Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
I continue to be in awe of my older daughter, Isabel, as she tackles the challenges of recovering from her ACL surgery. This past week marked her return to school, which brought a whole new set of hurdles. With one leg locked in a straight brace and unable to bear weight, her determination has been nothing short of inspiring. ...
We had done everything we could to prepare: found an excellent surgeon, scheduled the procedure to minimize impact on her schoolwork, stocked up on medications, and followed every pre-op instruction. Yet, I felt powerless. I wished I could take her pain away.
It all started with a fluke accident during a casual one-on-one street soccer scrimmage in early August. At first, the X-ray suggested she had simply tweaked her knee, and we expected her to be back at soccer practice in two months. But when the instability lingered, an MRI revealed the truth: a completely torn ACL and a possible meniscus tear. The diagnosis meant a four-hour surgery, two grueling weeks of recovery, three months on crutches, and a year before returning to soccer. ...
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. ...
Let’s face it—life can be a bit of a rollercoaster. We all have those moments where things just don’t go our way, and it’s easy to get stuck in the unfairness of it all. But here’s the thing: how we react to these bumps in the road can make all the difference. We can either sit and sulk, or we can pick ourselves up, dust off, and keep going with a bit more grit and determination. ...
Last week, I came across a piece of wisdom in a newsletter that struck a chord with me during a pivotal time in my life, and I felt compelled to share it with you, believing it might resonate with you too.
Recently, I embarked on a new journey in a strategy role, filled with uncertainty and undefined goals. The ambiguity of what’s within my control and what achievements are attainable this year had started to weigh on me. However, the story I’m about to share has offered me a new perspective on focusing on what I can influence rather than what’s beyond my reach. It’s my hope that this story might offer you a similar sense of relief and renewed focus in your endeavors. ...
I grew up believing “If I cannot do it well, I shouldn’t do it at all.” Perhaps this is a typical Asian upbringing and teaching. I am not even sure my parents actually said that to me. However after receiving many “talks” from my dad about how I could have gotten a better grade on a test (e.g, 100 points vs 93), I think I told myself the above as I don’t want to “disappoint” my dad or get an extra long lecture. ...
This seems like such a counter-intuitive question. Usually when things go “wrong,” we can have a pretty negative response. This may include anger, frustration, disappointment, fear, guilt, or any number of negative emotions. Aren’t we justified to feel these in a “bad” situation? Perhaps or perhaps not. While it’s natural to feel the sting of any unexpected situation when it first happens, how long we keep feeling that sting is our own choice. We can keep recounting the unfairness of what happens for days, weeks, months or we can choose a different perspective – look for the gift and opportunity in the situation and act from there. Let me explain with an example. ...