A poor performance review can sting, but if it is unwarranted, check with HR to see if it can be contested. If so, gather documents to validate your good performance and be specific about what you achieved. Going forward, ask to meet with your manager more frequently to get feedback and set expectations.

PwC appointed its first Chief Future of Work Officer, a role designed to look at workplace trends such as AI, upskilling and finding ways to optimize employees' work based on skills and not job titles. "Teams need to have an environment where everyone has a voice and is contributing their unique skill set and knowledge," says Michael Fenlon. "I think there's going to be a much deeper recognition of this as a critical leadership capability."

Leaders can better connect with their teams and inspire their success by ditching hedging phrases such as "seems like" or "I believe," asking thoughtful questions and using pronouns such as "we" to build collaboration and "you" to increase engagement, says Wharton School marketing professor Jonah Berger. Using words to become a persuasive and inspiring leader is something anyone can learn, and Berger suggests recording yourself to catch verbal ticks that may be undermining your leadership.

Create a resilient and agile workplace culture -- which can increase employee engagement and profits -- by adapting to new innovations quickly, changing people's job roles to meet new demands and treating setbacks as learning experiences, says Meghan Stettler, director at the O.C. Tanner Institute. "It's important for organizations to set the tone and send a clear message that resilience is more than just an endurance sport -- it's a cultural shift that requires the organization, leaders, and employees to each adopt nimbly resilient principles and practice behaviors that will allow them to build relationships, identify new solutions, and advance a forward-thinking perspective to change," Stettler says.

Adam Neumann, who co-founded the office-sharing startup WeWork before being forced out of the business, has submitted a bid of more than $500 million for the company, a source said. Neumann had built the company up to a $47 billion valuation before he was ousted in 2019 and the company filed for bankruptcy.

The rise of AI in employment is sparking concerns across industries, with some fearing job displacement while others see potential for enhancement. Despite fears, AI's evolution may redefine roles rather than eliminate them, challenging industries to adapt and embrace innovation for a more nuanced future.

Data show that Friday workdays in the US are becoming more leisurely, with many employees signing off early or working from home at the end of the week. Evidence suggests it is not detrimental, however, as taking Friday afternoons off can help people feel recharged, less stressed because they have time for errands and appointments, and more productive during the rest of the week.

Writer Tim Neville trekked to the woods of Oregon to spend 82 hours in a dark cave -- yes, the same trip Aaron Rodgers took. What followed for Neville was a deep journey within. Devoid of light and sight, Neville focused on touch, fumbling with a hard-boiled egg for a bit before eating it, and smell, reveling in the scents of pajamas he packed for the trip. Speaking of trips, thoughts eventually turned to hallucinations for Neville, most of which revolved around light, but also grew in intensity and emotion, leading to crying jags. The sensory deprivation gave way to gaps in thoughts where Neville could "float along in the nothingness for hours without really trying."