Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

One of the most essential ingredients to success in business and life is effective communication. Join Matt Abrahams, best-selling author and Strategic Communication lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he interviews experts to provide actionable insights that help you communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. From handling impromptu questions to crafting compelling messages, Matt explores practical strategies for real-world communication challenges. Whether you’re navigating a high-stakes presentation, perfecting your email tone, or speaking off the cuff, Think Fast, Talk Smart equips you with the tools, techniques, and best practices to express yourself effectively in any situation. Enhance yo...

187. Experimenting, Failing, and Finding Your Job Fit - Catalyze Your Career

187. Experimenting, Failing, and Finding Your Job Fit - Catalyze Your Career

Rethink career success by testing, adapting, and staying open to unexpected opportunities.Career planning isn’t as straightforward as we often assume—but according to Dorie Clark, that’s actually a good thing. Instead of following a rigid path, she believes we should be “treating our careers like a series of experiments”—testing, iterating, and staying open to unexpected opportunities."People assume they need to have everything mapped out for the next twenty years," Clark explains. "But

Feb 20, • 22:13

186. Own Your Impact: How to Communicate Your Personal Power

186. Own Your Impact: How to Communicate Your Personal Power

Why good communication starts with tapping into your power.Impactful communication isn’t just about the words you use. According to Chris Lipp, it’s about the power you deliver them with.“When we have a belief in ourselves, what we say changes,” says Lipp, a professor at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business and author of The Science of Personal Power. Throughout his career as an academic and communications coach for entrepreneurs, he’s explored how tapping into personal power

Feb 18, • 20:51

185. Say Less, Mean More: Craft Compelling Communication

185. Say Less, Mean More: Craft Compelling Communication

How to captivate an audience and make your message stick.Pitches and presentations don’t fall flat because speakers aren’t prepared. For Guy Kawasaki, it’s because speakers miss the point. “If all you're trying to do is inform, you're not going to pull it off. You have to entertain your audience.”A renowned author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Kawasaki knows that the point of great storytelling isn’t about information, it’s about emotion. “Too many speakers think, ‘I need to inform my aud

Feb 11, • 20:26

184. Fit or Quit? Find the Job That is Right For You—Catalyze Your Career

184. Fit or Quit? Find the Job That is Right For You—Catalyze Your Career

Stay prepared, build your network, and take control of your career.Most of us know that career growth is important—but according to Catherine Fisher, we're thinking about it all wrong. It’s not just about landing a job or climbing the ladder; it’s about staying adaptable, building strong connections, and being proactive about opportunities before you need them.As LinkedIn’s Vice President of Global Consumer Communications, Fisher has spent years helping professionals navigate an evolvin

Feb 6, • 21:25

183. Rethinks: How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

183. Rethinks: How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

Reframe anxiety as a strength and use stress to enhance your communication.Stress, anxiety, nervousness — when these feelings inevitably arise, lecturer Kelly McGonigal says it’s not about making them go away, but using them to your advantage.“What I have come to value about anxiety,” says McGonigal, “is it’s a sign that I care.” As she explains, feelings of stress alert us to things that matter to us and help us stay present in the moment — particularly useful, she says, when it comes

Feb 4, • 27:02

182. Stop Chasing Time and Start Owning It: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

182. Stop Chasing Time and Start Owning It: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

Clarify your purpose — and stop wasting time.The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.As Cassie Holmes knows, how we spend our time has a big impact on our happiness and well-being. For her, that mean

Jan 30, • 21:34

181. Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

181. Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

Why connection is the key to a life well lived.The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.When it comes to happiness, Arthur Brooks says it’s not about reaching a destination — it's about heading in the

Jan 28, • 24:23

180. Unlocking Your Future Self: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

180. Unlocking Your Future Self: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

Why creating happiness in the future starts today.The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.In pursuing happiness and well-being, we often focus on the present moment. But according to Hal Hershfield, one of th

Jan 23, • 22:13

179. Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing: Finding Positive in Negative Emotions

179. Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing: Finding Positive in Negative Emotions

A double definition of happiness — and how to cultivate both parts.The new year gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As we set resolutions and prepare for evolutions, this special four-part series on communication, happiness, and well-being explores practical ways to enhance our lives through better communication, deeper connections, and more meaningful choices.There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to happiness, but according to Laurie Santos, everyone needs th

Jan 21, • 24:12

178. Navigating Chaos and Uncertainty: The Power of Transparency and Empathy

178. Navigating Chaos and Uncertainty: The Power of Transparency and Empathy

Clear communication during times of uncertainty.Whether leading people through a 15-minute meeting or a years-long pandemic, communication requires compassion. For Dr. Anthony Fauci, that means being clear about who we’re speaking to and concise in what we say.As one of the world's leading experts in infectious diseases and public health, Fauci has been America's most trusted voice during the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crises. Whether addressing groups of fellow scientists and s

Jan 14, • 21:22

177. Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons For 2025

177. Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons For 2025

Ten essential communication strategies designed to elevate your skills.2024 has been an incredible year for learning and growth, and as we head into 2025, there’s no better time to reflect on the skills and strategies that can shape our communication and careers. In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams takes us through ten standout lessons from the past year. These aren’t just ideas to remember — they’re practices to evolve with. From Priya Parker’s insights on

Jan 7, • 22:14

176. From Stereotypes to Synergy: Communicating Across Generations

176. From Stereotypes to Synergy: Communicating Across Generations

Age diversity and cross-generational synergy can transform an organization.Most of us know age diversity matters in the workplace. But according to UCLA’s Bob McCann, we're thinking about it all wrong: it's not just about having different generations present — it's about creating meaningful connections between them.As director of UCLA's Leadership Communication Program and founder of the McCann Group, McCann has spent years researching intergenerational workplace dynamics. With four to

Dec 31, 2024 • 20:07

Ask Matt Anything (AMA) 1: Trust, Paraphrasing, and Nonverbal Cues

Ask Matt Anything (AMA) 1: Trust, Paraphrasing, and Nonverbal Cues

Enjoy this preview of our first Ask Matt Anything (AMA).We are excited to introduce this special edition of Think Fast, Talk Smart, featuring a preview of our first-ever Ask Matt Anything (AMA) episode. Typically, these sessions are exclusive to our Think Fast, Talk Smart Premium members, where Matt Abrahams answers the most pressing communication questions submitted by our premium community. Think Fast, Talk Smart Premium was created to deepen our connection with you and support your g

Dec 26, 2024 • 16:22

175. Mastering Toasts and Tributes: Making Your Words Count

175. Mastering Toasts and Tributes: Making Your Words Count

Crafting impactful toasts for every occasion."Almost reflexively, most of us focus in the moment on how others are perceiving us, yet these situations aren't about us at all." Matt Abrahams, host of Think Fast, Talk Smart, shares an excerpt from his book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot, on the art of delivering effective toasts and tributes. With a focus on public speaking in celebratory contexts, he offers a structured approach to craf

Dec 24, 2024 • 16:57

174. Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful Moments

174. Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful Moments

Turn any meeting or get-together into a chance for deep connection and collaboration.Whether you’re holding a team meeting or hosting a family get-together, the success of any gathering, says Priya Parker, isn’t about the perfect agenda or venue, but about the intentionality behind how you bring people together.“90% of the success of any gathering happens before anyone enters the room,” says Parker. As the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, and a strategic a

Dec 17, 2024 • 20:39

173. Rethinks: Surviving the Holidays

173. Rethinks: Surviving the Holidays

Master holiday conversations.The holiday season is a time of joy, connection, and, occasionally, communication challenges and as we gather with family, friends, and colleagues, effective communication becomes crucial. To help make this time more enjoyable, this special Think Fast Talk Smart “Rethinks” episode revisits favorite “recipes” from past Stanford guests along with Matt’s advice for tackling three common holiday scenarios: contributing effectively to ongoing conversations, engag

Dec 10, 2024 • 13:19

Between the Lines: In Storytelling, Simplify to Amplify - Premium Sampler

Between the Lines: In Storytelling, Simplify to Amplify - Premium Sampler

Visit fastersmarter.io/premium to become a Premium subscriber."Start with the action moment or right before it," advises Hilary Price whose one-panel comic strips offer insights far beyond humor—they’re lessons in concise storytelling that resonate with anyone seeking to communicate effectively. “Simplify and amplify,” Price advises, emphasizing the art of clarity and impact. Every stroke of her pen strips away the unnecessary, letting the essentials shine through.Creating her daily com

