The M14 Rifle Is Still Used by U.S. Soldiers

The M14 Rifle Is Still Used by U.S. SoldiersThe M14 Rifle Is Still Used by U.S. SoldiersThe M14 rifle remains one of the oldest weapons still in service with the U.S. military. Battle Rifle The M14 is referred to as a battle rifle. This term is given to weapons that fire full-power rifle ammunition. The M14 first entered service with the U.S. military in 1957. The weapon welches the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 until 1970. The M14 was also used for basic training by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps during that period. The M14 has largely been replaced by the M16 rifle. However, the M14 is still used on the front lines by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard as of 2018. It is also widely used as a ceremonial weapon by U.S. soldiers. Modified M14 rifles are the basis for the M21 and M25 sniper rifles. Development and Use Development of the M14 rifle began shortly after the Second World War and continued throughout the Korean War in the 1950s. The rifle was created in an attempt to replace four different weapon systems- the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M3 Grease Gun, and the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. U.S. military officials wanted a rifle that was durable in hostile environments and provided deadly accuracy. The M14 rifle was widely used during the Vietnam Conflict of the 1960s. After the competing M16 rifle was introduced in 1970, the M14 took on a new role with the U.S. military as a sniper rifle. The M14 rifles accuracy over long ranges made it ideal for marksmen. Versions of the M14 rifle have been used by snipers in Afghanistan and Iraq. These M14 rifles have been modified to include scopes and fiberglass stocks. The M14 rifle is also on regular display at military funerals, parades, and other ceremonies.

