Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
“I am not good enough yet.” That has been an inner voice of mine for about 40 years. I probably started saying this to myself when I was a kid. Whenever I came home with test scores, my mom would congratulate me but my dad would focus on the points I missed. Even if I got 97 out of 100, most of our conversation would be about what happened to those three points and how I could avoid missing them next time. ...
Have you ever walked out of a presentation you led thinking, “That was such a waste of time. I spent hours preparing, yet somehow what I had been asked to prepare wasn’t even what the senior leader wanted to discuss. Worst of all, I walked away with feedback that I needed to become a better presenter.” ...
For the past few months, I’ve been struggling with what to write. Not because I have nothing to say. But because I want what I write to be both true to where I am today and genuinely helpful to you.
Fifteen years ago, I started Be My Career Coach with a simple goal: to help people build better careers. I never imagined thousands of readers would come along for the journey. Many of you have been reading Be My Career Coach for years. Some of you have written to tell me an article helped you negotiate a promotion, navigate a difficult boss, become a better leader, or simply feel less alone at work. ...
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how it’s possible to feel two completely opposite emotions at the same time. As the parent of an 18-year-old entering adulthood, I’ve discovered that pride and heartbreak can exist side by side.
My daughter turned 18 in May and graduated from high school. She is standing at the edge of adulthood—excited for college, independence, and the life waiting ahead of her. ...
A reader I’ll call Kate recently asked me an important question that I think many high performers quietly struggle with.
Kate had been feeling increasingly overwhelmed at work. Over the last six months, her responsibilities had grown significantly. She had taken on more projects, more coordination work, more decision-making, and more “small” tasks that often accumulate around strong performers because people trust them to get things done. ...
As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom and how much her love shaped me over the course of my life.
When I was younger, I don’t think I fully appreciated it. Like many children, I think I simply assumed my mom would always be there — supporting me, worrying about me, comforting me, encouraging me, and loving me quietly in the background of my life. ...
I’ve cried three times a week this past month — and not because I was sad. The tears came from something deeper: the painful realization of how brutal my inner critic has been for years. Not a gentle voice encouraging growth, but a harsh one constantly telling me I am behind, lacking, or still not enough. ...