Description: Two actuaries describe how taking an improvisational acting class can help in the business world, with specific examples of improvisational techniques as they relate to actuarial work.

Description: Gaining people management skills from Captain D. Michael Abrashoff's book, "Its Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy"

Description: Description of focus group research conducted in 2013 by the Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of how people make decisions about when to retire and about managing financial risks in retirement. Eight focus groups of financially resource constrained retirees who had retired voluntarily were interviewed. The report offers many quotes from retirees and a chance to “give a face” to much of what we say about retirement.

Description: View article from The Actuary August/September 2014 – Volume 11, Issue 4: Most Frequently Asked Questions

Description: The right mindset is essential to success in any number of arenas.

Description: Humor in the workplace can improve productivity. This article describes a typical office relationship problem and how humor helped disparate teams work together.

Description: This article is a review of the book by Joshua Foer. It covers the history of memory techniques, the way a human brain organizes memory, and various problems and successes in memory recall. The author starts by interviewing memory savants, and learns from them that the ability to perform seemingly impossible memory tricks is simply a matter of studying and practicing proven techniques used for millennia. This review suggests that actuaries can benefit greatly from some of these techniques despite the availability of electronic hand-held devices to recall facts because the person who does not need to rely upon such devices can have a huge perceptual advantage in executive presentations.

Description: This article is a review of the book by Joshua Foer. It covers the history of memory techniques, the way a human brain organizes memory, and various problems and successes in memory recall. The author starts by interviewing memory savants, and learns from them that the ability to perform seemingly impossible memory tricks is simply a matter of studying and practicing proven techniques used for millennia. This review suggests that actuaries can benefit greatly from some of these techniques despite the availability of electronic hand-held devices to recall facts because the person who does not need to rely upon such devices can have a huge perceptual advantage in executive presentations.

Description: Emotional Intelligence: Why you need it, and how you can increase it

Description: This article discusses the actuarial profession and its role and needed skill set development going forward in meeting the needs of businesses for risk management and capital management