Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in employees and assesses it in job interviews by asking candidates about their mistakes and how they handled them, specifically looking for candidates that take accountability. Taylor sees a lack of self-awareness as a major red flag in employees, as it leads to ego-driven behavior and poor collaboration. "I try to keep my ego at the door. I'm wrong all the time," says Taylor.

Professional etiquette is crucial for improving workplace culture and resilience, which is why Pamela Eyring, the president and owner of The Protocol School of Washington, recommends leaders teach soft skills, model desired behaviors and set clear expectations to enhance team cohesion and productivity. "Leaders should foster an environment of frequent appreciation and feedback, emphasizing the impact of professional etiquette on client satisfaction and company growth," Eyring suggests.

Most people on a team are not enthusiastic about attending departmental meetings, but they do want to meet one on one, and ideally leaders should meet with individual team members weekly to keep them engaged, get feedback, and help them develop their skills, writes executive coach Marcel Schwantes, drawing on advice from organizational psychologist Steven Rogelberg. "The status update trap is when 1:1s take on a highly tactical, short-term orientation focusing on project updates and timelines ... that is something that can be an email," Schwantes writes.

Minor changes to your company culture can help attract millennial and Generation Z employees through a "culture calibration," says S. Chris Edmonds, an executive consultant and author. For example, 86% of millennials and 89% of Gen Z employees are looking for a sense of purpose at work, while 40% of millennials and 44% of Gen Z have turned down an employer due to a clash over personal beliefs.

Several big-ticket US corporations are dialing back on their diversity, equity and inclusion programs under pressure from conservative-leaning lobbying groups. Changes include dropping specific DEI goals, discontinuing participation in DEI-related surveys and events and eliminating DEI roles within the company.

With the rapid news cycle and constant access to information, leaders must acknowledge that external social and cultural issues impact their employees and emphasize the importance of mutual respect and staying focused on the "the shared mission and values of the business," says Karen Testa, director of global communications for Bell Flight. "Even though a company may not be directly involved in an external issue or its outcome, good leaders acknowledge current events and work closely with their communications teams, who can serve as a barometer of employee sentiment and human vulnerability," Testa adds.

You can make any message -- be it an email, a presentation or a speech -- memorable by tying all of your details to a central idea, sparking curiosity with questions and using a "callback" to reference an earlier story or example to close the loop, writes Charan Ranganath, a professor at the Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology. "During the callback, we saw greater activation of the brain circuitry involved in forming new memories, and the callback helped our subjects retain more information from the story," Ranganath suggests.

While the prestige of a Michelin star is much talked about on TV shows like "The Bear" and "Emily in Paris," the actual process of earning a star remains shrouded in secrecy. In this piece, chefs share their experiences, noting that inspectors visit anonymously and often do not reveal themselves. While traditional markers like white tablecloths and formal service were once crucial, contemporary Michelin-starred restaurants focus more on the quality of ingredients and techniques. Earning a star can significantly impact a restaurant's operations and clientele, but it also brings immense pressure.