Description: The article describes principles for optimal sub-tasking of a project goal. Two experiments each one comparing different approaches are presented. A summary of principles for optimal goal setting presents seven key points: i)levels of outcome goals should be recognizable and lack ambiguity; ii) each subtask should be atomic, i.e. not be capable of being broken up into further subtasks, iii) the subtasks should be uniform, lacking ambiguity, so that any new trainee could master it without the need for further guidance; iv) each subtask should be attainable in a reasonable amount of time; v) mentor feedback should be provided during the initial stages of learning or training; vi) upon mastery of each subtask trainees should be encouraged to maximize their overall score; vii) after mastery of individual subtasks, while attempting to maximize scores, trainees should be provided with a mixture of easy, intermediate, and difficult tasks.

Description: A brief overview of last year's Education & Research Section Council work, accomplishments and challenges from its outgoing chair.

Description: Hear from three actuaries on their experiences working remotely in 2020 and beyond. Each participant will have a distinct viewpoint on remote work based on their situation, including: Liz Dietrich, who led her Prudential team through the initial shift to remote work during the pandemic and will address the team’s next steps. Amanda Hug, who joined Willis Towers Watson during the pandemic by interviewing remotely and then learned to integrate into the corporate culture the same way. Vincent Xuan, who will provide insight around how his team at Equitable adapted to remote work. During this webcast, the panel will share: Their perspectives based on their unique situations Best practices and leadership tips for managing teams and workloads remotely Thoughts on how we did as an industry with the shift to remote work Leadership skills that are critical for moving forward in a hybrid (remote and in-person) world

Description: Read about how a great leader lays a tone upon which the harmonics of their followers are naturally amplified, rallying them together, while the tone of a great follower provides harmonics that further provide a layer of resonance for supporting those around them. These qualities help drive motivation, morale, and productivity within an organization.

Description: The average person spends from one third to one half of every waking hour thinking about the past or present. We talk to ourselves when we do. Psychologists have identified three steps you can take to make your self-talk more positive. This will make you happier and better able to achieve the goals you set at home and at work.

Description: It’s tough climbing the corporate ladder as an Asian woman in the United States. In my journey, I wish I had a mentor to share their experience, clarify what I was facing, reassure me that I was not alone and guide me. That’s why I’m sharing my experience managing three cultural norms that I found most challenging professionally: 1. Obey your elders. 2. Pass exams and focus on technical skills. 3. Do not rock the boat or want too much.

Description: In this article, I give a few notes as the outgoing chair of the Education and Research Section Council.

Description: It was an honor, for Dr. Tianyang Wang, Co-Eeditor of Expanding Horizons, to have this Fireside Chat had a great conversation with Dr. Guillen Guillen Estany in January 2023, and invited her for this featured Fireside Chat interview which resulted in a great conversation.

Description: News for the SOA International Section members

Description: We explore the question of how an actuary–artificial intelligence collaboration might look in the future and how actuaries should be trained to best leverage this technology. It felt fitting to accomplish this through a conversation with an AI system, as AI involvement is warranted to ground the analysis in the technology’s true capabilities.