If you find yourself needing an extra push to think creatively, work harder and educate yourself further, TED talks may be that dose of inspiration you need to make the most out of your day (and career). We’ve collected five of our favorite TED and TEDx talks for meeting planners looking to learn more about the art, psychology and importance of planning.
Three Ways to (Usefully) Lose Control of Your Brand by Tim Leberecht
Loss of control sounds like a nightmare for a planner whose life revolves around managing any situation. But Leberecht argues that losing control is part of the process when you’re in the public eye, and his talk helps you to prepare for any potential fallouts—and even how to implement creative solutions from loss of control.
How to Make a Splash in Social Media by Alexis Ohanian
When Greenpeace was fighting Japanese whale hunting, the internet voted to name its micro-chipped whale Mister Splashy Pants. Reddit—the site speaker Alexis Ohanian co-founded—was a leader in the naming movement. How is this relevant to meeting planning? Well, it demonstrates that social media is a level playing field, and anyone who tags along on your campaign can champion it…though it may not be how you envisioned it. And that’s okay.
The Secret to Great Opportunities? The Person You Haven’t Met Yet by Tanya Menon
Networking is crucial. But humans tend to connect with those who are around them regularly, and diversity is not as common as we would like to think. Tanya Menon, a psychologist, explains that we often stick to those we are familiar with rather than branch out, and why we should reach out to others less like us more often in order to experience more opportunities. Life is a train ride—meet your fellow passengers.
Connected, But Alone? by Sherry Turkle
We are connected to our devices almost every moment of every day. We deem it a necessity—but is this constant connection a luxury, or is it deteriorating our ability to have face-to-face conversations? As planners, we interact with people regularly online—but it can simultaneously leave us feeling alone when the technology turns off. Sherry Turkle delves into how robots and artificial intelligence can’t replace the value of in-person connection.
Dare to Disagree by Margaret Heffernan
We hear it all the time: surround yourself with “yes” people. Margaret Heffernan, a former CEO of five businesses, however, believes that it’s important to surround yourself with people who will question your thinking, leading to plenty of creative input to find a solution that works for everyone.
