Apple CEO Tim Cook has outlined the company's new hybrid-working model in a staff memo, giving office workers the choice of remote working on Wednesdays and Fridays with the rest of the week to be spent in the office, starting in September. The company also is giving employees the chance to work remotely for two weeks each year.

Finding a job after incarceration can be extremely difficult, leaving people in cycle of poverty, and advocates say there must be more funding and support for reentry programs. Janie Ocejo, who has a social work background, struggled after release until she found a nonprofit willing to take a chance on her, and later JustDane, which hired Ocejo because of her social work experience and her criminal record to support others in similar situations.

The average pay for CEOs increased by almost 16% in 2020, compared with a 1.8% rise for the average employee, according to a preliminary study by the Economic Policy Institute. The study's author, Lawrence Mishel, says the full report will likely reveal "CEO compensation will hit, by far, its historic peak in 2020," adding that the "results indicate a continued sharp rise of inequality during a pandemic."

Make your team feel valued by taking time to get to know what they do, what motivates them, what their thoughts are and use that knowledge to create a culture that challenges them to grow, writes retired US Coast Guard Admiral Sandy Stosz. "Ask people questions, and then really listen to what they have to say," Stosz writes.

Ford is restoring Detroit's Michigan Central Station, and two employees on the project recently discovered a message in a beer bottle from 1913, the year the station opened. The paper was signed and dated by two men who worked on the building and are among other artifacts discovered in the renovation, including a brass button and a plate.

I got into a heated discussion recently with a friend. I was trying to give context to my argument by telling a short story when he abruptly cut me off.

“You’re just going on and on. I listen because I’m being polite but honestly, you just keep talking and it’s too much.”

I was so stung. I could feel myself getting defensive, but before I shot back at him, I stopped. I just stopped talking. I knew why his words hurt.

He was right. I do more talking than I do listening. It was a tough moment, but one I needed. I trust him. I’ve known him for more than 30 years, so I knew he wasn’t trying to hurt me. We cooled off and talked things through.

Today’s HR Leader story emphasizes the importance of listening to every member of your team. Listening is an art form -- one that defines excellent leadership. It builds trust and helps improve the quality of your product.

I’m making a concerted effort to talk less and listen more. It’s a work in progress. Got suggestions for moving this along? Let me know! And send this link to someone who can benefit from this brief.