The 9 Best TED Talks to Help You Kick Ass at Work (and in Life)
If you look in the right corners, the
Internet can be an all-you-can-eat buffet of motivational
quotes. But when it comes to making real changes,
clever wordplay doesn't cut it. We need tangible actions and ideas to inspire
us to break out of a rut.
That's why we took a deep dive in the world
of TED
talks and found the best ones to help you
kick ass at work (and also, you know, life)—from how to survive a meeting to
the steps you need to take to stop screwing yourself over. Sure, it's all
easier said than done, but the stirring blend of science, anecdotes, and
pregnant pauses delivered by charismatic experts makes us realize that the
doing is a lot easier than we think.
1. Mel Robbins: How to Stop Screwing Yourself
Over
Mel Robbins comes across like the mildly terrifying teacher who pushed you to
be your best and wouldn't accept anything less. The loving scold ("What do
you want? And here's the deal, I don't want it to sound good to other
people.") is just as effective in front of an audience as it is in the
classroom. The no-bullshit approach is enough to make anyone feel empowered to
really go out and get what they want.
2. Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better
Work
Shawn Achor's talk is both hilarious and poignant, and it kept us glued to the
screen for the entire 12 minutes. The takeaway? Happiness breeds success, and
if you can tap into the "happiness advantage," good things will
follow. Concrete suggestions for becoming happier (the hard part) start around
the 11-minute mark.
3. Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who
You Are
Social psychologist Amy
Cuddy's talk on body langauge is an unlikely
tearjerker, so make sure tissues are within arm's reach before pressing play.
Cuddy shares her personal story of overcoming the feeling of being an impostor
in the world of academia as a way to explain how anyone can become more
confident and feel more powerful—all thanks to some simple psychological
tricks.
4. Alison Ledgerwood: Getting Stuck in the
Negatives (and How to Get Unstuck)
Do you see the glass as half full or empty?
Most people tend to see either the positive or negative, and that's just the
way it is. Or is it? Social psychologist Alison Ledgerwood decided to investigate and found that when bad things happen, the
harsh vibes tend to stick around longer than the elation we experience after
hearing good news. Luckily at 7:35, Ledgerwood tells us how to turn it around.
5. Laura Sicola: Want to Sound Like a Leader?
Start by Saying Your Name Right
There's nothing like the frustration of
having a truly great idea but not being heard by the powers that be. Vocal
coach Laura
Sicola says one way to avoid these
hair-pulling situations is to focus on your executive presence—your appearance,
communication skills, and gravitas. As superficial as it might seem, the
delivery makes a difference.
6. Scott Dinsmore: How to Find and Do Work
You Love
Scott
Dinsmore's fairytale story of quitting his
pencil-pusher job in corporate America and moving to San Francisco to do work
that really matters to him might not be possible for everyone. But his takeaway
is widely applicable: Know what you want, know you're in control, and know what
you're made of.
7. Nigel Marsh: Work-Life Balance Is an
Ongoing Battle
Self-help author Nigel Marsh has spent
a lot of time over the past decade thinking about work-life balance. One thing
is abundantly clear to him: We can't let corporations be in charge of that
balance. We need to be the ones sailing that ship. But that doesn't mean making
drastic changes. Instead, he says the smallest investment in the right places
can lead to that well-lived life we're all striving for.
8. David Grady: How to Survive Meetings
David
Grady wants us to start thinking of
ineffecient meetings as time that your co-workers are stealing from you. The
information security manager teaches us how to say no to any pesky meeting
request and how to make necessary meetings more productive.
9. Ivan Joseph: The Skill of Self-Confidence
Ivan
Joseph is the athletic director and head coach
of the varsity soccer team at Ryerson University. When he's recruiting players,
he doesn't look for the one who's the fastest or has the best kick. Instead, he
looks for kids with self-confidence—and he explains why it's a necessary skill,
no matter what stage of life you find yourself in. Sure, it's slighty corny,
but it's also something we all need to hear.
http://greatist.com/discover/ted-talks-for-work-and-life?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_content=story7_title&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter_2016-11-08_testB_20160817
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