Dec 5, 2024 • 18:51

172. Bring Mindfulness to Your Communication

172. Bring Mindfulness to Your Communication

Mindfulness can transform your communication and your career.When we react, our instincts and impulses are in the driver’s seat. But when we take the time to reflect, that’s when Marshall Goldsmith says we take back control of how we respond.“​​​​Before speaking at work, breathe,” Goldsmith says. “Is my comment going to improve this other human being's commitment? At home, breathe. Is my comment going to improve this relationship with someone I love? If the answer is no, why am I saying

Dec 3, 2024 • 20:47

171. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 2

171. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 2

Make your audience a part of the story.Great storytellers don't just relay information — they create experiences. As magicians, TikTok influencers, and stand-up comedians, these masters of engagement know that true connection happens when you make your audience a part of the story.In part two of this special series on storytelling, host Matt Abrahams explores the art of audience connection with an extraordinary lineup. For magician Alex Moffat, it’s about immersive performance. “How can

Nov 28, 2024 • 20:53

170. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 1

170. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 1

Wisdom from the witness stand to the newsstand.The best storytellers might not call themselves storytellers at all. But from litigating in the courtroom to crafting newspaper cartoons, these experts know how to weave narratives that resonate.In part one of this special two-part series, host Matt Abrahams explores the foundations of effective storytelling with tech litigator Neel Chatterjee and syndicated cartoonist Hilary Price. Chatterjee, drawing parallels to stand-up comedy, emphasiz

Nov 26, 2024 • 15:52

169. Don't Be a ZQ: Make Your Conversations Count

169. Don't Be a ZQ: Make Your Conversations Count

​​ What makes a great conversation?“Many of us dread small talk,” says Harvard Business School professor and author Alison Wood Brooks. Yet she believes these everyday exchanges are the gateway to deeper connection and opportunity. An expert in the science of conversation, Wood Brooks, teaches a popular course titled Talk and has spent years researching what makes a great conversation. "Big things often start with small talk," she notes. "It’s not about avoiding it; it’s about knowing h

Nov 19, 2024 • 25:16

Launching: Think Fast Talk Smart Premium

Launching: Think Fast Talk Smart Premium

Introducing our new Premium membership, designed to enhance communication and career skills with expanded content and tools. Enjoy early access to live events, AMAs (Ask Matt Anything), eQuips—Essential Quick Insight Playlists—Extended Deep Thinks episodes, and the AI Chat Matt tool.The focus is on building a global community where members can connect, share insights, and receive feedback. A portion of membership fees will support charities dedicated to developing communication skills w

Nov 14, 2024 • 2:33

168. How Story Can Change Everything in Your Career

168. How Story Can Change Everything in Your Career

Make your message memorable.“Immediately forgettable” — that’s how Matthew Dicks describes most of the business communication that he encounters. If you want to be remembered, he says, it’s time to tell stories.A veteran elementary school teacher, storytelling coach, and best-selling author, Dicks knows how the right narrative can transform mundane messages into stories that stick. In his book, Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling,

Nov 12, 2024 • 25:05

167. Hollywood Lessons For Successful Communication

167. Hollywood Lessons For Successful Communication

Beyond the Big Screen.Every business meeting, product launch, or marketing communication has something in common with your favorite movie: they all succeed or fail based on their ability to make you feel something. Just ask Jeff Small, CEO of Amblin Partners."Good stories win," says Small, who leads one of the world's most renowned independent film and television companies alongside Steven Spielberg. As both a business leader and storytelling expert, Small knows that successful communic

Nov 5, 2024 • 23:17

167.

167.

Good stories win in business and life.Every business meeting, product launch, or marketing communication has something in common with your favorite movie: they all succeed or fail based on their ability to make you feel something. Just ask Jeff Small, CEO of Amblin Partners."Good stories win," says Small, who leads one of the world's most renowned independent film and television companies alongside Steven Spielberg. As both a business leader and storytelling expert, Small knows that successful c

Nov 1, 2024 • 22:53

166. Why Relying on Talent Alone Will Fail You

166. Why Relying on Talent Alone Will Fail You

Why practice is the key to success.If there’s anyone who knows about performing under pressure, it’s former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck. Whether playing in front of thousands or presenting to ten, his key to success is practice."There's a romantic notion that you rise to the occasion," says Luck, a Stanford graduate and four-time Pro Bowl selection. "But I think you settle to the level of your training. We practiced those high-pressure situations all the time.” From calling critical gam

Oct 29, 2024 • 19:19

165. Building Your Personal Brand Makes a Promise: Are You Keeping It?

165. Building Your Personal Brand Makes a Promise: Are You Keeping It?

Create more meaningful communication by defining your audience. Before you even think about communicating a message, defining a brand, or developing a strategy, Seth Godin says you have to ask these questions: “Who’s it for? What’s it for? And what’s the change [you] seek to make?”As a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and marketing expert, Godin understands that effective communication rests on purpose and intent. “Branding is not logoing,” he says, but a “promise” that an individual

Oct 22, 2024 • 23:07

164. Rethinks: Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others

164. Rethinks: Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others

The inner workings of social influence and persuasion.Want to change someone’s mind? First, explains Robert Cialdini, you have to change their framing.For Cialdini, the Regent's Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, persuasion begins before we even deliver our pitch or presentation. Through what he calls “Pre-suasion,” communicators can prime audiences to receive messages in a specific way, simply by drawing their attention in specific directions. “

Oct 15, 2024 • 29:39

163. Is Your Audience Ignoring You? How Authenticity Creates Connection

163. Is Your Audience Ignoring You? How Authenticity Creates Connection

How acceptance and authenticity can transform all of our interactions.What’s the key to experiencing deeper connection in our communication? According to Alan Alda, it starts with acceptance — of others and ourselves."Connecting, communicating, and clarity," Alda explains, "they're all based on hearing what the other person is really saying; letting the person be real; accepting them.” As an acclaimed actor, writer, director, and author of If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on

Oct 8, 2024 • 20:14

162. Unlock Career Opportunities: How to Make the Right Moves

162. Unlock Career Opportunities: How to Make the Right Moves

Being present in the moment and staying open to whatever unfolds.We all want to lead lives and careers full of joy and fulfillment. Maggie Baird certainly has, and the key, she says, is to stay open to new possibilities and “let your passion lead.”Baird is an accomplished actress, improv teacher at the Groundlings Theater, mother to music sensations Billie Eilish and Phineas, and founder of Support and Feed, a nonprofit addressing food equity and the climate crisis. Through it all, she

Oct 1, 2024 • 20:21

Bonus: How to Manage Speaking Anxiety the Think Faster, Talk Smarter Way

Bonus: How to Manage Speaking Anxiety the Think Faster, Talk Smarter Way

Gain control over your speaking and excel in your communication.For the first anniversary of his book Think Faster, Talk Smarter, Matt Abrahams shares strategies from the first chapter, focusing on managing speaking anxiety and improving spontaneous communication. Through personal anecdotes and practical techniques, he explains how to handle unexpected questions, reframe anxiety as excitement, and use mindfulness and breathing exercises to stay calm under pressure. The episode also offe

Sep 26, 2024 • 21:08

161. Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You’re Talking To

161. Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You’re Talking To

Know your audience and tailor the message for them.In high-stakes communication, every word counts. For Jen Psaki, that means knowing who she’s talking to — so she knows just what to say.As the former White House Press Secretary and current host of Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC, Psaki has discovered that communication isn’t about “saying the most words or saying them the loudest,” but about knowing your audience well enough to tailor the message just for them. “You need to think about

Sep 24, 2024 • 22:19

160. Rethinks: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

160. Rethinks: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

Why organizational strategy can be both top-down and bottom-up.As Professor Jesper Sørensen sees it, a winning strategy is the result of conversations, not commands, and that strategy can be directed from the C-suite, but it doesn’t have to be. “Lots of great strategies are discovered,” he says, “they’re discovered because the leaders were able to listen to their frontline workers or their frontline managers.” A more iterative approach, says Sørensen, helps companies adapt their strateg

Sep 17, 2024 • 26:17

159. Earn Your Audience: You Can’t Lead If No One’s Listening

159. Earn Your Audience: You Can’t Lead If No One’s Listening

What it takes to develop as a leader.Great leaders and great communicators aren't born, they're made. That's why John Hennessy and Tina Seelig, directors of Stanford University’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars, are working to create the great storytellers of tomorrow, today."We decided that there was a leadership void, and that was a driving motivation to do this," says Hennessy, former Stanford president and current Alphabet chairman. The program, which he co-founded in 2016 with Stanford al

