When an organization is battered by critics, how does it usually respond? “Deny and push back, put out some sort of lame statement,” says Bob Langert, “and no progress is made at all.” But based on 25 years leading sustainability and corporate responsibility at McDonald’s, Bob proposes another way: To work with critics. In this talk, he shares stories that take us from the Amazon to slaughterhouses, from tree huggers to corporate suits, all in the search for common ground with his greatest detra...
Feb 01, 2021•27 min
You might think working from home is an introvert’s fantasy. “But,” says writer Morra Aarons-Mele, “the truth is, for many introverts remote work is kind of a nightmare.” In this talk, she helps introverts understand how to protect their precious energy in a virtual work life. Lessons we can all learn from. But how do you know if you're an introvert or not? After the talk, Modupe explains why the answer isn’t as clear cut as you might think. For more from Morra, check out her podcast "The Anxiou...
Jan 25, 2021•8 min
What do you do when a company doesn’t act in line with your values? Boycott? Divest? In essence, stop the flow of money? That's the typical advice. But sustainability consultant (and former comedian) Vinay Shandal says we’re missing a whole set of tools more effective than walking away. He looks to the most intimidating and influential profit-chasing investors in the world for techniques on how to make real social change. After the talk, Modupe chats with Corey Hajim, TED’s Business Curator, to ...
Jan 18, 2021•31 min
Confidence. We talk about it all the time. We know it matters. And still, educator and activist Brittany Packnett thinks we underestimate it. "Confidence,” she says, “is the necessary spark before everything that follows.” In this talk, Brittany identifies the three basic elements of this elusive force, which can be especially valuable for people whose role models don’t look like them. After the talk, Modupe shares one more technique that has propelled her year after year at work. Spiderman make...
Jan 11, 2021•17 min
Today, an episode from WorkLife with Adam Grant, another TED podcast. Many workplaces have become increasingly lonely, even before the coronavirus pandemic made more of us literally remote. It’s not just an unpleasant feeling—loneliness can hurt our health and our job performance. Find out why it's time for happy hours to finally die—and how it might take less than a minute to start building real connections. Subscribe to WorkLife wherever you're listening to this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Jan 04, 2021•39 min
"Today we're sharing an episode from another TED podcast: ZigZag, hosted by Manoush Zomorodi. In 2018, Backstage Capital's Arlan Hamilton was on the cover of Fast Company magazine. The headline was irresistible: homeless, gay, Black woman becomes hot-shot Silicon Valley investor. But the reality is that Black female founders still get token amounts of funding, despite being the fastest growing demographic in the startup world. On this episode, Arlan reflects on whether she's improved the plight ...
Dec 28, 2020•43 min
This year we’ve heard a lot of companies step up—or at least, say they’re stepping up—and making diversity a priority. But what does it mean to truly build an inclusive workplace? In this interview from TED@BCG, Starbucks COO Rosalind G. Brewer lays out how to bring change to companies from the grassroots, by focusing not on metrics, but relationships. In a candid conversation, she shares Starbucks’ missteps over the years and how they addressed their own failings. The lessons aren’t just for th...
Dec 21, 2020•24 min
Athletes train their bodies to run faster, jump higher, throw farther. So why don't they train their minds, too? Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, the highest paid player in the NFL, shares how “neutral thinking” helps him handle high pressure situations, on and off the field. After the talk, host Modupe Akinola examines how we can use stress to our advantage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 14, 2020•14 min
How do you lead in times of absolute upheaval, when you can't predict what change could come tomorrow? With humility, transparency, and urgency, says leadership researcher Amy C. Edmondson, because these are the ingredients that make a workplace psychologically safe. After the talk, host Modupe Akinola breaks down how Amy’s concept can help employees build safer, more resilient workplaces — with or without support from the boss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 07, 2020•11 min
Our brains create categories to make sense of the world, recognize patterns and make quick decisions. But this ability to categorize also exacts a heavy toll when it comes to unconscious bias. In this powerful talk, psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt explores how our biases unfairly target Black people at all levels of society — from schools and social media to policing and criminal justice — and discusses how creating points of friction can help us actively interrupt and address this troubling ...
Nov 30, 2020•23 min
Capitalism urgently needs an upgrade, says PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, and it starts with paying people enough to actually invest in their futures. He explains the epiphany that led PayPal to create a whole new metric for adequate pay, Net Disposable Income, and why investing in employees' financial health is just good business. After the talk, host Modupe Akinola makes the case for going one step further and considering how fair pay might actually mean something pretty different for every employee...
Nov 23, 2020•21 min
"If we know that micromanagement isn't really effective, why do we do it?" asks Boxed.com founder Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement — which is also a prescription for innovation and happiness at work. Host Modupe Akinola explains how freedom from excessive scrutiny even benefits us biologically. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 16, 2020•17 min
Trust is the foundation for everything we do. So what do we do when it's broken? Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei gives a crash course on the three essential components of trust, and how to build them — a process she put to use during a stint at Uber. Plus host Modupe Akinola explains how to apply those principles of trust with Black colleagues and others in the minority. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 09, 2020•27 min
Often it feels like the only thing we can agree on is that we can't agree on anything. World debate champion Julia Dhar offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can take our disagreements somewhere fruitful — over family dinners, during work meetings, and in our national conversations. Plus host Modupe Akinola explains why better arguments might start not with arguments at all, but with better questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 02, 2020•22 min
When promising projects crash and burn, it's not always because of glaring mistakes. Venture capitalist John Doerr reveals it's often because those projects were linked to the wrong objectives. Get Doerr's practical guidance on how to set and execute on audacious goals with "Objectives and Key Results," or OKRs — a goal-setting system that's been employed by the likes of Google, Intel and Bono — plus host Modupe Akinola's twist on the importance of timing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Oct 26, 2020•18 min
You know you need a mentor to advance your career, but have you ever considered who your sponsor is? Carla Harris, vice chairman at Morgan Stanley, explains the crucial importance of identifying a person who will speak on your behalf in the top-level, closed-door meetings you're not invited to (yet). Learn why your pool of potential sponsors is bigger than you might think—and how to think carefully about how to present yourself to them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Oct 19, 2020•20 min
When confronting huge challenges, sometimes the greatest strength a leader can show is to admit uncertainty. Former Danone North America CEO Lorna Davis learned that the hard way, then discovered the power of publicly committing to big, bold goals—and then inviting others to help her meet them. Host Modupe Akinola shares the benefit of being a collaborative leader—no matter where you are in your career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 12, 2020•20 min
TED Business is re-launching Oct. 12 in audio with a fresh new sound and a terrific new host, Columbia University's Modupe Akinola. New weekly episodes every Monday will bring you the best talks on business delivered on the TED stage, AND a post-talk lesson that helps you apply these ideas to your own life. Get a first slice of the new sound here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 07, 2020•1 min
