A comprehensive report by McKinsey found Black workers in the US private sector might not achieve management parity for another 95 years. The study reveals 45% of Black employees work in frontline jobs, 43% earn under $30,000 per year, and Black workers are overrepresented in low job-growth locations and underrepresented in high-earning, fast-growing sectors such as IT and financial and professional services.

Initial unemployment claims totaled 730,000 for the week ending Feb. 20, down from the 841,000 filed the previous week, and continuing claims decreased by 101,000 to just above 4.42 million, according to the Labor Department. Pantheon Macroeconomics Chief Economist Ian Shepherdson attributed the decrease to the weather crisis in Texas and other states, and said claims are expected to increase next week.

A Willis Towers Watson survey showed that just 29% of employer respondents said they feel their well-being programs have supported staff members properly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just 27% feel that way about their caregiving programs, writes Paige Minemyer. "The survey found that 62% are making it a top priority in the next six months to improve their mental health benefits and stress management programs, up from 47% of employers saying the same six months ago," Minemyer writes.

Even strong, optimistic leaders will carry on negative internal dialogues, but there's a simple process to reset your thinking and finding positive opportunities, writes Art Petty. "Instead of allowing your negative emotions to rule you, engage in a little self-trickery and reset and reframe the negatives to positives," he writes.

Project Rebound, a program installed at 14 institutions in the California State University system, helps people who have been incarcerated earn a college degree. This article talks about the program's success at California State University, Bakersfield, which has graduated 12 students since its launch in 2016.

John Hunter, the former felon that we profile in today’s Chatter story, earned a bachelor's degree in theater but had originally wanted to be an investigative journalist. "I wanted to be someone who exposes the truth, toppling evil corporations," he told me when I interviewed him. What made him change course?

He didn’t see journalism in the course catalog. He was in prison when he chose his major and didn’t know to look for it in the communications program. He has no regrets, but it made me think.

Guidance matters. Nurturing the talent on our teams means asking questions about what they want and where they want to go. And digging into those questions. Maybe they’re already on the right track. Or maybe they want something different but aren’t looking in the right place. Let’s aim to find out.

Thank you so much to those of you who have reached out about this brief. I’m listening and paying attention. Keep the notes coming and let me know how we can serve you better.