For the month of May, we take a look at a few TED Talks on the topic of teamwork. Get inspired as you watch four videos that cover how a simple team exercise can help you approach team work with a more holistic approach, success stories of how teamwork is transforming communities in Africa, and the potential transforming power of online collaborations.
Tom Wujec: Build a tower, build a team
It might seem like a simple exercise, but Tom Wujec proves his experience in working with teams across the globe with a demonstration of the Marshmallow Challenge. The Marshmallow challenge involves assembling a structure of dry spaghetti and tape with a marshmallow on top. This structure is used to visualise key principals for a successful team project, such as the importance of having both specialized skills and good facilitation skills.
Mitchell Bresser: Mothers helping mothers fight HIV
Mitchell Bresser, a doctor working to fight HIV, speaks about an initiative he began in South Africa: mothers2mothers. The programme employs HIV-positive mothers to help support other HIV positive mothers. The results speak for themselves – countless lives across Africa are changed and saved, highlighting the power of effective team work within the region’s short-staffed medical field.
Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world
Clay Shirky recognises that some people have many hours of free time a year. This free time is often spent online and can be used to create entertaining communal information or to contribute towards life-changing projects, such as Ushahidi. He discusses how, amidst creating LOLcats, online collaborations have the power to transform society when channelling it in the right direction.
Diébédo Francis Kéré: How to build with clay… and community
In this video, Diébédo Francis Kéré tells his inspiring story of returning to his rural community in Burkino Faso to use his architectural education to uplift the community. His success and the recognition his projects have received are tribute to no one-man show, however. He tells how he rallied and employed the local community to work as a team to build an award-winning clay primary school. His passion for community encouragement through teamwork makes this worth a watch!
We hope these talks have inspired and challenged you to set high goals when it comes to proactive team work this month!