5 Refreshing TEDTalks To Rejuvenate Your Work

This time of year, themes of fresh beginnings and budding opportunities are ubiquitous. Take advantage of the seasonal shift by applying a new lens to your small business mindset with five TEDTalks to nurture new ideas for growth.

1. The Happy Secret to Better Work

During this sunny season, embrace a cheery outlook on what you do for work. Psychologist Shawn Anchor leads an entertaining chat on the power of positive thinking and how happiness lies at the root of greater productivity. He reports that 75% of job successes are predicted by optimism, social support and ability to see stress as a challenge rather than a threat. Still not convinced that seeing your glass half full can enhance your 9-to-5? Check out his talk and we think you’ll change your mind.

2. Got a Meeting? Take a Walk

We spend 9.3 hours daily on our behinds – that’s more than the average human spends asleep. Now that the sun’s out – enjoy it! Meetings can run all day long, but studies show you’ll be more engaged, alert and focused when you bring your collaboration sessions outdoors. Welcome fresh ideas in the fresh air and see your business goals develop in stride.

3. The surprising habits of original thinkers

Adam Grant, author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, delivers an invigorating speech on movers and shakers in the world and how they meet in the middle of pre-crastination and procrastination to deliver new, brilliant ideas. He discusses the inevitable peaks and valleys of the creative process, and urges his audience to remember that originals are “quick to start but slow to finish.” For a quick litmus test on your originality, consider your web browser. Unsure of how this is related? Tune in to learn more.

4. 3 Rules to Spark Learning

Presented through a student – teacher lens, Ramsey Mussalam delivers an eye-opening talk on how we approach challenges with the intent to optimize learning. Through embracing curiosity, the messiness of discovery and reflecting on our learnings, we can better cultivate our areas of focus to be the best that they can be. What we do each and every day is important, so taking the time to develop our practices is worth the time investment.

5. Why the Best Hire May Not Have the Perfect Resume

As you nurture your team and bring new contributors into your organization, Regina Hartley urges you to give the less-than-perfect resumes a chance. She highlights the difference between two subcategories of an applicant’s experience and puts forth a compelling argument as to why the “scrapper” can be a powerful addition to your team.
What other TEDTalks do you listen to spark fresh ideas? Share your favorites in the comments or tweet @Zenefits with suggestions!