How We Killed Our HR Department

How We Killed Our HR DepartmentHow We Killed Our HR DepartmentIm a textbook Millennial. Not because of when I was born or anything, but more because my eyes unconsciously roll every time someone talks about Millennials. If you just felt a little eye roll yurself, then welcome. The reason I bring this up is that, as much as we dont like this label, were having a massive impact on how HR departments work nowadays. Were driving new technologies (and please stop making us explain them) and, fruchtwein importantly, have different values than ur parents and grandparents. If we dont like a job, we go for another one without thinking too much about it. That causes headaches around turnover, retaining talent, and keeping employees happy for many businesses.At , we faced a unique version of this harte nuss. Because every one of ur 19 kollektiv members is a Millennial. Considering our entire mission is to help people land their dream jobs, it would be more than a little awkward if it turned out our company is full of dissatisfied Millennials. Ultimately, we decided that for our employees to succeed and stay meant doing the unthinkable killing the HR department.Okay, thats a little dramatic transformed is more accurate. Our HR department became an Employee Success Department. But it wasnt just a fancy label. This change actually meant a fundamental shift from thinking more about work environment to thinking about individuals and their development.Are you having problems with keeping Millennials?A 14th-century farmer didnt think much of producing the same amount of wheat every year. Not unlike that farmer, my parents worked the same jobs for decades without thinking much about it. If I tell them Im upset I havent improved myself in my job over the last year, theyre likely to let out a little chuckle. But Im not alone. Our generation expects both personal and professional development. Without it, theyll move on to a job that can provide that.For companies with younger emplo yees, this means its time to adapt or die. Ive seen this problem firsthand, speaking to dozens of companies facing serious issues with keeping Millennials engaged and motivated. The good news is that some have found a way to harness the power of this generation and thrive. Heres one illustrative example.Airbnbs Employee Experience modelAirbnb seems to understand this pretty well. Theyve implemented a work as an experience model and today, theyre one of the 50 best places to work and have a 90% job acceptance rate. So what do they do to be so successful?To keep their employees happy, they transformed their HR department to the Employe Experience Department. Their Chief Of Employee Experience, Mark Levy, doesnt only do recruiting, talent management development, and HR. He thinks of ways to create memorable workplace experiences by doing things like providing healthy food or a workspace which has a nerd cave and a place to meditate. His entire position is based on balancing the 5 elem ents of the visual below in order to create an optimal employee experience (does that make him a shaman?) The result of Levys efforts creating a workplace as an experience has 90% of employees recommending Airbnb as a great place to work.s Employee SuccessmodelAs a company that helps people find the right job with the right workplace culture, do we practice what we preach? Do we make our employees successful and happy?No.Just kidding. We do a lot to achieve this. While Airbnb does a great job making their employees happy at work, we try to go a bit deeper. Initially, this involved our COO and Deni (now the Chief of Employee Success) putting a lot of effort into the fun part of work. We traveled together, had parties, dinners, and healthy breakfasts. But as our kollektiv started growing, we realized that it wasnt enough.We saw a potential problem in how companies like Airbnb handled this. The focus on fun and the physical needs of employees overrode focus on their performance, the im pact they have in the company, and how successful they feel each month. The visual above represents the way Airbnb does the trick. But, even the name of their strategy, The Workplace As An Experience, signals that the focus is mainly on Workplace, rather than the aforementioned progress and development. Thats why we dug deeper and got inspired by the 3 Fs model a forward-thinking company called Nitro.Related articlesA week to remember s spring Power WeekHow Hotjar built a 100% distributed companyBreakfast the most important meal of the weekThe 3 Fs Model and the Employee Success ModelAs outlined in this model, the fun part (a cool office, fun events, travels, team-building events) is really just the icing on the cake (and who doesnt love icing?). The very foundation of a happy worker is created by the fundamentals and the fringe.The fundamentals part is the easiest one at . It starts with making sure each employee is aware of our values and where were heading as a company. (We are still working on outlining our values in more detail, but more on that in our next article.) We also offer competitive salaries and other benefits, such as 25 days of remote working (co-working space expenses covered), a monthly budget for physical exercise (many of us practice Ving Tsun, martial arts, together), a healthy breakfast every Monday (groceries hand-picked by our CEO), and more. When it comes to workplace, its a great experience (at least thats what our guests always say). We have a fireplace, huge terrace and a lot of open space.Feeling were good on the fundamentals, were now focusing more on the fringe. Here, we help each employee develop as both an individual and professional. Often, this means pushing them out of their comfort zone, as thats the place where the magic happens. It also helps stretch our personalities on an emotional and intellectual level to become better colleagues, professionals, and leaders. For example, I, like most people, found public speaking te rrifying, completely out of my comfort zone. Thats why I was encouraged to try it out and present the benefits of using to 150+ people at a career event. I discovered that Im actually a natural public speaker and have been representing at most similar events ever since.clickToTweet tweet=At , we dont believe in a stress-free working environment. A bit of stress is always good. career quote=At , we dont believe in a stress-free working environment. A bit of stress is always good. And how do we motivate each team member? We let them be a part of challenging projects and tasks that make them learn new things. Maybe youve been in a situation when a difficult project with a tight deadline unlocked your creativity and productivity. Well, there is a subtle relationship between performance and a light degree of stress. As described in the Inverted-U Model by Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, a slight pressure gets the best out of people while also keeping them happy and engaged. Thats why a t we dont believe in a stress-free environment. A bit of stress is always good.We also regularly check in with each employee, asking how they feel about our product and company goals. Our team works best when we all are on one page. To check that, we do a short survey twice a year not too often, not too rarely. Another great way to work on employee success is having one-on-one meetings. In smaller companies, a CEO does them with each team member. But we decided to do things differently. For example, our CTO has one-on-ones with each member of the dev. team. The CSO talks to the CEO and Customer Success Department. The COO talks to everyone in the marketing team. You get the point. Like that, one-on-one meetings dont become a burden for the CEO and employees. They help us to keep track of everyones feelings, places for improvement, and challenges everyones facing. Its also a good time to update the team on challenges the companys facing. One-on-ones have been a real game-changer for our team. It helped us spot small problems before they became huge or just see hows the COOs moving houses going. We highly recommend them. The last and best part of helping our employees grow began with hiring Veli, our Talent Leadership Enhancer. She works with the co-founders to continuously improve our approach to people and culture as we prepare to scale the business. From hiring to learning, development, and succession, shes looking to create a knockout employee journey. Also, shes helping each of us create a plan to outline and then achieve our goals.Over to youNobody ever said making Millennials happy was easy, but it turns out that catering to them has made us a better company. Its no exaggeration to say that a huge part of our success has come from implementing these kinds of policies. Simon Sinek phrased the problem perfectly when he saidits not enough to have your values on a poster. You have to believe in them and live them.clickToTweet tweet=Its not enough to have yo ur values on a poster. You have to believe in them and live them. by simonsinek quote=Its not enough to have your values on a poster. You have to believe in them and live them.Recognizing this and implementing the 3 Fs model into our strategy has brought significant improvements to our company. It helps us spot the wrong culture fit quicker, which saves money. Each one of us has a chance to talk about their struggles right at the start, which prevents small issues becoming an unpleasant situation. Also, theres so much more trust within the team, which helps us reinforce our company culture.In other words, Millennials or not, its time to change the way employers interact with their employees.

