Here are four tips to help bring out your new hires’ best qualities from day one, using the right on boarding and social learning experiences:

Provide a training path

To be successful, every learning and development initiative needs to begin with a plan. New hires need to know with whom they are training, when they’re training and what they’ll learn, so they don’t feel lost coming into work each day. The absence of such a plan — by itself — will kill confidence.

So, define a clear training plan for each new hire to follow. But make sure it’s based on the employee’s new position, current level of knowledge and experience on the subject matter. If you don’t, new hires already familiar with the material may feel bored or taken aback that their time is being wasted. Customize the training plan to their needs.

Show how and where to ask questions

Questions will pop up, and for a smooth learning experience, new hires need to know where they can get answers. Instead of referring new hires to one person, use the collective knowledge of the entire team to help them out. Create a space, such as a Q&A forum, where they can seek advice from everyone. Crowdsourcing answers will ensure that they get a variety of opinions, for a more complete picture of a process with plenty of tips.

 Schedule one-on-one meetups with more experienced team members

When set up properly, mentoring can be a frontrunner idea for more confident, competent employees. The most successful mentorships occur when both people have knowledge to share. This can lead to “reversed mentoring,” a scenario where the less experienced employee mentors the more experienced employee for a session or two on a skill he or she possesses that is beneficial to the business.

source:entrepreneur

Mohandas Gandhi, frequently known by the honorific Mahatma (meaning “great soul”), was famous for advocating civil disobedience and nonviolence to achieve his goals.
Starting in 1921, Gandhi led the Indian independence movement through such methods, finally achieving freedom from the British empire in 1947, just six months before his death.
Less known is Gandhi’s efforts through a series of letters in 1939 and 1940 to keep German dictator Adolf Hitler from starting a war in Europe.
Gandhi took it upon himself to prevent World War II by not only encouraging Hitler to seek peace, but also by telling the British people to oppose Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini by nonviolent means, even as Nazi Germany and Italy sought to destroy the country.

“In nonviolent technique, as I have said, there is no such thing as defeat. It is all ‘do or die’ without killing or hurting,” Ghandi wrote to Hitler. “It can be used practically without money and obviously without the aid of science of destruction which you have brought to such perfection.

“It is a marvel to me that you do not see that it is nobody’s monopoly. If not the British, some other power will certainly improve upon your method and beat you with your own weapon. You are leaving no legacy to your people of which they would feel proud.”

For the full version, check out businessinsider

Once you’ve landed a job interview, you have one shot to wow the hiring manager. To do this, there are a few things you should avoid at all costs.
In a recent LinkedIn post, recruiting manager John Kirschner shared the 10 “nevers” of interviews. Here are four of our favourites:

Never show up without good questions

“Interviewing is like a sales call; you uncover a need and try to fill it,” writes Kirschner. “Find the real need by asking good questions. You are interviewing them as well, so this is your chance to learn more about the job, the company, the manager, the culture, etc.”

Some good questions to have in your back pocket:

• How do you see this position evolving in the next three years?
• Can you tell me a little about the team I’ll be working with?
• What constitutes success with this position and company?
• What concerns or reservations do you have about me for this position?

Never avoid eye contact or send negative non-verbal messages.

“Hiring managers will watch how you communicate and try to envision you interacting with their customers and employees,” explains Kirschner. Avoid fidgeting, maintain eye contact, and listen closely, he advises. “Never ramble when answering questions, and never do all the talking. Listen 60% and answer 40% as a rule.”

Never ask about compensation, benefits, or vacation time

“They will think that it’s all about money with you and that you would leave them for the next best offer,” he says. However, if the employer brings it up, that’s a good sign and you can discuss the topic. “It’s a buying sign,” explains Kirschner. “Answer their questions openly and honestly, and follow their lead.”

Never bad mouth your current company

Criticizing you company or manager is never a good idea. “They could think you can’t work well with others or have a problem with authority,” he writes. “Also do not share anything that would be considered confidential information.”

source: businessinsider

Accepting fear is not easy, and indeed it can be a significant obstacle for many when considering the pursuit of new and unfamiliar opportunities. With the right expectations and an understanding of a few truths, however, the fear of failure can be a powerful weapon in your entrepreneurial arsenal.

Success can only come from failure

Much as heartbreak teaches us to better appreciate love, failures set our expectations of success. It is through failure that we come to better understand that everybody’s definition of success is different and will evolve over the course of our careers.

Failure is an asset

Because of their curiosity, one of the biggest regrets entrepreneurs will have is not trying and hence wondering “what if.” This longing for knowledge and answers provides us with the tools to not only understand how to run businesses better, but also what to avoid. As long as we are learning, entrepreneurs become more valuable with each and every failure.

Failure should not be confused with quitting

For many entrepreneurs, the fear of failure is rooted in a fear of being perceived as a quitter. The truth is that if you have poured your energy selflessly into an endeavour, only to walk away after extinguishing all options available to you, you will have earned infinitely more respect than those who have never tried.

source:entrepreneur