May 9 2012 09:36 AM

TED Talks, a collection of high-level presentations originally built for the industries of Technology, Education, and Design (TED), have some good applications to the dairy business, too.

We can buy happiness. That seems to be a pie-in-the-sky statement, but what if I told you researcher Michael Norton has proven we can? And, what if we told you that learning how to buy happiness could help your dairy business?

TED talks, aiming to bring together the world's most riveting presentations, tend to be "shoot for the stars" in attitude. But they aren't based on thoughts alone; they're based on science. And for this reason, we hope you can use some of them in your dairy business. Below, in no particular order, are the top 5 TED Talks we've found for dairy producers:

How to buy happiness, by Michael Norton: http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness.html
Norton explains why money is able to buy us happiness, we just aren't using it the right way. It can help with teambuilding and year-end bonuses for your employees.

How great leaders inspire action, by Simon Sinek:
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html
Why can great leaders inspire us? It's the "why," says Sinek. His talk could be helpful in motivating employees, connecting with consumers, or just realizing why we're drawn to a certain speaker or company.

Perspective is everything, by Rory Sutherland:
(Be advised, there is one word of vulgar language in this one.)
http://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_perspective_is_everything.html
Our circumstances matter less than how we see them, says Sutherland. Sutherland is an expert on branding. His talk could help you think about how small changes in how we frame things, for ourselves and our employees, could make a big impact on quality of life.

The surprising science of motivation, by Dan Pink:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
Want to motivate your employees? Dan Pink has some scientific answers.

The best stats you've ever seen, by Hans Rosling
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Ready to think into the future of the dairy business? Hans Rosling shares data on the developing world. It just might reflect dairy's future customers.

New TED talks are posted every day at TED.com. Do you have your own favorites? We would love to hear about them in the comments below, or via our Facebook page or Twitter feed.