Description: What would happen when the use of computerized two-digit date fields used through all of the latter half of the 1900s encountered the date 01/01/2000? No one knew. As Jan. 1, 2000, drew closer, self-preservation forces, competition, liability shifts, and disclaimers heated up essentially across all commercial sectors. The contemporaneous documents of those pressures tell a story about those who did not know the outcome of the Y2K issue, primarily as related to liability, risk and insurance. In this exciting article, Nancy P. James, Licensed Insurance Adviser and Y2K expert, shares the untold story of risk and insurance at the dawn of the Millenium.

Description: In this interview, Caroline Grégoire, formerly from Hannover Re, and now international mentor, coach, trainer and speaker, shares her views on how mentoring can support you on your career path and how it also benefits the reinsurance industry as a whole.

Description: In "Are You Leading Your Actuarial Organization with the Right Mind?" by Tim Hebert, the author explores leading with emotional intelligence amid challenges. Distinguishing between reactive and thoughtful responses, the article underscores the importance of intentional leadership and urges actuarial leaders to develop mindfulness skills. The "right mind" is introduced as a state of emotional intelligence, advocating for leaders to choose thoughtful responses over impulsive reactions. The article delves into the dual nature of the human mind, highlighting the cluttered and reactive "thinking mind" and the neutral "observing mind" that provides a broader perspective. Actuarial leaders are encouraged to leverage their observing minds for intentional and thoughtful decision-making. Emphasizing the balance between leadership and management, the article urges leaders to increase their consciousness levels for objective responses in times of change. Overall, Tim Hebert promotes the mastery of the mind as essential for effective leadership in the actuarial realm, inviting readers to cultivate intentional and mindful approaches even during crises.

Description: Dovel Technologies started as a two-person company, and by the time we sold to Private Equity in late 2019, Dovel had more than 1,200 people on its payroll. In this article, the authors (and cofounders of Dovel) describe two concepts that helped Dovel grow that actuaries can apply to help grow their firms.

Description: Effective strategic planning can have a profound effect on the development of your team and the growth and direction of your actuarial organization. This article shares the elements that will set you up for success before the meeting even begins.

Description: A summary about the first book club discussion on Never Split the Difference. Insights on key negotiation elements are discussed in the article.

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: This article covers the importance of letting teams lead you as a leader, that it's okay to admit you're not okay even at work, and that it's important to find informal ways for virtual teams to connect.

Description: Read how to combine people management and mentorship to create positive and open environments and improve employee engagement and productivity.

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.