We have the answers, most of which are inspired by recent TED Talks. Give the following TED Talks a chance and you’ll find work isn't nearly as dreadful as it used to be.
The Harvard Business Review reports executives to spend more than 20 hours per week in meetings as opposed to the 10 hours invested in workplace pow-wows back in the 60s. David Grady’s TED Talk does not completely dismiss the value of meetings yet it fairly criticizes the necessity of frequent meetings. More importantly, Grady’s monologue highlights strategies to minimize unproductive meetings to maximize the value of time spent at work. Give Grady's TED Talk a listen and you’ll be inclined to rethink meeting invitations as well as the length and subject matter of those group sessions, heightening workplace efficiency all the more.
Dan Clay, a workplace trailblazer, admits he was once self-conscious about his identity, especially in the context of employment. Clay suffocated his true self in favor of a less flamboyant alter ego he referred to as Carrie Dragshaw, a veiled reference to the Sex and the City character of Carrie Bradshaw. Clay’s workplace drag generated a viral storm on the web, sparking an important dialogue about identity in the workforce and the social acceptance of what was once deemed deviant behavior.
If you are like most people, you have a constant internal tug-of-war between your true self and your workplace self. Listen to Clay’s TED Talk on identity and sincerity in the workplace and you’ll find it is that much easier to be your true self in the company of coworkers.
It is often said that a stranger is a friend you have not yet met. Everyone in the workplace is a stranger until you spend time with them, engage in discourse and work in unison. Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk zeroes in on the need for strangers to working with one another, establish bonds and ultimately advance the collective interest of the company as well as the species.
Instead of putting up walls in the workplace similar to Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener protagonist, remove those metaphorical barriers and embrace communication with coworkers. Edmondson’s description of strangers “teaming” together for mutual benefit is especially important in the current employment climate in which people transition between jobs in a relatively short period of time.
Chris Conley’s TED Talk focuses on how baby boomers, once the largest age cohort, can learn valuable lessons from their kids who comprise the millennial age cohort. Though plenty of boomers retired during the coronavirus pandemic, some still remain employed. Sharing the workplace with millennials characterized by irreverence for boomer convention requires communication and cooperation rather than criticism.
It is often said that those who have a passion for their line of work or are simply passionate about making a contribution to society are the most successful. Be grateful for the opportunity to work full-time, embrace challenges in the workplace and strive to surmount those hurdles with passion and perseverance as advised by Angela Lee Duckworth.
Duckworth’s TED Talk centers on grit, meaning passion derived from understanding one’s desires and then manifesting them through steadfast determination. Duckworth stresses developing and adhering to a sound inner compass that steers ensuing decisions. Cultivate the “grit” mentality as advised by Duckworth and you’ll gradually move in the right direction in the workplace and also in your personal life.
Stay the course, keep your head held high, and remain appreciative of the opportunity to work. Above all, recognize that plenty of people would gladly change positions with those who have the opportunity to work full-time.