Sep 10, 2024 • 21:16

158. Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through Communication

158. Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through Communication

“Acts of trust are the bedrock on which relationships are formed.”There’s a lot in the world to make us cynical about other people and their motives and intentions. But by “trusting loudly,” Professor Jamil Zaki believes we can renew our faith in one another.Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience lab, and author of several books, including his most recent, Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. While many people fe

Sep 3, 2024 • 26:34

157. Communicating the Future: Defining Where We Want AI to Take Us

157. Communicating the Future: Defining Where We Want AI to Take Us

Artificial intelligence can now do a lot of things. But if you’re worried about it taking your place as a communicator, Russ Altman says you need to question why you’re communicating in the first place.Altman is a professor of bioengineering, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and host of Stanford Engineering’s podcast, The Future of Everything. According to him, advancing technology isn’t a threat to human creativity and connection, bu

Aug 27, 2024 • 23:59

156. Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values

156. Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values

As a designer, Scott Doorley is interested in how humans create the world around them. It’s a conversation, he says, that starts with the question: What kind of world do we want?Doorley is the creative director of the Stanford d.school and co-author of the book, Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future. In designing everything from a device to an app to a building, “People get excited about what it can do,” he says, “but what should it do? What do we want? What's the

Aug 20, 2024 • 26:17

155. Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly

155. Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly

Navigators know the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In charting a course through communication, Susan Rice says the best route is often the most direct.Throughout her career at the forefront of American diplomacy and foreign policy, Rice has been no stranger to high-stakes situations that hinge on clear and candid communication. As she says, “I'm very direct. I don't believe in playing games, going around people, and being passive-aggressive. I shoot straight.”

Aug 13, 2024 • 18:50

154. Rethinks: Communicating Better as a Leader

154. Rethinks: Communicating Better as a Leader

"In a leadership role, so much more of communication is about connecting with people, establishing shared humanity, motivating them, inspiring them, sometimes challenging them." On August 1, 2024, Jonathan D. Levin, the tenth dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business, was appointed the President of Stanford University. In this Think Fast, Talk Smart episode from 2022, Levin reflects on the importance of communication as a leader. There is a balance, he says, in being direct with your

Aug 6, 2024 • 17:51

153. Listen Up, Leaders: A Record-Setting Coach’s Guide to Communication

153. Listen Up, Leaders: A Record-Setting Coach’s Guide to Communication

Tara VanDerveer has more wins than any other coach in NCAA basketball history. But as she says, motivating and leading teams isn’t about barking orders. Communication, she says, “It starts, number one, with listening.”For VanDerveer, leadership isn’t about a power dynamic, but a collaboration between her and her team. “I can't do it by myself and they can't do it by themselves. But as a team, we can,” she says. From seeking opinions from her assistant coaches to connecting with players

Jul 30, 2024 • 28:48

152. Fix Your Communication: Why It’s About Connection Over Perfection

152. Fix Your Communication: Why It’s About Connection Over Perfection

“Anything is fixable,” say Frances Frei and Anne Morriss. As cohosts of the Fixable podcast, they’re typically the ones doing the fixing, but on this special episode, they turn to Matt Abrahams for tips on what to do when communication breaks down.Both Frei and her wife Morriss are public speakers; the former, a professor at Harvard Business School, the latter, a CEO and best-selling author. As they discuss with Matt Abrahams, perfectionism and self-doubt can often creep in, both during

Jul 23, 2024 • 37:37

151. Get Hired: How the Right Communication Can Advance Your Career

151. Get Hired: How the Right Communication Can Advance Your Career

Whether winning over a hiring manager or winning new business, career success often hinges on how we communicate. That’s why Andrew Seaman is on a mission to help people find the words that work — to get work.Seaman is the senior managing editor for jobs and career development at LinkedIn, and as the creator and host of the Get Hired podcast and newsletter, he helps millions hone communication skills to land the jobs they want. According to him, getting opportunities isn’t just about ex

Jul 16, 2024 • 27:58

150. Communication Tips from the Classroom and Around the World

150. Communication Tips from the Classroom and Around the World

Sometimes, what’s communicated to us can have a big impact on how we communicate to others. This episode explores some of the best communication advice — from experts and Think Fast, Talk Smart listeners around the world.As teachers of Strategic Communication, lecturers Shawon Jackson and Matt Abrahams have plenty of advice on how to be a better communicator. But in this 150th episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the two don’t just discuss the communication strategies they share with stud

Jul 9, 2024 • 22:25

149. Rethinks: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

149. Rethinks: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

“What people regret over time are things they didn’t do. They didn’t take that trip, they didn’t ask that person out on a date. They didn’t start that business,” says former political speechwriter and author Dan Pink. “I think it’s because we are slightly over-indexed on risk. We overstate the risk in many circumstances.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams sits down with Pink to hear how we can take more risks and how leaders can in

Jul 2, 2024 • 28:21

148. Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations

148. Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations

In our personal and professional lives, some conversations are harder than others. To navigate the difficulties of discussing what matters most, Professor Irv Grousbeck says we need the right balance of conviction and compassion.At both Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford School of Medicine, Grousbeck teaches courses on managing difficult conversations. He equips students with skills to be direct while being respectful, to be strong while being warm, and to resist any urge

Jun 25, 2024 • 28:40

147. Disrupt Yourself: How to Innovate Who You Are and Become Who You Can Be

147. Disrupt Yourself: How to Innovate Who You Are and Become Who You Can Be

Innovation and disruption aren’t just for organizations. According to Whitney Johnson, we can find new possibilities for personal and professional growth — by disrupting ourselves.As an executive coach, author, and podcaster, Johnson teaches people how to level up their lives and careers through the power of personal disruption. Her book, Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work, reveals how shaking things up enables us to break free of the constraints we mig

Jun 18, 2024 • 25:18

146. Stress Resets: How to Change Your Internal Dialogue to Communicate Better

146. Stress Resets: How to Change Your Internal Dialogue to Communicate Better

Stress can get in the way of our communication with others. To manage our stress, psychologist Jenny Taitz says, we first need to adjust the conversations that we have with ourselves.Taitz is an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of several books, including Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes. According to her, much of the stress we experience is self-created through negative thought patterns and

Jun 11, 2024 • 20:30

145. Rethinks: The Art of Negotiation, How to Get More of What You Want

145. Rethinks: The Art of Negotiation, How to Get More of What You Want

Whether we realize it or not, we negotiate everyday. But when we approach these situations as a win-or-lose battle, we’re already showing resistance, and setting ourselves up for difficulty. But what if you reframed the whole idea, to think of a negotiation not as a fight, but as a problem-solving exercise involving emotions?In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford GSB Professor Emeritus Margaret Neale about what she has learned in her decades of res

Jun 4, 2024 • 16:55

144. Communicating Through Conflict: How to Get Along with Anyone

144. Communicating Through Conflict: How to Get Along with Anyone

Many of us would rank getting along with colleagues as an important aspect of work, but, as Amy Gallo explains, relationships devoid of disagreement can actually be less productive. “While our natural human instinct is to avoid conflict, I believe that conflicts are not only an inevitable part of interacting with other humans, but they're a necessary part.”Gallo is a workplace expert, host of HBR’s Women at Work podcast, and the author of Getting Along: How to Work With Anyone. Across h

May 28, 2024 • 22:50

143. Adopt a VC Mindset: Achieve More by Thinking and Communicating Like a Venture Capitalist

143. Adopt a VC Mindset: Achieve More by Thinking and Communicating Like a Venture Capitalist

In choosing who to date, what job to pursue, or how to invest our money, most people are just looking for a reason to move forward. But according to Professor Ilya Strebulaev, we should be looking for something else: a reason to bail."The smartest venture capitalists ask a very different question from what most of us ask," says Strebulaev. Instead of asking “‘Why should we invest?’, venture capitalists approach every new opportunity with [the] question: Why should we not proceed?” This

May 21, 2024 • 21:33

142. Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts

142. Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts

A special live edition from the Me2We event at Stanford, where strategic communications expert and podcast host Matt Abrahams joins four distinguished faculty members from Stanford Graduate School of Business:Michelle Gelfand explores the dynamics of cross-cultural organizational behavior.Brian Lowery discusses the societal implications of racial perceptions.Deborah Gruenfeld reveals insights into power dynamics and personal presence.Zakary Tormala delves into the nuances of persuasive

