Gallup research found 37% of US employees last year strongly agreed they're respected at work, matching a record low from 2022, with nonremote-capable onsite employees feeling the least respected. The trend underscores the importance of respect for collaboration and workplace relationships, highlighting the role of good management in fostering a respectful environment, writes Gallup's Ryan Pendell.

Employers must embrace change and innovation, including AI, says Teuila Hanson, LinkedIn's chief people officer, who encourages HR leaders to consider new ideas and be open to taking risks. "People often assume they are going to hear no when they go to HR. So with my team, I tell them, let's not start with no," Hanson says.

PepsiCo's strategy for managing its workforce effectively depends on creating an inclusive culture, doing as much as possible with technology and prioritizing employee well-being, says CEO Ramon Laguarta. The company says its focus areas have led to better retention, deeper employee engagement and recognition.

Chief learning officers can better support organizational transformation by aligning learning programs with company strategy, writes Emeritus executive Anand Chopra-McGowan. Standard Chartered, PwC and Novo Nordisk have adopted agile approaches to learning and development, focusing on enterprise skills and using interactive formats to ensure skills are applied to tasks.

About 40% of employers plan to reduce headcount due to AI adoption, but 77% are focusing on reskilling and upskilling to work alongside AI, according to a World Economic Forum report. Employers anticipate broadening digital access and AI will be major drivers of business transformation by 2030.

The "leadership playground" at Lego nurtures behaviors like bravery, focus and curiosity, says Chief People Officer Loren Shuster, who explains that the volunteer playground builders ensure broad representation and buy-in across the company. "It came from you; this is built for you, by you, and not by a bunch of executives who may or may not be in touch with what's happening in every part of the organization. It has a built-in mechanism of representation," says Shuster.

Leaders should embrace agile optimism, which is more open-minded than fragile optimism that hinges on positive outcomes, writes Nick Tasler, an organizational psychologist. "Believing that you or your team can accurately predict all the details on the road to your desired outcome without making any missteps ensures that it's only a matter of time before your fragile optimism shatters into a thousand little pieces," Tasler writes.

A Meta memo to employees says the company will end major diversity, equity and inclusion programs, citing a changing "legal and policy landscape," while Amazon told employees it will scale back some of its DEI initiatives. Meanwhile, Apple recently decided against ending its DEI policies and goals, rejecting a proposal from the National Centre for Public Policy Research.