I recently saw an article on Inc.com that listed 21 videos that are “worth more than an MBA” according to the article’s author Geoffrey James. As he points out in the article, it’s not like you can add “MBA” to your resume or business card or anything like that, but there is much to say about real world knowledge. Does anyone who reads this article think it not worth the time to watch 21 short videos? If you thirst for knowledge, like me, then the answer is a resounding no. However, I have summarized the “cliff notes” version of each video here for you. Please do watch all of the videos, but if you are really short on time, hopefully I can help you narrow down which ones to watch first. Here are summaries of videos 1 thru 3 all about motivation.
- Why We Do What We Do
The first video is a Ted Talk about Motivation – ‘Why We Do What We Do’ and it is from famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins. However, he tells us that he’s not really about motivation, but he’s a “why” guy. He says there are invisible forces that shape what we do. He lists 6 human needs
- Certainty – certain that you can achieve comfort.
- Uncertainty – variety in life.
- Significance – feeling special or unique.
- Connection and Love – can be achieved through intimacy, prayer, doing something you love.
- Grow – a spiritual need.
- Contribute Beyond Ourselves – the secret of life is giving.
His talk is amazing. I never listened to him before and whether you have or not, the story he tells is incredible. The video is 22 minutes long, most Ted Talks are 18 minutes, Tony Robbins goes over, but it’s for a really good reason.
- The Puzzle of Motivation
Duncker’s Candle Problem
Dan Pink’s video is called The Puzzle of Motivation. It is also a Ted Talk and is 18 minutes long. He explains that social scientists have learned that traditional rewards are not very effective motivators. Unfortunately, most managers have not learned this. He invites us to rethink the way we do business. Have you ever seen the “Candle Problem”? It is an old psychology problem about functional thinking. Offering money to those who finished the Candle Problem fastest actually causes them to go slower than those who were not incentivised. This has been the case for 40 + years and is one of the most significant findings in social science, but is unfortunately also one of the most ignored findings. They have found that if the problem is made more simplistic, the cash reward motivation works, but when the solution is more complex, “if then rewards” don’t work to motivate and often destroy creativity. Studies have found that financial incentive causes a negative impact on performance. Yet businesses continue to use financial incentives. The new approach is based on intrinsic motivation with three elements: autonomy, mastery and purpose. This doesn’t mean that you don’t pay employees for their work, but it means adding in these other elements. He focuses talking about autonomy and gives examples of autonomy and how it has worked to advance some of the most successful companies in the world. If you are an executive, manager, or employee, this is the key to business and financial success. Watch this video and start implementing these new techniques in your businesses and see how much you can move forward and advance the success of yourself and your business.
- The Happy Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor has a Ted Talk video called The Happy Secret to Better Work. This video is only 12 minutes long and is packed with information about how happiness inspires productivity; as a bonus, he is very funny and you will enjoy this video very much. He talks about positive psychology. The lense in which you view the world shapes your impression of the world (your reality). If we can change that lense, we can change not only your happiness, but change every single educational and business outcome too. He explains that when he got into Harvard against many odds, he was so happy to be there but was surprised to find that many other students didn’t appreciate it as much as he was. When he graduated, he studied the happiness of students for 8 years and found that after 2 weeks, students no longer felt happy or privileged to be there and instead focused on the pressure, competition and stress of succeeding in class. He explains about reversing the formula for happiness and success. If happiness is on the other side of success, you can never achieve happiness because each success begets another goal. When, in fact, your brain works more successfully when you are happy. Watch this video and learn how to train your brain to become more positive.
If after watching these 3 videos, you don’t feel different about your approach to business, work, life, and relationships, then watch them again because the points here should not be missed. Stay tuned for the next 3 inspiring videos on our blog next week.
