It's an exercise in matching and motivating

Company culture draws on so many influences and diverse dynamics. We put great store in detailed recruitment processes only to throw it away at the door when a new recruit starts with little welcome and in some cases, not even a  computer set up. Their team are busy getting on with BAU and have little time to look up and smile let alone welcome and guide.

But fit is so critical success that why don;t more managers spend time assessing, chatting, exploring with new staff what turns them on, what's important to them in work and what their purpose is - if we can tap into that real potential each time we recruit then the first 100 days would simply be, a breeze so wise up, find out what's important and let your team fly.

And if you want to know whether Gandhi was always the way you imagine take a look at this.

What's your fit?

I've just had a wonderful 30 minutes trawling around Linkedin and found some incredible things. One is a company called Roundpegg - The Culture company who relate culture to wine. You can see it here.

A good reminder that when you are doing something that doesn't fit with your values in a way that doesn't fit with your style then work can be tough. So this is a urgent call to all you managers out there! How confident are you that you fully understand the top 3 values of all your staff and their preferred way of working? How confident are you that your approach fits with these needs? Enjoy your pondering!

A quote courtesy of Nike

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES."

What will you do today that says you are strong enough, good enough, talented enough? 

How celebratory do you feel?

Following the celebrations of the weekend it made me think about how much as L&D Practitioners do we really celebrate the achievements of those who are learning? We know instinctively the connection between success and motivation so here's some quick ideas for helping others feel great about what they are doing.

1. Set high expectations at the start of learning
Explain expectations and support those who are keen to stretch themselves to excel. Acknowledge their achievements at the end with a small reward - a certificate or a kind acknowledgement from you and their manager.. or something more if funds allow.

2. Acknowledge individuals
Everyone has strengths, seek out these strengths whilst you work with them and give each person learning a personal message ... it can be on a post it or a certificate or an email the following day in which you thank them for their work and acknowledge one thing that the individual brought to the session, no matter how challenging they were.... that in itself can be a positive

3. Encourage positive feedback
At key stages in a session encourage individuals to share one thing they have gained value from so far on which you can build

4. Ask for peer feedback
Get individual learners to pick a name out of a hat at the start of a session and during the event they have to find something positive to say about the person at the end,. if you think this is too high risk, then ask them to write it down and put it in an envelope for the individuals to open once they have left.

5. Explain why something matters
When they have completed a section of learning remind them about the difference, working positively in this area can have on them, their customers and the organisation, By doing this you set a powerful purpose for stretching them

We are often so busy just trying to get through 'stuff' we don;t focus on the value of celebration - try some of these ideas and enjoy the benefits you and your learners will experience.