5 TED Talks for a Work Energy Boost
There is no such thing as the best TED Talk of all time since each is so unique and relate to us differently depending on where we are when we engage with the content. There are, however, some remarkable motivational TED Talks that can lead to an energy boost and productivity. We have compiled a few of our favorite career-focused Talks for your pleasure.
The Happy Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor discusses the key to happiness at work in his TED Talk titled The Happy Secret to Better Work. In a world inundated with negative news stories, we begin to believe that it is an accurate representation of the good and bad happening all around us. Achor tells us this can lead us to perceive things more negatively while the key to happiness is positivity. With a humorous anecdote about his sister falling, Achor highlights the power of shifting the lens through which you view the world from negative to positive. If you want to be challenged to take a minute to smell the roses, this TED Talk is a must watch.
Standout quote: “75% of job successes are predicted by your optimism levels, your social support, and your ability to see stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.”
What are You Willing to Give Up to Change the Way We Work?
Martin Danoesastro urges us to think outside the norm and “the way it’s always been” to improve workplace morale, employee empowerment, and overall productivity in his TED Talk What Are You Willing to Give Up to Change the Way We Work? By challenging the status quo, we welcome the growth that happens when employees have the autonomy to make decisions, address problems, and push solutions to customers. While Danoesastro recognizes that creating small, multidisciplinary, “mini-startup” teams may not work for everyone, this TED Talk is worth your time if you’re interested in shaking things up for a better workplace and productivity.
Standout quote: “Change is not only about embracing the new; it's about giving up on some of the old as well.”
Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling
If you’re a person who jumps from passion project to passion project, Emilie Wapnick’s TED Talk, Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling might be just what you need. Wapnick challenges the standard of being specialized and speaks to those she calls “multipotentialites.” Though specialists are important, this video can help you recognize the value in the “superpowers” that multipotentialites have: idea synthesis, rapid learning, and adaptability.
Standout quote: “The economic world is changing so quickly and unpredictably that it is the individuals and organizations that can pivot in order to meet the needs of the market that are really going to thrive.”
The Cost of Work Stress and How to Reduce It
Rob Cooke opens his TED Talk, The Cost of Work Stress and How to Reduce It, with a staggering statistic that work-related stress in the US costs close to 300 billion dollars annually. Cooke backs this up with compelling stories of chronic health issues caused by high levels of stress at work that make it difficult or even impossible for people to work, let alone work at their highest capacity. Fortunately, Cooke doesn’t leave us without a solution: supporting worker’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being at all levels from the individual company policies to government incentives. Don’t write off this poignant TED Talk if you’re ready to say goodbye to too much stress.
Standout quote: “Now I didn't say never facing stress. But the management of that stress - that's the benefit, again, for you and the economy.”
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
You may want to avoid self-proclaimed professional troublemaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones’s Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable TED Talk if you’re not ready to challenge the status quo. Jones gives example after example of how speaking truth evokes meaningful change. Jones provides three questions to make sure our challenges are valid. One: Did you mean it? Two: Can you defend it? And Three: Did you say it with love? If you want an example of how to be a bold leader and inspire others to be bold as well, put this TED Talk on your watch list.
Standout quote: “And all comfort has done is maintain the status quo. So we've got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable by speaking these hard truths when they're necessary.”
This list is by no means all-encompassing, there are so many worthwhile TED Talks to dive into! We hope our suggestions offer you encouragement or spark an idea to improve your relationship with your work. Enjoy!
Author: Emma Chase
Posted by: Julia Hudson