Using mind maps, embracing time tracking and making time for extra questions in meetings can boost productivity, writes media strategist Omri Hurwitz. "The key is to make your work feel like play," Hurwitz writes.

Leaders can make sure they're getting the information they need from their teams by talking with employees, challenging assumptions about what's going on and creating a culture of trust, writes John Baldoni. "When senior executives put their egos ahead of the work, employees are reluctant to speak out," Baldoni writes.

Real estate startups continue to be hot right now, says Forerunner Ventures partner Brian O'Malley, as new companies look to make systematic changes to the space to improve the experience for both consumers and investors. Real estate is "one of the largest personal expenditures that [people] have, and there's not been a lot of technology applied to change the way the business works," O'Malley says.

Being a remote or hybrid worker presents the opportunity to take a workcation -- that is, traveling to a new locale while continuing to work. Careful planning is key to make the workcation effective, including considering any legal and tax issues and coordinating working hours with the home office.

The American Psychological Association's recent Stress in America survey found that 90% of respondents are experiencing stress from inflation, and this financial stress is more prevalent among adults 44 years old and younger. APA President-elect Thema Bryant suggests managing stress through a technique known as emotion-focused coping, which involves addressing your emotions and doing things to remove the negativity such as improving your financial literacy, treating yourself occasionally and expressing gratitude for positive life experiences.

If you play Wordle more than casually, you may use the New York Times' WordleBot to assess how well you did. The bot's favorite word, up until now, had been "crane." It sets you up for a second guess with five different letters, such as "toils" or "shout." Typically, after two guesses with the bot's favorite words, you can correctly guess the answer in three or four turns. But now, the revamped version of the WordleBot has a new go-to opening guess, "slate." Frequent users of the bot may also notice the new step-by-step animation feature that allows you to compare how Wordlers worldwide approached the game of the day. Those updates could be useful as Wordle transitions from being a phenomenon to an NYT Games mainstay.

I am Janet Connor Kahler, editor of Your Career. I have been with SmartBrief for 13 years in a variety of jobs, including my current job as content production manager. I have experience in hiring, training and managing workers and have taught college courses that include resume writing and job interviewing. And I have had many workcations at Holden Beach, N.C.!