Your Guide to Smart Body Language in the Conference Room

Your Guide to Smart Body Language in the Conference RoomYour Guide to Smart Body Language in the Conference RoomSo youre prepping for a big meeting. Youve done your research on the topic, prepared a presentation (or thoughtful questions to ask the speaker), and picked out the perfect suit. Youre ready, right?Actually, theres something else to consider Your body language- which can often make a stronger impression than the words you say or the work you do.Whether youre a leader or a follower, the conference room represents a minefield of nonverbal communication that could fast-track or sabotage your ambitions. And its important to be aware of the often-subliminal factors that can impact the way your colleagues and boss view you.So lets take some all-too-common body-language scenarios, and start translating.Scenario 1 For newbiesAfter a few months of hard work, you finally get invited to a brainstorming meeting in the glass arbeitszimmer with the mahogany conference room table. You gra b a seat, place your hands in your lap and sit compactly to make room for more people. As soon as your boss starts to speak, you- eager to learn- hunch over your legal pad and commence rapid-fire note-taking. GOOD You sat at the table.In her buzz-worthy TED Talkabout why there are so few female leaders, Facebooks Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg exhorts women to confidently sit alongside men. Your colleagues will value your thoughts more if you are (literally) on equal footing. If youre huddled in a seat in the eckball, your thoughts are often perceived as less important. No one gets to the corner office by sitting on the side rather than at the table, Sandberg says.BAD You allowed yourself to get squished.This is a common mistake among women, says Dr. Lois P. Frankel, a prominent executive coach, corporate trainer, and author of Nice Girls Dont Get the Corner Office 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers. She argues that the use of space makes a stat ement about our confidence and sense of entitlement. The more space you take up, the more confident you appear.Look at how men and women sit on an airplane and stand in elevators. On an airplane, men are more likely to sit down and spread out using both armrests, whereas women tend to keep their elbows tucked in close to their sides. And while both sexes are conscious of making room for others when the elevator gets crowded, youre more likely to find a woman cowering in a corner, for fear of taking up too much space, Frankel says.Same goes for the conference room. You dont have to be a diva to have earned a comfortable spot at the table. So un-tuck your arms, put your hands on the table, and claim your spaceGOOD You took notes. No matter how many positive body-language vibes you send out during the meeting, failing to even bring a solitary sheet of paper and pen into the conference room gives the impression that the discussion isnt important to you. And thats not going to get you an ywhere.Another way to show youre engaged is to lean forward and nod slightly. (No bobble-heading, though- its distracting.) These movements will send signals to the speakers that youre engaged and processing the information.BAD You took notes frantically. Have you ever left a meeting with a legal pad chock-full of notes, only to see your peers and boss only have a couple of ho-hum words at the top of their papers? Its disconcerting. (How did they do that? Dont they need the nitty-gritty details, too?)Then, you get a few smug thoughts. (Theyll come to me when they forget what was discussed.)Notice, though, that rarely happens. While there are times that detailed notes are needed, copying down every spoken word and PowerPoint diagram also sends out the juvenile vibe. Its better to synthesize the information as it comes in.Jot down the main ideas, and spend the rest of the time giving some much-needed eye contact and a few of those intentional nods. Theyll go a long way in establishing subliminal rapport.Situation 2 For ManagersRecently promoted, youve been tasked with presenting at the quarterly meeting of all the big wigs. And boy, are you ready. Youve fleshed out your talking points, memorized your presentation, and skillfully peppered your script with a couple of well-timed (and seemingly unscripted) jokes. You take your spot to the right of the board, and at the end of the presentation, you face your colleagues and cross your arms. Any questions? After a pregnant pause and no response, you sit down. GOOD Youre prepared. Nothing says this is going to be bad than someone who fumbles with note cards and spends their time reading PowerPoint slides, rather than looking at the audience.But beyond knowing what youre going to say, what makes a presentation engaging? Frankel recommends you break the silhouette. Take your arms from your sides and integrate gestures with your message. Emphasize points by counting them on your fingers. And even if youre nervous, no hand -wringing allowed. No excuses.BAD You stood still. Lets refer to Frankels point about taking up space. Women often are plagued by the same unconscious space-saving tactics, even when theyre at the front of an open room. They tend to stand in one place, moving only slightly within a few feet. But without enough movement and gesturing, the overwhelming impression conveyed is that of being demure, careful, unwilling to take risks, timid, or frightened with little to contribute, Frankel writes. And that all has nothing to do with the content of the presentationFrankel suggests walking side to side, forward and back, covering about 75% of the available space.Also, plan ahead. If you know theres an uninspiring podium in the conference room, request a handheld microphone before the meeting. Youll be able to move about more freely.GOOD You faced the group.Orienting your body toward your audience helps with voice projection and also makes you appear more approachable, as you (literally) open your space for discussion. It also gives them a clear view of your facial expressions. A classic 1967 studyby Dr. Albert Mehrabian at the University of California at und ab die post Angeles found that the total impact of a presentation is based on words used (7%), tone of voice (38%), and body position, facial expressions, hand gestures, and other nonverbal communication (55%).BAD You crossed your arms. By crossing your arms at the end of your presentation, you unknowingly closed that open line of communication. Studies show audiences are less likely to respond to someone whose arms are crossed because it gives the impression that the conversation is closed or that the speaker is guarded and insecure. Instead, smile and keep your arms bent at your sides, poised to begin gesturing when its your turn to speak.So, in your next meeting, think about the messages youre sending- not just with your words, but with your body. While unconscious mistakes have the potential to stall your caree r, these simple techniques will leave a first (and lasting) impression of poise and competency.Photo of business meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.