Management

Got bigger plans for your career and your life? Use this collection of must-read articles, many of which were written by actuaries, for actuaries, to help you get where you want to go. Got an idea for an article of your own? Contact us at imagewatch@soa.org.

Use the Competency Checklist for Better Performance Coaching by David C. Miller
Many people enter management positions without any training on how to develop people. There's a simple tool that can help managers be effective at navigating these issues. I call it the competency checklist.

A Day in the Life of a Delegator by David M. Walczak
Why delegate? If done right, it yields benefits on so many levels, and can dramatically increase your own job satisfaction.

CEOs Who Inspire and How They Do It - from Forbes.com by Tara Weiss
A series of brief profiles of CEOs who inspire workers to go the extra mile.

How Engaged a Leader Are You? - from Harvard Business Online by Gill Corkindale
Is it lonely at the top? Develop your social acumen to engage and retain your employees.

Are You a Six-Dimensional Leader? by David C. Miller
Six dimensional leaders are insightful, flexible and connected. They listen, motivate and inspire. Is this you?

Right Fielders of Actuarial Science by Michael Braunstein, ASA, MAAA
Much like a Little League team, you want to put your best performers in key positions--and get bad players to perform better.

"Wow, You Flubbed it Fred!" The Art of Giving Constructive Criticism by Maureen Wild
Unless you are supervising a dream team, delivering evaluations can be challenging and uncomfortable, but, with a little forethought and finesse, this part of your job does not have to make you reach for the Rolaids.

Unlock the People Power of Your Organization by David Wolfskehl
Have you ever wondered why you need to carefully manage certain areas of employees' performance, while in others they perform wonderfully without much guidance?

Are You in Ship Shape? by David M. Walczak, FSA, MAAA
Captain D. Michael Abrashoff took over the USS Benfold in 1997 with the personal mission of making it “the best damn ship in the navy” by improving morale and performance in measurable ways. The tactics used and explanations for choosing them were not only credible, they were applicable to situations in any life or business context.

Three Myths of Management by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton
The catalogue of poor decision practices is immense, but we focus here on three of the most common and, in our experience, most harmful to companies.

A 12-Step Program for Management Effectiveness by Vincent J. Granieri, FSA, MAAA, EA
Here is a useful template to eliminating unproductive managerial behavior and improving effectiveness.

Aligning Tasks to Gain Maximum Advantage by Vincent J. Granieri, FSA, MAAA, EA
By integrating and aligning seemingly disparate activities, great gains ensue due to consistency of approach and economies of scale.

Coach Your Way to Managerial Success by David S. Duncan, FSA, MAAA
Find out the difference between managing and coaching.

Managerially Speaking: The Suboptimization of Optimization by Marcel M. Gingras, FSA, FCIA
Decide how to best organize specific functions within your company’s organizational structure

Managerially Speaking: Why is the Machine Leaking? by Marcel Gingras, FSA, FCIA
Identify and learn to avoid causes of potential failure within your organization.

Managerially Speaking: So What have I Learned? by Marcel Gingras, FSA, FCIA
Many people have tried to turn management and leadership into what it was never really meant to be, i.e. the application of complex principles that appear to be recreated with passing generations of management gurus. The author’s view is that management principles should be simple and withstand the passage of time.

Your Biggest Business Risk? It May be Your Next Hire by Jennifer L. Gillespie, FSA, MAAA
Valuable members of this candidate’s potential team are at risk he or she creates a work environment that is too frustrating or unrewarding.