May 14, 2024 • 35:37

141. An Invitation for Innovation: Why Creativity Is Found, Not Forced

141. An Invitation for Innovation: Why Creativity Is Found, Not Forced

So you want to lead your team toward innovation. Does that require that you know where you’re going? Not according to Linda Hill.Hill is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School whose research focuses on leadership and how organizations achieve innovation. When it comes to generating breakthrough ideas, Hill says it’s less about a creative vision and more about stepping into the unknown. “Innovation [is] not about an individual coming up with a new idea,” she sa

May 7, 2024 • 22:34

140. Best of: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

140. Best of: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

Preparing to speak in front of a skeptical audience is more than thinking about objections beforehand – there are specific techniques you can use to respond to these challenging situations without sounding defensive, evasive, or dismissive. Here, we offer a few key tips for how to handle skepticism with aplomb.In this podcast, host Matt Abrahams and Stanford GSB lecturer Burt Alper share how to prepare for these challenges from your audience and discuss the importance of tactics like ac

Apr 30, 2024 • 17:05

139. Lose Yourself: The Secret to Finding Flow and Being Fully Present

139. Lose Yourself: The Secret to Finding Flow and Being Fully Present

Whether you're looking to boost your productivity, find more joy in your work, or simply be more present in the moment, you need flow — and research by Assistant Professor David Melnikoff could help you find it.Melnikoff investigates how we pursue our goals, and how flow — the state of being totally immersed and engaged in what we’re doing — can help us achieve them. According to him, flow isn’t necessarily about enjoying a task or activity for its own sake, but more about the process o

Apr 23, 2024 • 18:58

138. Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication

138. Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication

From the way you communicate, to the way build your life and career, Graham Weaver, MBA ’99, says it’s about “giving yourself permission to fully be yourself. You can never go wrong when you’re saying your truth.”Weaver is a lecturer in management, a GSB alum, and the founder and a partner of Alpine Investors. He stresses the importance of direct communication, highlighting how avoiding it can lead to wasted time, energy, and even financial losses. Reflecting on his own experiences in p

Apr 16, 2024 • 24:17

137. When Words Aren’t Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication

137. When Words Aren’t Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication

If communication is like painting, words are the primary colors. But to convey deeper meaning, we need a broader color palette, which Dana Carney says requires the mastery of nonverbal communication.We often focus on the words that we say when honing our communication, but according to Carney, there are many instances “where nonverbals start to be more meaningful than verbals.” A professor at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and the George Quist Chair in Business Ethics, Carney resear

Apr 9, 2024 • 23:48

136. The Art of Disagreeing Without Conflict: Navigating the Nuance

136. The Art of Disagreeing Without Conflict: Navigating the Nuance

Disagreement and conflict may look the same on the surface, but the two concepts are, in fact, very different. According to Julia Minson, knowing how these notions differ is crucial to how you approach them. In this episode of Think Fast Talk Smart, Minson and strategic communication lecturer Matt Abrahams delve into the intricacies of conflict and disagreement. Minson, an associate professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford University alumna, also shares her

Apr 2, 2024 • 25:25

135. Rethinks: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

135. Rethinks: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

How are you feeling right now? According to Celine Teoh, we all need to ask ourselves that question more often — and be more precise in how we answer it.Teoh is a facilitator of the course Interpersonal Dynamics, one of Stanford Graduate School of Business’s most iconic classes. In her work with students and as a CEO coach, Teoh encourages people to get better acquainted with their feelings. “Feelings are data,” she says. “In the rest of our logical lives, we would never make decisions

Mar 26, 2024 • 19:26

134. How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI

134. How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI

Join Matt Abrahams with creativity and innovation experts Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar to explore the transformative potential of AI in the realms of creativity and problem-solving. If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll likely be disappointed. But if you treat it like a teammate, Utley and Gohar say you’ll be surprised just how helpful a collaborator it can be.Utley, an adjunct professor at the Stanford d.school, and Gohar, a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and

Mar 19, 2024 • 26:15

133. From Good to Super: How Supercommunicators Unlock the Language of Connection

133. From Good to Super: How Supercommunicators Unlock the Language of Connection

Across more than 130 episodes, Think Fast, Talk Smart has touched a lot on what it takes to be a good communicator. But what about reaching that next level? What about being a “supercommunicator”? Supercommunicator is a term used by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg in his latest book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. In this podcast episode, Abrahams and Duhigg explore the precise techniques that distinguish a good communica

Mar 12, 2024 • 38:37

132. Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work

132. Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work

Effective and productive teams and relationships are based on the ability to communicate safely and to fail successfully. In this episode, Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, shares profound insights on the different types of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—and their implications for learning and innovation. In her conversation with host and Strategic Communications lecturer Matt Abrahams, Edmo

Mar 5, 2024 • 26:05

131. Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage

131. Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage

Why resistance isn’t always a bad thing.Friction — that’s Professor Huggy Rao’s metaphor for the forces that hamper workplace efficiency. But as he says, some friction can be helpful — if you know how to use it.In his book, The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, Rao and coauthor Robert I. Sutton explore how operational obstacles show up in the workplace and, more importantly, what we can do about them. Through what Rao calls “fr

Feb 27, 2024 • 23:43

130. Rethinks: How to Maintain a Powerful Presence in Your Communication

130. Rethinks: How to Maintain a Powerful Presence in Your Communication

“Simple language, forceful language, vivid language, and keeping it simple and direct,” says Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, are all powerful tools to strengthen your communication.Host and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Matt Abrahams interviews Pfeffer, the author many books, including Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't, about the verbal and nonverbal ways we can harness, or give away, our authority when we’re speaking to others. Pfeffer is also the host of the p

Feb 20, 2024 • 21:39

129. Connect Deeply: How to Communicate So People Feel Seen and Heard

129. Connect Deeply: How to Communicate So People Feel Seen and Heard

All too often, we communicate without really connecting. The key to building deep connections with others, says David Brooks, is to make them feel seen and heard.Brooks is a writer for the New York Times, the Atlantic, and the best-selling author of several books. In his latest, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, he explores how vulnerability — both being vulnerable ourselves and creating space for others to be as well — is the key to fostering

Feb 13, 2024 • 24:37

128. Four Powerful Principles Pt. 2: Your Questions Answered

128. Four Powerful Principles Pt. 2: Your Questions Answered

Join Matt Abrahams engaging with his international audience and answering questions that touch upon some of today's most pressing communication challenges. Matt offers advice on everything from the nuances of crafting clear, impactful questions and navigating emotional dynamics in group settings to maintaining control during presentations and delivering difficult news.Additionally, listeners are treated to innovative strategies for creating memorable introductions and managing disruptiv

Feb 8, 2024 • 20:11

127. Four Principles of Powerful, Focused Communication Pt. 1

127. Four Principles of Powerful, Focused Communication Pt. 1

Matt takes live questions from his worldwide audience and shares a lesson around concision, relevance, accessibly, and precision in messaging. In this "masterclass," he emphasizes the communicator's role as a translator who simplifies complex information for diverse audiences.Key takeaways include the careful use of analogies, considering cultural backgrounds and audience understanding, and providing techniques for chunking information into understandable segments. Additionally, the epi

Feb 6, 2024 • 23:42

126. BONUS Making Meetings Meaningful: When Face-to-Face Meetings Matter

126. BONUS Making Meetings Meaningful: When Face-to-Face Meetings Matter

If we want to generate better ideas, then we need to get people back to the office.In this bonus meetings mini-series episode, we feature an episode from the newest podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business – If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society. In this conversation with senior editor Kevin Cool, Professor of Marketing and former TFTS guest Jonathan Levav details his study of remote work and creativity. “Pairs that worked face-to-face generated 15 to 20% more ideas than pairs

Jan 30, 2024 • 34:41

Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast (A Sound Bite!)

Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast (A Sound Bite!)

