Be quick, concise and contrite in your apologies

What to do when your company takes away private workspaces | How to improve team chemistry | A better brand is key to better business Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 26, 2018 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Google+]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( [] Leading Edge [] [What to do when your company takes away private workspaces]( Transitioning to activity-based workplaces, marked by open layouts and a lack of dedicated desks, cubicles and private space, can be alarming and counterproductive depending on how it is introduced, writes Susan Fowler. Try to focus on the opportunities of such a workspace to fulfill your psychological needs and help you "make choices, deepen connections, and build competence," she writes. [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [How to improve team chemistry]( Leaders can improve chemistry in a team by inviting every member to participate in the hiring process and embracing people's differences, writes Mike Figliuolo. "If you have some conflicting personalities -- which you will, because high-performing teams tend to attract strong personalities -- step back and help these team members identify shared beliefs or shared values and build up from there," he writes. [ThoughtLeaders]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( 9 Ways to Help You Retain Top Talent Retaining top performers can provide organizations with many benefits including; aiding in achieving business goals; improving production continuity and reducing undesirable turnover. [XpertHR's latest whitepaper]( explores the 9 effective habits needed to retain top talent today. ADVERTISEMENT [] Strategic Management [] [A better brand is key to better business]( If consumers are uncertain about why your company exists or its brand value, it's time to revisit your messaging, writes Quantum Media Group CEO Ari Zoldan. "Think of the story you want to tell the world and then unify your messaging across all platforms," he writes. [Inc. online]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Companies embrace diversity push with novice board directors]( Companies are showing a willingness to recruit novice board members as they add women and minorities to their ranks. Novice directors accounted for 45% of board appointees at S&P 500 companies last year, according to recruiter Spencer Stuart, and 2017 also marked the first year women and minorities made up a majority of incoming board members. [Bloomberg Businessweek (tiered subscription model)]( (4/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( Ever appraised your law firm’s value? A law firm should deliver practical, usable advice. Attorneys should be accessible, responsive and knowledgeable in your business and industry. At Hinckley Allen, that's exactly what we deliver. So you get better value for your legal investment. [Learn more](. ADVERTISEMENT [] Smarter Communication [] [Be quick, concise and contrite in your apologies]( People are more likely to accept an apology as sincere if you apologize quickly and in simple, direct terms, writes Ben Decker. "Acknowledge the facts and position what can change moving forward," he writes. [Decker Communications]( (4/24) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( . Featured Content Sponsored content from Unilever with Unilever to Unlock Growth with Purpose]( Unilever's Sustainable Living brands delivered more than 60% of our growth in 2016. We continue to empower shoppers to bring out the beauty in themselves, their peers, and the planet. We're asking business leaders like you to join us. [Click to hear from Unilever's Leaders on the beauty of unlocking growth with purpose.]( Click [here]( to learn more about Featured Content [] The Big Picture Each Thursday, what's next for work and the economy [] [The pros and cons of central banks using digital currency]( A federally backed digital currency might mean less cash is needed by businesses, consumers and banks, although there are questions to be answered, writes Lucas Mearian. "While a government-backed digital currency offers potential, it would also complicate monetary policies because central banks would have to manage and monitor cash reserves," he writes. [Computerworld]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [What is a typical day for Tory Burch?]( What is a typical day for Tory Burch? Burch (Mike Coppola/Getty Images) Designer Tory Burch discusses her daily routine, hobbies and the importance of socially responsible business in this interview. " 'Always stay intellectually curious' is something that is truly important for me in business, as well as in life," she says. [The Cut]( (4/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [John Tax is a real person, and he doesn't know taxes]( Although he doesn't do taxes, John Tax is a certified public accountant and an auditor who doesn't mind the compulsion to comment on his name. "I've heard all the jokes already, but I don't mind it; it makes people more at ease with me, and I can laugh at myself and the situation, and it does make the audit go smoother," says Tax. [New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants]( (4/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [] A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. 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