Since I wrote my paradigm shift essay on the shift from physician centered models in healthcare to patient-centered care and autonomy, I thought it would be interesting to do my TED talk on autonomy: why people crave autonomy specifically in the workforce and what benefits come from implementing autonomy in the workforce.

I will start off talking about the Self-Determination theory which states the basic needs for satisfaction in a human being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Before I relate the Self-Determination theory to work-life, I will delve deeper into the science of autonomy and talk about why so many people want it. I will end my TED talk by talking about the benefits which arise from autonomy at work (engagement) and how such a basic principle of life can lead to a more successful and satisfactory performance at work.

My audience is perfect for this TED talk as we are all college students who will sooner or later obtain either internships or jobs. In addition, everyone always talks to us about what we want to do in life career-wise—whether we want to do engineering or medicine or business—but nobody ever talks to us about what happens after we actually land the job of our dreams. People go into their careers motivated and usually happy but if certain needs aren’t met (specifically autonomy, competence, and relatedness), their motivation can dwindle and their job may start to feel like actual work instead of something they’ve always wanted to do.

I will add logos and ethos to my presentation by explaining how Google has taken implemented a much more autonomic approach in their company and has thus had better outcomes in products and software’s. In addition to logos and ethos, I will strike a chord with my audience and show them the three needs people need to have met in order to stay motivated and happy at work. I will use examples that we can all relate to and add in visual aids respectively. I won’t have many numbers or statistics to show throughout my TED talk so my audience will be more easily engaged and attentive. My visual aids will be charts or diagrams showing certain relationships between autonomy and other variables such as engagement and overall satisfaction.