Whether you’re giving a toast or presenting in a meeting, communication is critical to success in business and in life. Join Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he sits down with experts in the field to discuss real-world communication challenges.How do I send my message clearly when put on the spot? How do I give better feedback? How can I easily convey complex information? How do I manage my reputation? How do I manage my an

Jan 29, 2024 • 1:53

125. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 2: Key Ingredients for Effective Meetings

125. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 2: Key Ingredients for Effective Meetings

How can we make meetings more effective? How can we keep people engaged and interested? Whether it’s in person or on Zoom, here are a few techniques you can use to make your gatherings more meaningful, productive, and memorable.Get practical tools and actionable insights to actually make meetings matter, as well as knowing when NOT to have a meeting. Join Matt Abrahams in a dynamic conversation with Elise Keith, an expert on effective meetings and communication. Elise explains the three

Jan 23, 2024 • 25:08

124. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 1: How to Structure and Organize More Effective Gatherings

124. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 1: How to Structure and Organize More Effective Gatherings

Delve into why people hate meetings, explore what hinders their effectiveness, and how to change that. Karin Reed (Emmy Award winner) and Joe Allen (“The Meeting Doctor”) join Matt Abrahams in the first of a two-part series that aims to reshape your approach to meetings and help you make them effective and meaningful, whether in person, virtual or hybrid. They shed light on the constraints hindering effective meetings, and explore strategies for optimizing meetings, emphasizing the impo

Jan 16, 2024 • 26:59

123. Best Of: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

123. Best Of: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

The information you receive is only as strong as the questions you ask.This week we revisit Matt's discussion with Debra Schifrin about how to craft inquiries that can lead to better communication outcomes. Questions are also instrumental in building relationships, Schifrin points out. “If you’re asking questions, you’re signaling to the other person that you value them. You’re taking time to listen to their answers.”Connect:Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarte

Jan 9, 2024 • 24:38

122. How To Be More Confident and Calm in Your Communication: Managing the "ABC’s" of Communication Anxiety

122. How To Be More Confident and Calm in Your Communication: Managing the "ABC’s" of Communication Anxiety

Research-backed techniques on how to beat nervousness in the moment. In this episode, Matt uses clips from experts from previous Think Fast Talk Smart episodes to provide you with several communication anxiety management techniques to help you feel more comfortable and confident when you communicate. And as a guide to help us learn these techniques, he introduces the ABCs of anxiety management.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Fee

Jan 2, 2024 • 17:00

121. Building Trust and Connection: How to Lead with Vulnerability

121. Building Trust and Connection: How to Lead with Vulnerability

We have to be vulnerable in order to build trust in our relationships. But as Jacob Morgan says, “Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everybody else.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Morgan shares with host Matt Abrahams his “vulnerable leadership equation” and how leaders can use it to transform the way they interact with others — creating more trust, unlocking people’s potential, and building successful teams and organizations.As Morgan explains, owning up

Dec 26, 2023 • 22:00

120. A Few of Matt’s Favorite Things: 10 Communication Takeaways from 2023's TFTS Episodes

120. A Few of Matt’s Favorite Things: 10 Communication Takeaways from 2023's TFTS Episodes

Matt reflects on all the advice we've heard this season and shares the top 10 takeaways that he’s applying to his own communication:Episode Reference Links:Jonah Berger: episode 80Rachel Greenwald: episode 89Dan Pink: episode 92Vanessa Patrick: episode 95Carmine Gallo: episode 103Katy Milkman: episode 104Kim Scott: episode 105Francis Frei: episode 109Patrick McGinnis: episode 113Julian Treasure: episode 114Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questi

Dec 19, 2023 • 17:12

119. Rethinks: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

119. Rethinks: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

“Stress is natural,” says Alia Crum, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford. “Stress is inevitable when you’re living a life that’s connected with things you care about. And learning how to embrace it, learning how to work with it is really what helps us thrive and grow and perform at our highest level.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams talks with Crum about her work as the principal investigator at the Stanford Mind & Body

Dec 12, 2023 • 25:58

118. Maximizing your Personal Brand: Communicating Who You Are to Help Get What You Want

118. Maximizing your Personal Brand: Communicating Who You Are to Help Get What You Want

What comes to people’s minds when they think about you, and can you control it? Dorie Clark says you can — with the power of your personal brand.According to Clark, “You have brand equity in your own life.” Your personal brand or reputation, she says, “makes things either easier or harder for you” as you pursue your personal and professional goals. The key question, she says, is “What kind of reputation have you built up?” By taking stock of the personal brand you have, you can redefine

Dec 5, 2023 • 24:25

117. Say It, See It: How to Connect Through Conversation

117. Say It, See It: How to Connect Through Conversation

Communication is about so much more than sharing words. As neuroscientist Shane O’Mara explains, communication is about sharing reality.According to O’Mara, “A conversation is where we create a shared reality together.” As a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin, his research has focused on how human brains sync up through communication. “The essence is that we are creating a shared reality where we come to share the same states of emotion, the same states o

Nov 28, 2023 • 20:30

116. Quick Thinks: Don't Sweat the Small Talk

116. Quick Thinks: Don't Sweat the Small Talk

Even if you don’t think you’re a natural, anyone can become proficient at the art of small talk by utilizing the right tactics and behaviors. In this collaboration with Harvard Business Review, strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams shares his tips and techniques for cocktail party chit chat, networking small talk, and holiday dinner-table conversation. Watch the full video on HBR's YouTube channel.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Quest

Nov 21, 2023 • 12:46

115. Rethinks: How We Set and Achieve Goals

115. Rethinks: How We Set and Achieve Goals

Why do we do what we do? What factors drive us? And how do things like competition with others help us achieve our goals?These are the questions most interesting to Szu-chi Huang, an associate professor of marketing with a specific interest in motivation. “Competition definitely increases motivation,” says Huang. “It makes attaining the goal more valuable.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Huang and host Matt Abrahams explore the intersection of human psychology, behavior, and

Nov 14, 2023 • 21:36

114. Communication Means Paying Attention: The Four Pillars of Active Listening

114. Communication Means Paying Attention: The Four Pillars of Active Listening

We should all be audience-centric in communication. But, as Julian Treasure contests, we need to take it one step further. What is the listening I am speaking into?, he says, is the question every speaker should ask themselves over and over."Every human being’s listening is unique ... we listen through a set of filters and those filters develop as we grow and mature in life and we have experiences. Knowing where the person is coming from, you'll be able to sense their listening."Treasur

Nov 7, 2023 • 30:28

113. Missing Something? How to Kick FOMO with Conscious Decision-Making

113. Missing Something? How to Kick FOMO with Conscious Decision-Making

What if you had that job? What if you were with that person? What if there’s a better option out there? If you find yourself asking these questions, Patrick McGinnis invented the term for what you’re experiencing: FOMO.First coined by McGinnis in a piece published by the Harvard Business School newspaper, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) describes the anxiety we feel when thinking that other people are having more fun and living more fulfilling lives than we are. As McGinnis says, “We are con

Oct 31, 2023 • 22:22

112. From Mistakes to "Missed Takes"

112. From Mistakes to "Missed Takes"

This episode we're sharing an excerpt from Matt Abrahams's audiobook, Think Faster, Talk Smarter. Listen in as Matt explains how to think like a movie director, where a mistake isn't a grave error, but rather a "missed takes" and an opportunity to try again with a new approach.This audio excerpt is courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THINK FASTER, TALK SMARTER by Matt Abrahams, read by the author. Copyright 2023 by Matthew Abrahams LLC. Used with permission of Simon & Schust

Oct 24, 2023 • 17:42

111. Rethinks: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

111. Rethinks: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

“Sparking communication starts with asking why or what or how.”On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Tina Seelig, the Professor of the Practice at Stanford’s department of management science and engineering and the executive director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, chats with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams about the importance of asking questions about everything we do.“Having a mindset of curiosity opens the door to great communication,” Seelig says. “The more questions

Oct 16, 2023 • 25:54

110. Write It Well: How to Craft an Email to Capture Busy Readers

110. Write It Well: How to Craft an Email to Capture Busy Readers

Whatever you’re writing, Todd Rogers says most people are too busy to read it. That’s why, he says, “you want to make it as easy as possible for them."Rogers is a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the author of the book Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World. From text messages to fundraising letters to political speeches, Rogers says effective writing makes it “easy for busy readers to navigate what we send them

Oct 10, 2023 • 27:11

109. Simplify! How to Communicate Complex Ideas Simply and Effectively

109. Simplify! How to Communicate Complex Ideas Simply and Effectively

You said it. But did they hear it? For Frances Frei, communication is about saying things simply enough for an audience to truly understand.As a professor of technology and operations management at Harvard Business School, Frei knows that shaping culture within organizations requires communicating in ways that influence how people think and act. The problem for many leaders, she says, is that when we “understand something deeply, we describe it in a complicated way. If you want broad in

