The 18th mile of a 26.2 mile marathon is where most people want to give up as their energy ebbs and muscles cramp, which Ken Downer writes, is a lot like the long slog leaders and teams make toward their own finish lines. Downer offers seven survival strategies including expecting difficulties, preparing for them and enjoying the journey even when it gets challenging.

The pandemic has shifted employee priorities, with more saying they value family and health over work and want more flexibility, including hybrid work arrangements, according to Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index. "Managers are in a prime position to see and understand both sides of the equation, but all that insight doesn't add up to much if they're not empowered to act," writes Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of modern work for Microsoft.

Happiness can be fleeting compared with pursuing a psychologically rich life full of strong relationships and a deep purpose, writes LaRae Quy. "A good life is not about some outstanding achievement; it's about how well we spend our limited time on earth," Quy writes.

Almost a third of employees value enhanced benefits as much as salary, making them a powerful tool for recruiting and retention, small-business development specialist Dan Casarella writes. Workers want benefits that support mental health, caregiving and financial stability, such as remote or hybrid work options, flexible hours, counseling, pet insurance and retirement plans, Casarella notes.

In a push to make Walmart a place to build a career, the retail giant will hire 50,000 through April, with a focus on store workers as well as health and wellness and advertising positions. "People are reassessing their lives, and we want to be in consideration when people are determining where they want to go and where they want to stay," said Donna Morris, chief people officer.

PNC Financial Services is helping companies offer early wage access and Request for Pay to help speed up payments to employees as a way to boost retention. "In a tight labor market employers are going to look to create more connectivity to their employees," said PNC's Chris Ward.

When it comes to innovation in architecture, the Americas, Europe and Asia tend to dominate the conversation. But Africa also has a plethora of extremely talented architects, and for the first time, one of them has received the profession's highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Burkina Faso native Diebedo Francis Kere has developed many designs that push the boundaries of architectural risk and promote the ideals of socioeconomic equity and sustainability.