Asking strategic questions near the end of a job interview can significantly impact your success, demonstrating interest and preparedness. Consider asking about team expansion, cross-department collaboration, company culture evolution, key initiatives, team dynamics and current challenges to show critical thinking and leadership.

The "happy warrior" concept combines positivity with ambition, creating a persona that is both friendly and tough. This mindset is gaining popularity in professional settings, as it signals resilience and determination to leadership. "I want to win," says Danielle Korins, chief human resources officer and self-described happy warrior. "I want to get things done and make money."

Prepare employees to step into leadership roles by creating a structured program that focuses on various leadership levels and includes formal training, on-the-job learning and mentoring with existing leaders, says Catherine Rymsha, a management lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. "While external training programs and leadership seminars can be valuable, they are not always necessary for effective leadership development," Rymsha says.

The concept of a "work wife" has evolved from its origins as an "office wife" to signify a close workplace friendship that blends personal and professional support. These relationships have historically provided a lifeline in high-stress environments, offering emotional and practical support. However, the shift to remote work has made it challenging to maintain such bonds, as the organic opportunities for connection have diminished.

Employers not only should strive to provide a great place for people to work, but also a great place for people to come from when they leave, says NASCAR Chief HR Officer John Ferguson, who recognizes some employees -- especially younger ones -- will build their skills and move on to another employer within five years. "So people leaving is not by definition a bad thing, because they also might come back later and provide additional value because of what they've learned at other organizations," Ferguson says.

The Partnership for Public Service has recommendations to improve the federal hiring process that include recruiting early-career talent and implementing skills-first hiring to ensure candidates are placed in the right roles. Jenny Mattingley of PPS suggests Congress should permit "high-performing interns from qualified third-party internship providers ... to be easily converted to full-time government employees, a practice that is currently prohibited."

As you're building your business plan for 2025, executive coach Dave Coffaro encourages you to consider a different set of questions than those you may have used previously as a way to explore new areas of growth and success. Coffaro's nine questions center around customer expectations, external forces that may change those expectations and identifying risks that may be within your control.

Most filmmakers dream of creating movies that become classics, but that only addresses what we watch, not where we watch it. So amid a climate of streaming dominance, repertory cinemas are experiencing a resurgence, driven by the experience of actually going to a movie. Theaters are attracting young and diverse audiences by showcasing both cult classics and older film masterpieces. This trend also underscores a larger cultural movement towards appreciating cinema as an art form ... rather than just "content."

My take: I'm headed to the local art theater this evening to catch a viewing of the 1922 silent film "Nosferatu" accompanied by the music of Radiohead. Talk about meshing the new and old!  -- Janet Connor Kahler, editor of Your Career