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: Actuarial Speed Cubers in Wonderland

Description: Latest in series of articles exploring the adaptation of Buddhist philosophy to actuarial practice. This installment examines the challenges for actuaries in dealing with pain points in actuarial work, and how to best manage these forces so that the work remains aligned with professional standards.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation. This issue’s case study involved a candidate for an actuarial position who didn't handle salary discussions well, and whether that should impact the hiring decision.

Description: A real life situation is posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision, and readers are invited to submit the irresponses to "What Would You Do?" This issue’s case study involved a staff performance issue faced by an actuary new to management.

Description: Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy that focuses on organizational success through serving and enriching the lives of the employees. As employees become engaged the organization becomes more vibrant, sustainable and successful. Four primary principles are discussed: Create an Environment for Employee Growth; Provide Employees What the Need to Thrive; Remove Obstacles to Employee Achievement; Help Employees Reach Organizational and Personal Goals. Trust, creativity, shared vision, listening, job skills and personal attention lift employees up, creating high quality, engaged employees that help drive organizational success and create a pool from which the next generation of leaders for the company will emerge.

Description: In this session Chris Lombardi FSA, MAAA, CERA discusses insights form the book “The Coaching Habit” by Michael Bungay Stanier, focusing on effective techniques for facilitating conversations during manager meetings. The goal is to encourage genuine curiosity and active listening, allowing the other person to steer the conversation’s direction. Key questions, such as “What’s on your mind?” and “And what else?” are highlighted to promote meaningful dialogue, discover underlying issues, and help individuals improve personally and professionally through self-awareness and proactive decision-making. Contributors Chris Lombardi FSA, MAAA, CERA, Anthony Champi, FSA MAA, Jing Lang, FSA, FCIA, FLMI, MAA, Jon Forster ASA, MAAA

Description: In this video Anthony Champi, FSA MAAA takes you through the journey from an Individual contributor to a leader of people. Anthony is a Director of Actuarial at Prudential Financial. He has over 15 years experience in actuarial work and is a member of the Society of Actuaries Professional Development Curriculum and Content Creation Council. He emphasizes the importance of developing leadership skills in the actuarial field, regardless of one’s position on the organizational chart. He highlights key differences between individual contributors and leaders of people, including the shift in accountability from personal deliverables to team deliverables and the need to continuous learning and setting expectations as a leader.

Description: This video is presented by Chris Lombardi FSA, MAAA, CERA who is an Associate Director at Willis Towers Watson. Chris has been an actuarial consultant for over a decade serving a variety of clients. Chris has a passion for managing and mentoring and outside of work is a wrestling coach. In this video Chris passionately discusses his approach to people development within a professional context, drawing parallels between coaching individuals and training high-level athletes. He emphasizes the importance of clarity, action, belief in oneself, and building trust are objectives in his coaching philosophy. Contributors Chris Lombardi, FSA, MAAA CERA, Anthony Champi FSA, MAAA, Jing Lang, FSA, FCIA, FLMI, MAAA, Jon Forster ASA, MAAA

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision. This issue’s case study involved an actuary who received disappointing news from his boss, and what he should do in reaction to it