Leaders must create the psychological safety their team needs to say "No" to things such as unethical requests, their own negative self-talk, time-wasting tasks and bad ideas, write Karin Hurt and David Dye. "You can help your team say yes to what matters most, by modeling how to say no, teaching them how to say no, and supporting them when they do," they write.

Productivity is a combination of how effective you are with your time and how efficient you are, writes Paul B. Thornton, who offers several tips for managing tasks, decluttering, delegating, scheduling uninterrupted time and saying "No" more often. "When you are clear about your top priorities, you make better decisions and feel less stressed," Thornton writes.

Career development is essential to retain talent during the Great Resignation as managers highly engaged in the growth of employees drive a higher sense of employee belonging, among other benefits, writes Brandon Hall Group's Claude Werder. Employers should implement six strategies to prioritize career development, including career growth mentoring and self-service career tools, Werder writes.

Older workers are unfairly maligned by myths about their effectiveness, creativity and willingness to help others, argues psychology professor and author Becca Levy. This article tackles several myths she's researched about older workers.

Industry executives are warning that with a shortage of tech workers in the US, employers are increasingly likely to fill openings with remote workers, including those in other countries. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who has put forth legislation to revamp US visa policy to address such issues, said: "There is tremendous frustration, which I share, among tech companies that have been asking us to improve the system for more years than I can count, and nothing has been able to move."

Firing an employee isn't easy, but it should be done in person whenever possible with a third person present and the employer laying out the reasons for the termination and later informing the rest of the team, writes David Burkus. "These conversations are difficult and leading them is terrible for just about anyone," Burkus writes.

It's a wonderful feeling to be so enthralled by a book or audio book that you count the minutes and seconds until you can return to it to find out what happens next. But that same enchantment can turn into a sense of despair once you've finished the story. This article outlines how you can navigate the "post-book blues."