The pandemic has accelerated transformation, and employers must embrace "change agility" to set their business up for success, Josh Bersin writes. Change agility is "about human-centered leadership, building a strong culture of purpose, taking care of your people, and creating a design discipline of 'micro-nudges' and stories that bring people to the new world," Bersin explains.

So-called stay interviews can be useful tools for checking in with employees and identifying the factors that could either encourage them to remain in their positions or look elsewhere. These interviews should be in one-on-one settings and focus on identifying areas for improvement, writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of ManpowerGroup.

Some mothers in their middle ages tell Julie Jargon in this column that feelings of isolation and loneliness spiked amid the pandemic and that increased use of social media only made things worse. "It's a link to people you haven't talked to in ages. I can see their lives, but I'm not part of them," says photographer and mom Mirranda Reinhardt. "Social media has made me feel less isolated, but more lonely."

Some health insurance providers said virtual-first plans have major potential to improve health care accessibility and affordability as they allow members to utilize both in-person visits and virtual care. Some health insurers such as Cigna rolled out virtual-first plans built on their existing telehealth platforms, while others partnered with established telehealth providers such as Teladoc to launch these options.

Leaders need to have a personal connection to the organization's goals and mission before they can successfully help employees discover purpose and meaning, writes Dana Theus. Theus offers a seven-step guide that eschews shortcuts and is deliberately "going slow to go fast on life and career purpose."

My kids were over yesterday. The grandchildren played on the deck while the adults ate, caught up on holiday stories and planned our trip to Hawaii in April. Later we all played Scattegories. The house was full of noise and activity. It was fantastic.

I thought of that today as I read our Health and Wellness story about middle-age mothers battling loneliness and how social media is exacerbating this issue. I get it. I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, but I do know how tough it’s been not to be able to connect with people in person as we did pre-pandemic. That, coupled with the adjustment to an empty nest, can feel like a sucker punch sometimes.

So I go on the offensive. I volunteer with a local basketball team, take my granddaughter out shopping, and spend time with my nieces and nephews. I get involved with church.

And I’m learning to get comfortable with quiet. A good friend of mine is a truck driver and he’ll drive several hundred miles with the radio off and nothing to entertain him. He says he enjoys the peace – “Gives me time to think.” That resonated with me and I’ve made a more concerted effort to let the quiet settle in around me. It’s a work in progress.

How are you managing feelings of isolation? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.