Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
Last month, I started something new — something simple but meaningful. I wrote a letter to my dad for his 81st birthday. That letter wasn’t about making peace or fixing the past. It was about connection — sharing small but cherished memories that shaped how I see him, and showing him, in writing, how much he means to me. ...
We’ve all been there—staring at our screen, replaying a mistake we made at work, feeling that pit in our stomach. It happens to the best of us. Just recently, I found myself in this exact situation.
I had an important meeting with my big boss, and I knew I needed to be concise. My leader had even advised me to focus on just one row of a particular slide, but for some reason—maybe pride in my work, maybe just being half-asleep on a Monday morning—I explained all six rows in detail. ...
Every January, millions of people commit to New Year resolutions. “I want to lose 10 pounds,” “I’ll join a pickleball league,” or “I’ll be kinder to myself.” These resolutions often feel like they have a binary outcome: success or failure. For years, I avoided setting these types of goals because they felt rigid and defeating. Instead, I began focusing on who I wanted to become in the new year, rather than what I wanted to achieve. It was a subtle but transformative shift. ...
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and meaningful moments. Here’s to a 2025 full of adventure, growth, and plenty of fun!
I know it’s been a while since my last post—I’ve missed connecting with you. Life had its own plans for me recently, involving unexpected work travel, my daughter’s knee surgery, and a health scare with excessive bleeding. But I’m back, and I’ll share more details in future posts. ...
When I take the time to explain the context of the work ahead, what we can do next together, and share my thoughts on challenges, my partners gradually start to see the whole picture. Yes, it can feel repetitive, but the process of “talking to the duck” builds a foundational understanding that goes deeper than a one-time briefing. My partners begin to connect the dots for themselves, anticipate what’s needed, and can even make informed decisions without waiting for me to spell things out each time. This understanding means they can proactively suggest solutions or spot potential issues sooner. ...
When you’re proactive, driven, and focused, there’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with someone who doesn’t share that same urgency. For me, this usually looks like poor communication, last-minute cancellations, or even a total lack of follow-through. I’ve been navigating this dynamic recently, and it’s tested my patience and taught me about letting go of what I can’t control. Here’s how I’ve been managing the situation and keeping my own sanity in the process. ...
We’ve all been there: waking up feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, unsure how you’ll get through the day. That was me last Monday. I was juggling four major projects, all of them in different stages of chaos (or at least it felt that way). One of the projects involved a teammate who I wasn’t convinced knew how to do their part, while another project had a team entirely new to the effort. I couldn’t even gauge their motivation because, so far, no one had taken any real action. Then there was a project where I wasn’t sure what the next steps should be. Trying to tackle all of this at once made my mind feel scattered and unfocused. ...