Description: In this teaching session at the 1975 Society of Actuaries Los Angeles Spring Meeting, the presenter provides suggestions on how to make a more effective speech. Noting that our training and experience as actuaries provides us with the content for a presentation, this session focuses on the method and style of the presentation.

Description: In the midst of the activity and glitter of Times Square, one group of actuaries devoted an entire SOA meeting one morning to developing their communication knowledge and skills. The workshop titled, “Actuaries can Communicate,” was designed to identify ways to communicate more effectively as an actuary, to develop individual communication competence and to practice communication skills central to the work of an actuary. From The Stepping Stone, April 2005, Issue No. 18.

Description: One of the first observations I made at my new job was that while the setting and characters were different, much of the story line was very similar.

Description: I recently attended a conference where a succession of speakers crossed the line from self-absorption to rudeness. Indifferent to the obvious distress of their audience, they each rumbled interminably over their allotted 20-minute presentation times. From The Stepping Stone, April 2005, Issue No. 18.

Description: Over the last decade, the actuarial career has gained significant attention of entry level job-seekers as it continues to be one of the consistently top rated jobs in the market. There are different avenues to break into the profession, but one of the most common is through an Actuarial Student Program, where a company formally supports the exam progress of individuals through paid study materials, exam fees, and time off to study. Most programs also include an emphasis on development of leadership and communication skills. As the recruiter for MassMutual’s Actuarial Student Program, I get the opportunity to regularly share with candidates why I believe a student program is such a powerful springboard for a successful actuarial career. Profiled in the article is two actuarial students and one recent actuarial student program “graduate” to highlight the value a student program can bring to one’s professional development.

Description: This article describes team dynamics of introverts and extroverts, with an actuarial audience in mind. The article references the works of author Susan Cain.

Description: The author encourages planning ahead, setting the stage, facilitating effectively and time management as steps in creating meetings that are extremely valuable and and informative.

Description: Book summary and review of "Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results" by Judith E. Glaser. Summarizes the three main levels of conversation, how conversations can move from trusting to distrusting, and how to achieve conversational intelligence and Level III conversations.