Oct 3, 2023 • 25:34

108. All In: How Improv Helps You Show Up and Communicate Well

108. All In: How Improv Helps You Show Up and Communicate Well

If you’re reading from your notes, you're going to miss the magic of the moment. That’s why Adam Tobin, Dan Klein, and Patricia Ryan Madsen bring improv techniques to all their communication.Communication experts in their respective fields of media, performance, and drama, Tobin, Klein, and Madsen all see the immense power of improv in helping us communicate more freely. As Tobin says, "You do the preparation so that you are expert in the material. And then you let go of the specific de

Sep 26, 2023 • 34:48

107. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot

107. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot

In this episode, executive producer Jenny Luna interviews host and strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams about the tips and tools in his new book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>&

Sep 19, 2023 • 21:57

106. Rethinks: Using Skills From Improv to Master Your In-The-Moment Communication

106. Rethinks: Using Skills From Improv to Master Your In-The-Moment Communication

In January of 2020 we launched Think Fast Talk Smart with the goal of helping people improve their communication skills. Now, with more than 100 episodes and an engaged audience tuning in from more than 200 countries, we're proud to take you back to the very first episode, where the magic began.As we've discussed multiple times on the show, most professional communication is spontaneous in nature. It’s providing feedback in the moment, answering questions, introducing people. On this in

Sep 12, 2023 • 23:45

105. Radical Candor: The Communication Shift That Can Transform Your Career

105. Radical Candor: The Communication Shift That Can Transform Your Career

Moving forward in our careers often means giving and receiving feedback. But how candid can we be in communicating with others? For Kim Scott, anything less than radical just isn’t enough.An executive, speaker, author, and executive coach, Scott is known for her concept of radical candor, which she defines as “caring personally and challenging directly at the same time." By mapping communication onto the axes of caring and challenging, she derives four quadrants of feedback behavior: ra

Sep 5, 2023 • 33:48

104. How to Change: Building Better Habits and Behaviors (And Getting Out of Your Own Way)

104. How to Change: Building Better Habits and Behaviors (And Getting Out of Your Own Way)

"We're wired to look for the path of least resistance and efficiency, and that's normally a good thing, but it can get in the way when we want to make a change," says Wharton professor Katy Milkman. Through her research on decision making and in her recent book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want To Be, Milkman examines the many barriers we create for ourselves when it comes to achieving goals."Who you surround yourself [is important] with because

Aug 29, 2023 • 25:21

103. Simple Is a Superpower: How to Communicate Any Idea to Any Audience

103. Simple Is a Superpower: How to Communicate Any Idea to Any Audience

The best communicators express ideas simply. And to do that, says Carmine Gallo, “you have to connect with people in a language they understand.”Gallo is an author, communication coach, and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. For him, the cornerstone of good communication is empathizing with an audience enough to truly speak their language. “Think about the audience first,” he says. “If you cannot speak the same language to different stakeholders and adapt the language fo

Aug 22, 2023 • 23:28

102. Create a Presence: How to Communicate in a Way Others Can Feel

102. Create a Presence: How to Communicate in a Way Others Can Feel

What does it take to have a presence that’s felt by those around us? According to Muriel Wilkins, the answer is simple: Be present.“Having presence, at the root of it, [is] your ability to be present,” says Wilkins, a C-suite advisor, executive coach, and host of the HBR podcast, Coaching Real Leaders. Working with some of the business world’s top brass, Wilkins helps leaders discover how they can use presence to communicate more effectively, lead more authentically, and create more imp

Aug 15, 2023 • 24:27

101. We Belong Together: How Communication Fuels Connection and Community

101. We Belong Together: How Communication Fuels Connection and Community

When it comes to emotional and physical wellbeing, Psychology professor Geoffrey Cohen says there is one healthy behavior that outweighs the others: authentic connection. “It is really, really important,” he says. Deep connections with other people are foundational to a happy and healthy life. As Cohen explores in his new book, Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides, achieving a sense of belonging isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. “That sense of con

Aug 8, 2023 • 24:06

100. Shut Up! How to Communicate Better by Talking Less

100. Shut Up! How to Communicate Better by Talking Less

What does it take to be a more effective communicator? According to Dan Lyons, it starts with knowing when to shut your mouth.As a journalist, author, and screenwriter, Lyons knows a thing or two about wielding words. But as he reveals in his book, STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World, most of us talk too much and listen too little. “A great conversation is about listening. And it probably involves you talking less,” he says.In this episode of Think Fas

Aug 1, 2023 • 21:07

99. Rethinks: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

99. Rethinks: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

Being a better listener has a lot to do with silence, says Collins Dobbs, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “A lot of people are uncomfortable with the smallest modicum of silence, but learning often happens when we create distance for useful reflection.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dobbs talks with host Matt Abrahams about the importance of “space, pace, and grace” when you’re receiving others’ feedback and handling the emotions that come o

Jul 25, 2023 • 24:28

98. Give It to Me Straight: How to Give Honest, Constructive Feedback

98. Give It to Me Straight: How to Give Honest, Constructive Feedback

How do we deal with professional blind spots? According to David Dodson, MBA ’87, we need the panoramic perspective of those who work around us.“360 reviews, done properly, are a massive competitive weapon,” says Dodson, also a lecturer in management at Stanford GSB and author of the new book, The Manager’s Handbook. Such comprehensive and constructive feedback, he says, can be transformational for employees and managers alike. “The first time I did a 360 review and got feedback was a

Jul 18, 2023 • 23:38

97. No Rules, No Trust: How Accountability Shapes Communication

97. No Rules, No Trust: How Accountability Shapes Communication

Communication is like a game. For it to work, each person has to trust that their partner will play by the rules. As Professor Anat Admati says, the same is true for corporations and their stakeholders.“To have good governance, you need trust and accountability,” says Admati, a professor of finance and economics and the director of the Corporations and Society Initiative. How does a society ensure that markets, businesses, and governments are all on the same page? As Admati says, “We ne

Jul 11, 2023 • 21:21

96. Rock and Role: How Assigning Gender to Inanimate Objects Influences Us

96. Rock and Role: How Assigning Gender to Inanimate Objects Influences Us

Be the first to hear about TFTS Premium -> Sign up for our emailWhy is a boat a “she?” Why give names like Alexa or Siri to inanimate pieces of software? According to assistant professor of organizational behavior Ashley Martin, ascribing gender to everyday objects helps us to connect with them more deeply.“Gender is this humanizing force that allows people to interact with non-human things as if they’re human,” says Martin, whose research focuses on gender equality, gender inclusion

Jun 27, 2023 • 27:04

95. The Power of No: How Boundaries Help Us Live More Empowered Lives

95. The Power of No: How Boundaries Help Us Live More Empowered Lives

Saying no can seem risky. We worry about offending others, damaging relationships, or hurting our own reputation. But as Vanessa Patrick says, no is an empowering word that gives us greater agency in our lives.Saying no “is not a rejection of the other person,” says Patrick, a professor of Marketing at the University of Houston. Instead, it allows you to set boundaries and “[give] voice to what you believe and what you care about.” In her book, The Power of Saying No, Patrick introduces

Jun 20, 2023 • 27:05

94. LEADing ideas: Research-Backed Tips and Tools from Four Stanford Professors

94. LEADing ideas: Research-Backed Tips and Tools from Four Stanford Professors

Breaking new ground, Think Fast, Talk Smart steps into the world of live events, bringing together an eager audience of LEAD students from Stanford University and a top-notch panel of former podcast guests: Jesper B. Sørensen, Sarah Soule, Jonathan Levav,and Szu-chi Huang. Topics include crafting strategy for successful leadership and tips on how to effectively lead a hybrid team.This episode also features an interactive audience segment, where various participants of the Stanford LEAD

Jun 13, 2023 • 29:56

93. All the Feels: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

93. All the Feels: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

How are you feeling right now? According to Celine Teoh, we all need to ask ourselves that question more often — and be more precise in how we answer it.Teoh is a facilitator of the course Interpersonal Dynamics, or “Touchy Feely,” as it’s affectionately known on campus. In her work with students and as a CEO coach, she encourages people to get better acquainted with their feelings. “Feelings are data,” she says. “In the rest of our logical lives, we would never make decisions on bad or

