TED Talks: Menttium Curated Playlist

Menttium partnered with the TEDxMinneapolis Team to curate a playlist of TED Talks to enhance the mentoring partnership experience for all of our mentees and mentors. By honing in on topics that align with our mission to inspire potential and drive stronger performance in conjunction with knowledge of the topics our mentees most frequently want to focus on in their mentoring partnerships, we have devised a playlist that has something for everyone. From leadership to time management to nurturing the whole self, please take a look at our playlist and leverage these TED Talks from a diverse group of thinkers and experts to support you in your development goals.

Happy Watching!

The Menttium Team

For more information about TEDxMinneapolis, click here.

How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings

Blindly accepting and attending meetings without seeing how you relate to the topic, or reviewing an agenda, is compared to your coworkers stealing time from your day. Suggestions for managing up – how to ask your colleagues for more information so the time is used most effectively for all – are given.

Takeaways: Don’t accept invites that aren’t clearly relevant to you. Ask for more information and what the goal of the meeting is.

Smart failure for a fast-changing world

The world is changing faster than people realize, and many business leaders aren’t making the changes necessary to keep up. How can we anticipate the problems of the culture, rather than solving for problems of the past?

Takeaways: Thinking differently about what problems we are striving to solve. Encourages companies to support risk-taking and out-of-the-box thinking in order to remain relevant in a changing world. In today’s constant innovation, we need to change the way we react to failure when people take risks.

Your body language may shape who you are

There is lots of information out there on how our body language influences other people. In this talk, Amy shares surprising data on how our own body language influences our mindset from her research in non-verbal expressions of power.

Takeaways: Trick your brain into having confidence, even when you are experiencing imposter syndrome. Take a strong stance in a meeting – simply by changing your body language.

How to ask for help – and get a yes

Asking for help is tough. But to get through life, you have to do it all the time. So how do you get comfortable asking? In this actionable talk, social psychologist Heidi Grant shares four simple rules for asking for help and getting it — while making the process more rewarding for your helper, too.

Takeaways: How and when to ask for help, and make the person feel great about helping you.

Inside the mind of a master procrastinator

How procrastination works – a comedic breakdown.

Takeaways: Be aware of the part of your brain that will want you to focus on things that give you instant gratification, when you might instead be spending time on the things that take hard work.

How to multiply your time

Everything you know about time-management is wrong. In this counter-intuitive talk, Self-Discipline Strategist and New York Times bestselling author of Rory Vaden, shows you why you can’t solve today’s time-management challenges with yesterday’s time-management strategies. More importantly he explains why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to Multiply your time.

Takeaways: Time management isn’t just logical, it’s emotional. Shares model for categorizing to-do list. Introduces topic of “procrastinating on purpose.”

Confessions of a recovering micromanager

If we know that micromanagement isn’t effective, why do we still do it ? In this talk, Chieh shares his personal perspective as CEO of a rapidly growing company to resist micromanaging.

Takeaways: Let go of the need to control – empower and trust your team and you will foster innovation and happiness at work.

How to start a movement

With the help of some surprising footage, Derek Sivers explains how movements really get started, and emphasizes not only the importance of a leader, but especially the first follower.

Takeaways: A leader is nothing without a “first follower” to jump in and help move an idea forward.

This is what makes employees happy at work

Only 40% of workers report being happy at work. In this unique format, Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, a global analytics first, shows how happy employees are good for business and how to improve happiness at work.

Takeaways: The way people are treated by leaders and each other is the biggest influencer of happiness at work. Building trust and respect are key.

You are contagious

After analyzing thousands of hours of TED talks to determine what makes speakers successful, Vanessa reveals that our behavior, from hand gestures to how we say ‘hello’, changes the way others perceive our confidence.

Takeaways: Actionable takeaways to apply to hand gestures and verbal speech.

The power of vulnerability

Brené Brown studies human connection. As a researcher she loves things to be controlled and predictable. In this talk, she shares her personal journey as she discovered that the key to joy, creativity, and belonging is to stop controlling and start being vulnerable.

Takeaways: Let yourself be deeply seen, feel both the good and bad emotions, practice gratitude and joy, and believe that you are enough.

How to make stress your friend

Kelly has spent years viewing stress as a disease and a problem to be solved, but has discovered new data showing that stress is only bad for you if you believe it is bad for you. This is a powerful talk on the impact of mindset to change physical outcomes.

Takeaways: Seeing the stress response as “preparing you for action” can shift perspective, being more social, caring for others and connecting, can protect you from bad outcomes from stress.

The happy secret to better work

Rather than working in order to be happy, psychologist, Shawn Achor, argues that happiness increases productivity.

Takeaways: Tools to become happier (supported by research): see stress as an opportunity, build social support, practice gratitude, journaling exercise, start each day with kindness.

The power of introverts

The workplace, and our world in general, is designed for extroverts. But introverted leaders are effective ones. We need our work environments to support both.

Takeaways: Stop the constant expectation of work with others. Allow for your own (and others’) heads-down private thinking time and work done alone. Have the courage to speak softly.

Never, ever give up

The brave one tries, fails, and tries again. This speaker swam 100 miles from Cuba to Florida – at age 64. Not a business case study, but clear story of how something that people say is impossible was, in fact, possible. Humorous and inspiring.

Takeaways: We don’t get through life without heartache, challenges, failures. We get knocked down and get back up again, and can find our way. Three key takeaways relevant to all viewers: never, ever give up, you can chase your dreams at any age, don’t underestimate the importance and value of your team

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

The power, and importance, of being the one to speak up. Be the first domino – start the ripple effect by saying the hard truths when necessary, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Takeaways: Before speaking up, ask, “Do you mean it?” “Can you defend it?” “Can you say it with love?”

Looking for a job? Highlight your ability, not your experience

Very few of us hold jobs that line up directly with our past experiences or what we studied in college. Take TED Resident Jason Shen; he studied biology but later became a product manager at a tech company. In this quick, insightful talk about human potential, Shen shares some new thinking on how job seekers can make themselves more attractive — and why employers should look for ability over credentials.

Takeaways: As a job candidate (or someone seeking advancement at work), don’t wait to be asked, go above and beyond to demonstrate your ability and interest. If you’re hiring, focus more on job skills than on resume.

Are you a giver or a taker?

In every workplace, there are three basic kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant breaks down these personalities and offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share. This talk pairs well with How to ask for help.

Takeaways: Pushes audiences to reflect on how much help they give and take. Givers are the most successful in organizations, but only under the correct circumstances- gives tactical ways to achieve this.