Good work alone is not enough to get noticed, so leaders should be willing to promote all of the good work they do to make the world a better place, writes executive coach Marshall Goldsmith. "If good work really spoke for itself, no company would need a marketing function," Goldsmith writes.

People don't speak up about problems within their companies for fear of retribution or because they're not sure how to do so, writes John R. Stoker, who provides eight remedies for leaders, including asking questions, listening and encouraging people to participate in one-on-one meetings. "If circumstances and logistics prevent one-on-one interactions, try using a short survey to poll your team, or invite people to email you with their thoughts," Stoker writes.

"Embrace the discomfort" whenever you ask another person for feedback, and don't let them wiggle off the hook until they give you some meaty criticism you can work with, says Kim Scott. "If you're asking someone to criticize you, you've got to make it harder for them to say nothing than to say something," Scott says.

Workers are increasingly expecting employers to tailor benefits to meet their individual needs. Companies and organizations should employ proactive year-round strategies to communicate with them about enrollment, first by understanding how their benefits are being used, then by introducing new options, educating about existing ones, creating a yearlong communication schedule, using multiple communication channels and listening to employees' input.

The retail battle narrative over the past few decades has cited one of two wars: Amazon and e-commerce against the big bricks-and-mortar retailers, and everybody big against small Main Street entrepreneurs. But in the current economic environment -- marked by inflation, supply chain bottlenecks and a volatile consumer changing spending patterns due to the high prices that followed COVID -- small business experts say that Main Street should be more optimistic about the advantages of being small.

As people live longer and take career breaks to care for children or parents, the normal stages of life are outdated, according to longevity researcher and author Susan Golden. She developed a four-quarter frame for adulthood, which can be used in marketing or work strategies, in which the third quarter from ages 55 to 75 is a "re-everything" stage that is "filled with continuous learning and exploration and is perhaps more of a portfolio lifestyle" and the fourth quarter is a legacy period that is focused on health.

If you are a fan of college sports, then a stay at any of the Graduate Hotels locations can be a real treat; especially if it is near the campus of your favorite team! Now, the company that has made game-day hotel lodging such fun is expanding to offer stays at individual homes. Why not feel at home before and after the big home game?