Jun 6, 2023 • 19:20

92. No Regrets: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

92. No Regrets: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

“What people regret over time are things they didn't do. They didn't take that trip, they didn't ask that person out on a date. They didn't start that business,” says former political speech writer and best-selling author Dan Pink. “I think it's because we are slightly over-indexed on risk. We overstate the risk in many circumstances.” On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams sits down with Pink to hear how we should all take more risks

May 30, 2023 • 27:26

91. Um, like, so: How Filler Words Can Create More Connected, Effective Communication

91. Um, like, so: How Filler Words Can Create More Connected, Effective Communication

We’re often advised not to use “um” or “uh”, or “so” and “you know” in our communication. But linguist Valerie Fridland might argue otherwise. “Language is about how we encode both the linguistic message and a social message,” she says. “Crutch words … are really valuable and they have arisen to serve a need.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart: the podcast, Fridland sits down with host and strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams to discuss how and when we use "you know",

May 23, 2023 • 30:25

90. Rethinks:  Brains Love Stories – How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People’s Emotions

90. Rethinks: Brains Love Stories – How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People’s Emotions

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams sits down with David Eagleman, a neuroscientist and the host of the PBS series The Brain, to discuss why our brains are wired for storytelling and how new senses might impact our connection and communication with others.“I’ve always been really interested in this idea of how we can pass information to the brain via unusual channels,” Eagleman says. “We’ve got our eyes or ears or fingertips and our nose, w

May 16, 2023 • 21:52

89. Listen, Listen, Listen: How to Build Deep Connections

89. Listen, Listen, Listen: How to Build Deep Connections

Whether you’re trying to build a romantic or professional connection, Rachel Greenwald’s advice is exactly the same. “Focus on how you make someone feel more than you focus on the words that you're saying,” she says. As a professional coach, Greenwald helps people develop better communication skills, from executives in the business world to singles in the dating world. Building deep connections may at times be challenging, but as Greenwald says, it’s ultimately not complicated. “You're

May 9, 2023 • 25:26

88. Rethinks: Leading From Home – How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

88. Rethinks: Leading From Home – How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

*This episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart won "Best Business Podcast Episode" at the 2023 Webby Awards.* “You’re not going to hit the mark with everybody, but you still need to be mindful of everybody,” says Jonathan Levav, a professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “That’s critical to create an environment where communication is effective.”In this podcast episode, Levav sits down with podcast host Matt Abrahams to talk about how to lead from home and how to foster

May 2, 2023 • 22:18

87. Know What You’re Saying: How Communicating Tests Our Understanding

87. Know What You’re Saying: How Communicating Tests Our Understanding

We’ve all been there — we think we understand something, but when it comes time to explain it to someone else, we flounder.According to Gregory LaBlanc, a lecturer in management at Stanford GSB, attempting to communicate concepts reveals whether or not we properly grasped them in the first place. “If you think you understand something but you're incapable of communicating it, it probably means that you don't really understand it,” he says.For communication to be effective, LaBlanc says

Apr 25, 2023 • 21:39

86. Building Habits: The Key to Lasting Behavior Change

86. Building Habits: The Key to Lasting Behavior Change

Whether you want to read more books or exercise more regularly, BJ Fogg has good news. “Habits are easier to form than most people think,” he says, “If you do it in the right way.”As the founder and director of Stanford's Behavior Design Lab, Fogg has devoted much of his career to researching human psychology, motivation, and behavior. According to him, habit formation isn’t a product of simply doing something over and over again. “It's not a function of repetition,” he says, “it's a fu

Apr 18, 2023 • 21:07

85. Rethinks: Don't Get Lost in Translation

85. Rethinks: Don't Get Lost in Translation

Having to communicate in a language other than our native tongue can be quite a challenge, especially without a script or prepared speech.In this "Rethinks" episode, we revisit Matt's conversation with Kenneth Romeo about specific tactics that non-native speakers can use to handle in-the-moment challenges. Romeo also discusses why letting go of perfection is a key step toward speaking with confidence. Romeo has served as the associate director of the Stanford Language Center and a teach

Apr 11, 2023 • 15:26

84. Quick Thinks: How Others Define Us

84. Quick Thinks: How Others Define Us

“The self is incompatible with freedom, the way most people understand it, because the self is a constraint,” says social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior Brian Lowery. “The ‘you’ you’re talking about is actually the relationships you have, the social interactions you have and the cultural context you exist in."In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Lowery sits down with podcast host and lecturer in strategic communications Matt Abrahams to talk abo

Apr 4, 2023 • 16:08

83. You Need a Manifesto: How to Communicate Your Convictions

83. You Need a Manifesto: How to Communicate Your Convictions

“If you're not living life according to your own values, you're most likely living them according to someone else's,” says Charlotte Burgess-Auburn.Burgess-Auburn is a designer, artist, educator, and the Director of Community at the d.school. With her recently published guide, You Need A Manifesto: How To Craft Your Convictions And Put Them To Work, she aims to help people identify their core values and then codify them to chart a course of meaning and purpose.“A manifesto is a statemen

Mar 28, 2023 • 20:59

82. It’s Not About You: Why Effective Communicators Put Others First

82. It’s Not About You: Why Effective Communicators Put Others First

It’s easy to feel like the star of the show when giving a presentation. But according to communication guru Nancy Duarte, you’re not the hero of this story.For Duarte, founder and CEO of world-renowned communication consulting firm Duarte Inc, effective communication is built on the foundation of empathy, which means considering your audience first and foremost. “All the attention is on us. But in reality, the audience is the one,” she says. “If they don’t leave with your idea adopted,

Mar 21, 2023 • 22:56

81. Fact or Fiction? How to Communicate When We Hold Different Beliefs

81. Fact or Fiction? How to Communicate When We Hold Different Beliefs

Why does disagreement feel so personal? According to author, journalist, and physician Seema Yasmin, it’s because beliefs aren’t just about what we think, they’re about who we are.“What [people] believe is entrenched in them, and it’s to do with their sense of belonging and their sense of identity,” says Yasmin. Whether we’re butting heads over something trivial like sports or something major like COVID-19 vaccines, Yasmin points out that the disagreement is just the surface — underneat

Mar 14, 2023 • 23:03

80. Magic Words: Change What You Say to Inspire and Influence Others

80. Magic Words: Change What You Say to Inspire and Influence Others

Words have impact. But when it comes to enchanting audiences and captivating with communication, Jonah Berger, PhD ’07, says some words are more potent than others.Berger is a Wharton School professor and an internationally bestselling author. His most recent book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, identifies language we can use to communicate more effectively in all sorts of personal and professional contexts. “Subtle shifts in language can have a huge impact on everything from

Mar 8, 2023 • 29:30

79. Equity by Design: How Diversity Ignites Creativity

79. Equity by Design: How Diversity Ignites Creativity

If we want healthier companies, schools, and teams associate professor of organizational behavior Adina Sterling says investing in the health of marginalized groups “can have enormous spillover effects for everyone.”Sterling is an organizational theorist and economic sociologist whose research explores how human relationships affect organizations and markets. As she says, “The outcomes that individuals, groups, and organizations experience have to do with the social networks that they h

Feb 28, 2023 • 26:03

78. Three Guiding Principles for Successful Communication

78. Three Guiding Principles for Successful Communication

To celebrate our 75th episode, we hosted a live "Ask Me Anything" event with Matt. In this global gathering, listeners called in with questions ranging from making a first impression and giving negative feedback to presenting virtually and the worst communication advice Matt's ever received. In addition to audience questions, Matt also shares a short lecture to outline his top three guiding principles when it comes to being a confidence speaker and leader. Connect:Premium Signup >&gt

Feb 14, 2023 • 26:21

77. Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered The Chat – A "Conversation" with ChatGPT

77. Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered The Chat – A "Conversation" with ChatGPT

In this "Quick Thinks" episode, host Matt Abrahams interviews ChatGPT, an AI natural language processing chatbot, about its purpose, sources of information, ethical considerations, and the importance of human communication skills.To produce this episode, Matt typed his questions to ask ChatGPT, then recorded them in the studio. Producers then used Descript Overdub to "read" ChatGPT's responses.The purpose of ChatGPT is to provide informative and accurate responses to questions in natura

Feb 7, 2023 • 10:41

Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast | Season 4 Trailer

Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast | Season 4 Trailer

Join Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of strategic communication at Stanford GSB, as he sits down with experts from across campus to discuss public speaking anxiety, speaking off the cuff, nailing a Q&A, and more.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fas

