TEDxHofstraUniversity




By Rebecca Webber, 

MBA candidate, 2019


A few months ago, Hofstra hosted their first TEDx event. It took months of preparation and a ton of determination and drive from a lot of people, but it went down without a hitch. The talks were focused on what the future holds for humanity in the next 30-50 years. Thoughts were raised about emotional intelligence being vital to developing into a good human being, artificial intelligence dominating humanity, and conservation creating a sustainable solution for future generations.

Although I was busy helping to run the whole event, I did have the opportunity to pop my head into the theater for one speaker that really resonated with me. Jason Jay, from MIT Sloan and author of Breaking Through Gridlock was one of our speakers. He spoke about how conversation can make a huge impact on the success of all our future endeavors. Thinking about a conversation as more than a zero-sum game, that trade-offs don’t always have to be made, makes a huge difference in peoples’ interactions. Frequently when having a conversation with another, we go into it with our main goals at the forefront of our minds, and often this leads to an argument. If, however, we went into discussions recognizing that both of our objectives may be met, an argument doesn’t necessarily ensue. I think this is especially important to recognize in the business world. When multiple parties must interact with each other, leave positive impressions on one another, and get their point across, being receptive to hearing someone else’s point of view is vitally important. Without this skill, true breakthroughs are not likely to be made.

To hear more about Professor Jay’s perspective, watch the full video, or read an article published about his talk, please follow the link below:

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