Description: When you hear the word 'feedback,' do you cringe? Do you want to give a colleague advice but don't want it to backfire? There are good reasons why no one likes to get or give feedback. But how do we deliver better outcomes at work without it? In this session, learn why legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry was a master at driving excellence and what you can learn from his approach. You'll learn why traditional feedback methods fail and how criticism actually inhibits learning. We'll dig into recent feedback trends and the old standbys to understand why they might not work for you. Using coaching techniques and the latest thinking, learn how to talk through issues, share your reactions and inspire team members and colleagues to excel. You'll leave this session armed with tools and techniques to have more productive conversations with your boss, team members and colleagues.

Description: Relationship management is your ability to use your awareness of your own emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully. Given enough time and quality exchanges, we can form a relationship with any person we encounter. We should strive to develop positive relationships with people we like, and even with those we don’t like as much. Once established, both parties will understand each other better and benefit from the connection. Relationships can be challenging, especially at work or under stress. Skillfully managing them will help you initiate direct and productive conversations to alleviate misunderstandings, solve conflicts and achieve desired goals. This article explores strategies to develop the skill of relationship management.

Description: Gearing up-- exploring the rewards for completing the SoA Competency Framework tools of Self-Assessment and Personal Development Plan.

Description: The authors share eight vulnerabilities that leaders need to watch out for.

Description: The article hits highlights of of an annual meeting session that featured Sue Ann Collins, Sharon Giffen, and Tonya Manning discussing everything from career development to work life balance.

Description: What does rappelling down a building have to do with an actuarial career? One actuary connects the dots between her personal interests and her career trajectory. Read on to find out how you too can piece together this puzzle of hobby and career!

Description: Read the March 2020 issue of Actuary of the Future, published by the Actuary of the Future Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: As a dynamic entrepreneur, the question is not if you’ll need to prepare for high-stakes, emotionally charged conversations, but when you will have them. If you’re looking toward a business conversation where you want the outcome to be positive-oriented and forward-looking, there is some risk involved. It is worth your time to prepare and differentiate yourself before any words are spoken. Risk, in this situation, means that it could negatively or positively impact one or more of the following: Relationships, business outcomes, timing/efficiency, quality metrics, performance, or more. There is a literal cost to this kind of conversation going wrong! In this article, Libby Wagner shows actuarial entrepreneurs how to hold tough conversations that demonstrate respect and bring about the results they want.

Description: Highlight how actuaries can extend their influence beyond traditional insurance roles. Drawing on personal experiences, it illustrates how problem-solving, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration enable actuaries to tackle healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial challenges. The article encourages actuaries to embrace innovation and reimagine their career paths, ultimately amplifying their impact on organizations and society.

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.