Challenging economic times are forcing some employers to engage in "quiet hiring," which involves either bringing on short-term contractors or temporarily moving existing employees to new roles, says Emily Rose McRae, a Gartner researcher. Employers should tell employees why the change is necessary and how taking on a new task could benefit their career, McRae says.

Leaders are more likely to succeed at the goals they set for themselves this year by picking one personal and one professional aspiration, focusing on things they can control and taking the time they need to rest and rejuvenate, says former McKinsey partner and author Caroline Webb. "Running even slightly short of sleep hits your ability to solve problems, stay focused and remain centered in the face of provocations," says Webb.

Nearly 10.5 million jobs were open in November, according to Labor Department data released Wednesday. The number of job openings was roughly in line with the October data and remained well above pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, indicating continued strength in the labor market. Nick Bunker, head of economic research for Indeed Hiring Lab, said the US labor market "remains on fire" and demand for workers remains robust despite recent cooling.

Finance industry employers in recent weeks have reportedly increased the number of in-office days for staff and urged employees to adhere to existing hybrid schedules. Some of these directives are facing resistance from workers who have come to prefer the work-from-home regimen. David Garfield of consulting firm AlixPartners describes the dynamic as "a little bit of a tug of war" and noted that "employers are not having an easy time of it."

Get unmotivated team members back on track by giving them new and interesting things to do, connecting them with other team members and those who benefit from their work, and giving them regular feedback, David Burkus writes. "As people grow and develop in their role, feedback should shift from telling people how to do specific tasks and towards coaching them to solve problems they're already equipped to solve," Burkus writes.

Many people begin every January with one (or many) New Year's resolutions. Some will succeed, but many will fail. Here's a fresh idea: Rather than set new goals, perhaps the healthiest thing you can do is let go of an unfulfilled one -- and there's science to prove it.

A study involving 13 breeds of dog, including mixed breeds, found no breed-related differences in short-term memory or logical reasoning, but there were differences in breeds' social cognition, inhibitory control and spatial problem-solving abilities. Border collies scored at or near the top on all measures of intelligence, while Labrador retrievers had the lowest problem-solving and inhibitory control scores.