“We had a good talk to the sailors about what had happened to start them on their journey to process what had happened. I thought ‘how can I help here’, which turned in to a good dialogue that could prepare them for the reaction they were likely to experience,” says Jørgen Mathiassen.

“It has also taught me a great deal about my role. I am acutely aware that if something needs changing, then that change needs to start with me,” points out Jørgen Mathiassen:

“I once saw management demonstrate with boiled spaghetti: If you want to move it from one end of the table to the other, then pushing won’t help. If you pull it, then it will move. As a leader, you need to go first!”