In today’s link roundup, we start off with a sage piece of advice from Silicon Valley startup guru Cynthia Kocialski about the benefits of an advisory board. Then we move on to an infographic about exit interview strategy, two WSJ articles with specific tips you may be overlooking, and finally an interesting article about the incredible success of the education system in Finland.
The Benefits of Bringing in an Advisory Board — Entrepreneur Mag
I’m starting a new business. Do I need an advisory board?
Short answer: Absolutely. Silicon Valley startup guru Cynthia Kocialski says just about every company can benefit from retaining a group of advisors with pertinent expertise in the company’s product, service or industry. The sooner, in fact, the better.
Walking Out – How to Run a Smooth Exit Interview — Tribe HR
Employees and employers agree that exit interviews are incredibly useful (as illustrated above, three-quarters of executives say they “always” or “somewhat frequently” act on comments collected during exit interviews) and there are many tools available online to help you run an effective interview. Hopefully this summary gives you a good head-start on the process if you don’t already have your interviews formalized.
Finding New Investors, in 140 Characters or Less — Wall Street Journal
The New Orleans company says it has gotten about 8,000 investment inquiries in the past year and a half thanks to its online presence. Investors see the tweets—either on Twitter itself or another site that mentions the notes—and then get in touch. About a quarter of the leads “have resulted in some form of investment,” says Mr. Vitrano.
Relax. Have Fun. Get Inspired. — Wall Street Journal
Take a break. It’ll be good for business.
Getting away from work can recharge your batteries. But it can also bring insights and inspiration. Many entrepreneurs say that they got the idea for a new venture while on vacation, or came up with a way to boost their existing business.
Here’s a look at some of the insights entrepreneurs brought home as souvenirs.
What Are Finland’s Schools So Successful? — Smithsonian Mag
This tale of a single rescued child hints at some of the reasons for the tiny Nordic nation’s staggering record of education success, a phenomenon that has inspired, baffled and even irked many of America’s parents and educators. Finnish schooling became an unlikely hot topic after the 2010 documentary film Waiting for “Superman” contrasted it with America’s troubled public schools.
“Whatever it takes” is an attitude that drives not just Kirkkojarvi’s 30 teachers, but most of Finland’s 62,000 educators in 3,500 schools from Lapland to Turku—professionals selected from the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates to earn a required master’s degree in education.
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