Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
Two weeks ago, I heard Ed Gilligan, the President of American Express (AMEX), speak at a Leadership Conference in Arizona. After listening to him for an hour, I said to myself – “I want to work for him!” His speech was the highlight of the conference. Even though I didn’t know Ed, I had a glimpse of the type of leader he is through the stories he shared. ...
Every presenters have one common goal – keep the audience’s attention. That’s why it’s important to use effective presenting tips to engage your audience. The last thing you want from your audience during a presentation is a yawn. Or nodding off. Or fiddling with their mobile phones. You don’t want a scene that puts your hours and hours of preparation down the drain. You want people to absorb your main points and have a remarkable experience during your talk. ...
Last week, Sarah, a fellow Wharton classmate, asked me this question: “How do I find my next career opportunity if I am a generalist? Do I need to figure out what function I want to specialize in first?.” Here is the background of Sarah’s story.
Sarah loves working with people and she has worked in a varieties of roles leading many teams from marketing, HR, to project management and operations in the last 15 years. Now she is wondering whether she is focused enough to keep progressing in the current company and how to find the next career opportunity. ...
Can you take a career break – time off from work to do other things like travel or be a full time mom? If so, how long can you safely take a career break if you want to come back to work afterwards. These are popular questions among new mothers with young children as well as from anyone who is burnt out by their career and need a break. ...
Making a mid career change, a career change around the age of 40 or 45, is a courageous decision. It is possible for anyone in their mid-life to do this, as long as they understand the trade-offs involved.
Below is a great question I received from a reader who is considering a mid career change, and 4 tips I had for her that would make this change possible. ...
Achieving work life balance takes self-awareness, making tough choices, and being disciplined. As a recovering over-achiever and perfectionist, this is hard for me. My natural tendency with any job is to err on the side of working over-time and prioritizing my job above anything else. The only reason I was able to maintain a healthy work life balance for the last six years was by contracting instead of working as a full time employee. Being paid by the hour reminded me constantly to stay un-attached and avoid over-working. ...
Dealing with a difficult boss is always a sensitive topic. We don’t always know if we should say anything, or how we should go about addressing our issues with them. This is why I am excited to introduce another candid conversation with one of our Executive Authors, Lynn Marie Auzenne.
In this recording, we discussed Lynn Marie’s first business job. Her boss was mysteriously difficult, and we’ll see what she did in response: ...