If you follow the ADMIN Partners blog, then you know how passionate we are about personal development. The ADMIN team believes that who you are outside of work can have a direct impact on how you are inside the workplace. This is why we encourage others to focus on both personal and professional development. To support this idea, we recently went on the hunt for some groundbreaking TEDTalks all around development. Whether you are trying to unleash your creative self or learn how to productively disagree with others, we found a handful of TEDTalks that will benefit you both in and outside of the office.
How do we improve in the face of complexity? Atul Gawande has studied this question with a surgeon’s precision. He shares what he’s found to be the key: having a good coach to provide a more accurate picture of our reality, to instill positive habits of thinking, and to break our actions down and then help us build them back up again. “It’s not how good you are now; it’s how good you’re going to be that really matters,” Gawande says.
Some days, it feels like the only thing we can agree on is that we can’t agree — on anything. Drawing on her background as a world debate champion, Julia Dhar offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can start disagreeing productively and finding common ground — over family dinners, during work meetings and in our national conversations.
Think about the most tired you’ve ever been at work. It probably wasn’t when you stayed late or came home from a road trip — chances are it was when you had someone looking over your shoulder, watching your each and every move. “If we know that micromanagement isn’t really effective, why do we do it?” asks entrepreneur Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement madness — and how to foster innovation and happiness at work.
We’re taught to believe that hard work and dedication will lead to success, but that’s not always the case. Gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation are among the many factors that affect our chances, says writer and advocate Melinda Epler, and it’s up to each of us to be allies for those who face discrimination. In this actionable talk, Epler shares three ways to support people who are underrepresented in the workplace. “There’s no magic wand for correcting diversity and inclusion,” she says. “Change happens one person at a time, one act at a time, one word at a time.”
What can we learn from the world’s most enduringly creative people? They “slow-motion multitask,” actively juggling multiple projects and moving between topics as the mood strikes — without feeling hurried. Author Tim Harford shares how innovators like Einstein, Darwin, Twyla Tharp and Michael Crichton found their inspiration and productivity through cross-training their minds.
To see more TED Talk recommendations, check out our complete list here.