Description: Based on the book “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” written by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, the four skills necessary to improve EQ are– 1) self-awareness; 2) self-management; 3)social awareness; and 4) relationship management. This article explores the skill of self-awareness by sharing examples and personal stories, highlighting three strategies to practice. In addition to lowering stress and becoming happier, having a greater ability to regulate our emotions gives us confidence, helps us communicate better, allows us to understand multiple perspectives, builds trusting relationships, and frees us from our assumptions and biases. Ultimately, this gives us more potential to influence other sand make better decisions.

Description: Investing in and taking care of employees can result in many-faceted positive results, for your team and for your firm. We first state the case for "taking care of employees," then exhibit several practical methods for showing you care for your employees.

Description: What are the keys to creating the sort of actuarial career that leads to senior leadership roles? Is it to put more and more work into your technical skills, or to develop the 'soft skills' that make you standout among other actuaries? Learn one of the keys to self-marketing in a natural way, so you can make sure that opportunities find you.

Description: The author describes the Society of Actuaries’ Competency Framework [CF], and discusses how actuaries can benefit from using the CF Self-Assessment Tool, which measures your skill level for each of the eight competencies. At the end of the assessment, a PDF file is generated that graphically shows your results along with all the supporting detail. From ‘The Stepping Stone’ issue number 43.

Description: The author, working in his sixth insurance organization, notes the key consideration is having a direction for your life, emphasizing life, not career. The author discusses taking time to write your goals for both your personal and professional life, including career goals, personal goals, and family goals. The author notes that the balance of professional and personal priorities changes over time, so this is definitely not something you only do once in your life, and the goals for your career and the goals of your family need to be reconsidered and discussed throughout your career. From ‘The Stepping Stone’ issue number 43.

Description: This article offers steps readers can consider taking when dealing with a negative boss.

Description: This article explains what to do when you've concluded that a job or assignment isn't for you.

Description: This article describes how we can choose to accept our setbacks in life and in our careers, or challenge ourselves to push through them.

Description: How the philosophy of Siddhartha (think, fast, and wait) applies to the business world today.