Merck diversity and inclusion executive Celeste Warren got her first lessons in leadership and the fight for justice through her father, a teacher and principal breaking color barriers, and her mother, "the chief operating officer, the chief financial officer and the chief HR officer" at home. "They both exemplified very critical leadership skills: empathy, results orientation, efficiency, Inner strength and patience, self-confidence, a strong desire to drive change," Warren adds.

People who talk constantly might be unfixable, but frank discussions, training and cues are among the solutions worth trying, writes Bob Whipple. "One technique is to appeal to the person's more noble instincts and suggest that if others took up that much air time nothing would get done," Whipple writes.

Colleagues are more engaged in their jobs if they have a best friend at work, according to several executives along with a Gallup poll. Sharing a work environment with someone who makes you laugh and champions you is "such a luxury," says Abigail Lee, whose co-worker friendship has lasted 13 years.

The top two people strategies that companies are prioritizing are fostering an inclusive workplace and improving employee engagement, according to a Brandon Hall Group report. Brandon Hall Group's Claude Werder explains how employers can use a Design Thinking approach to develop a talent management strategy that aligns with business goals.

Officials in Albuquerque, N.M., are hoping the city's new "Hiring Bus" -- which is equipped with internet access and accompanied by members of the local police department, transit agency and the city's human resources office -- will help fill some of the many vacant municipal posts.

Airflow and air quality can't be ignored by employers because of the measurable effects on cognition and productivity, says Joseph Allen of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has worked with Salesforce and other organizations on the issue. "We should expect clean air in our offices, just as we expect to have clean water coming out of the tap," Allen says.

Hawaii had the highest rate of job quitters among US states in September, followed in order by Montana, Nevada, Alaska and Colorado, and economists note these states are battling pandemic pressures as well as other workforce challenges such as retirement and ageing. Other states with high quit rates have low unemployment rates, indicating that employees could be leaving for better paid jobs.

In a ceremony attended by Prince Charles, Barbados ended its days as a commonwealth realm under the monarchy of Queen Elizabeth II. Don't worry, the Queen still has 15 other realms, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica and New Zealand.