Feb 1, 2023 • 2:23

76. Change My Mind: Using “Pre-suasion” to Influence Others

76. Change My Mind: Using “Pre-suasion” to Influence Others

Want to change someone’s mind? First, explains Robert Cialdini, you have to change their framing.For Cialdini, the Regent's Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, persuasion begins before we even deliver our pitch or presentation. Through what he calls “Pre-suasion,” communicators can prime audiences to receive messages in a specific way, simply by drawing their attention in specific directions. “It involves focusing people on—putting them in mind of

Jan 24, 2023 • 29:06

75. Love & Money: How to Talk About Big Decisions Together

75. Love & Money: How to Talk About Big Decisions Together

Do love and money mix? Labor economist and Stanford Graduate School of Business professor emerita Myra Strober says absolutely. “Separating money and love is not a good idea. I have had 40 years to think about this, and, in my class at the GSB on work and family, each semester I realize how important it is to intertwine love and money."In this episode, Matt Abrahams sits down with Strober and social innovation leader Abby Davisson to discuss the thorny topics of work, money, career, and

Jan 10, 2023 • 23:47

74. Rethinks: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

74. Rethinks: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

In one of our most popular episodes, professor of Marketing Baba Shiv shares his research on how emotions affect decision making. Knowing this, and applying techniques to help guide our audience through information and emotion, can help us make our messages stick. In this best-of episode we've included extra audio from Matt Abrahams's conversation with Shiv from November of 2020 that touches on how to best approach writing emails.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk S

Dec 20, 2022 • 33:59

73. Listen Up: Why It’s Better to Be Interested Than Interesting

73. Listen Up: Why It’s Better to Be Interested Than Interesting

As a communication expert, Alison Wood Brooks spends a lot of time talking about talking. But, as she says, listening is just as important.“My course is called TALK,” says Wood Brooks, who is the O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School. “The great irony is that it should really be called LISTEN. It’s hard to be a good listener yet so very important.”In the latest episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Wood Brooks covers co

Dec 6, 2022 • 25:54

72. Quick Thinks: Talk It Out – How to Successfully Negotiate and Resolve Conflict

72. Quick Thinks: Talk It Out – How to Successfully Negotiate and Resolve Conflict

When it comes to negotiating and managing conflict, Professor Michele Gelfand says it’s time to get creative.Everybody has wants and needs. So what do we do when our priorities compete with those of other people? According to Gelfand, a professor of organizational behavior, negotiations and conflict management are exercises in creative problem-solving, ones where we look for ways to not only get what we want, but for those on the other side of the table to get what they want too. “The b

Nov 22, 2022 • 13:36

71. Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

71. Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

As Professor Jesper Sørensen sees it, a winning strategy is the result of conversations, not commands.Sørensen says strategy can be directed from the C-suite, but it doesn’t have to be. “Lots of great strategies are discovered,” he says, “they're discovered because the leaders were able to listen to their frontline workers or their frontline managers.” A more iterative approach, says Sørensen, helps companies adapt their strategy to an ever-changing landscape.In the latest episode of Th

Nov 8, 2022 • 25:54

70. Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best

70. Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best

What’s the secret to coming up with good ideas? For Jeremy Utley, it’s about generating as many as possible. The director of executive education at the Stanford d.school, Utley says, “very few problems we face in business or in life have a single right answer.” All ideas — the good, the bad, and the ugly — are “a necessary input to an innovation process,” and an essential step in getting to solutions that will actually work.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Utley and host Matt

Oct 25, 2022 • 23:19

69. Feeling Nervous? How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

69. Feeling Nervous? How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

Stress, anxiety, nervousness — when these feelings inevitably arise, lecturer Kelly McGonigal says it’s not about making them go away, but using them to your advantage.“What I have come to value about anxiety,” says McGonigal, “is it’s a sign that I care.” As she explains, feelings of stress alert us to things that matter to us and help us stay present in the moment — particularly useful, she says, when it comes to communication.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McGonigal and h

Oct 11, 2022 • 27:10

68. Directive vs. Dialogue: Communicating Better as a Leader

68. Directive vs. Dialogue: Communicating Better as a Leader

As the dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business, Dean Jon Levin knows the importance of crafting the right message and sharing it in the right way. But, as he says, one of the biggest challenges for any leader is to know what to communicate, and how. How do leaders strike the balance between being clear and directive, and as Levin says, “leaving space for people to form their own opinions, to discuss ideas, to debate”? He joins host and lecturer of strategic communications Matt Abra

Sep 27, 2022 • 20:11

67. What Is Normal? How Culture Affects Communication Styles

67. What Is Normal? How Culture Affects Communication Styles

Why do we drive on only one side of the road? Why don’t we sing in libraries? Why wear a swimsuit?For Professor Michele Gelfand, it all comes down to culture. As a cross-cultural psychologist, Gelfand is fascinated by social environments and their effects on human behavior, particularly, how strictly people adhere to social norms.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Gelfand joins host and lecturer of strategic communications Matt Abrahams to explain why some cultures are “tight” a

Sep 13, 2022 • 21:14

66. Rethinks: Lessons from Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman to Help You Hack your Speaking Anxiety

66. Rethinks: Lessons from Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman to Help You Hack your Speaking Anxiety

“There’s no difference between the physiological response to something that you’re excited about and something that you’re nervous about or dreading,” says Andrew Huberman associate professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University.In this “Best of” episode, we revisit one of our most popular interviews. In it, Huberman, from the wildly popular Huberman Lab Podcast, shares his research on the autonomic continuum, a spectrum between states of high alertness or fear all t

Aug 30, 2022 • 31:56

65. Ties That Bind: Why Remote and Hybrid Teams Need the Right Connection

65. Ties That Bind: Why Remote and Hybrid Teams Need the Right Connection

“We need to be much more adaptive in the way we think about hybrid work,” says Michael Arena. “Experiment, experiment, experiment.”Innovation relies on teams connecting in very specific ways. But are those connections possible in a hybrid work reality? Glenn Carroll, a professor of management at Stanford GSB, and Michael Arena, a faculty member of Penn's Master's in Organizational Dynamics program, have been looking for the answer — studying how team interactions have changed since mill

Aug 16, 2022 • 22:21

64. Rethinks: Techniques for Managing Your Reputation

64. Rethinks: Techniques for Managing Your Reputation

How others perceive us in person and via social media can impact our careers and social standing. But we can build the reputation we want through conscious communication.On this episode, strategic communication lecturers Matt Abrahams and Allison Kluger share techniques on effectively improving and managing your reputation.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>&gt

Aug 2, 2022 • 19:26

63. Cheap Talk: What Economics Has to Say About Communication

63. Cheap Talk: What Economics Has to Say About Communication

Your words — are they credible? Or are they what Paul Oyer calls “cheap talk?”According to professor of economics Paul Oyer, how our words align with our actions isn’t just a matter of communication, but a matter of economics too. Economic concepts hold in all areas of life, which Oyer’s research has explored in everything from Uber driving to online dating.“Economics is everywhere,” Oyer says. “It's an incredibly powerful lens to analyze almost anything in the real world.”Join Matt Abr

Jul 18, 2022 • 19:23

62. Rethinks: Summer Learning Series, How Humor Can Be a Secret Weapon in Communication

62. Rethinks: Summer Learning Series, How Humor Can Be a Secret Weapon in Communication

In the kickoff to our Summer Learning Series, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes. This interview features Stanford GSB faculty members Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas and gives specific insights into how humor can transform your communication at home and at work. At the time of this episode, their book Humor, Seriously was just set to launch.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.i

Jul 5, 2022 • 32:07

61. Courage, Ambiguity, Belonging and Data: How to Design Your Communication for Success

61. Courage, Ambiguity, Belonging and Data: How to Design Your Communication for Success

All communication comes from a place of creativity and creativity is rooted in design. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, strategic communications lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams interviews four authors from the Stanford d.school. Each conversation challenges convention in how we approach our communication, be it visual, body language, or speech. Listen to this episode to hear more from Ashish Goel, author of Drawing on Courage; Susie Wise, author of Design for Belonging

Jun 21, 2022 • 35:15

60. Communicating Uncertainty: How to Connect With Your Audience, Even When The Answers Aren’t Clear

60. Communicating Uncertainty: How to Connect With Your Audience, Even When The Answers Aren’t Clear

“It's not reassuring when we don't know the answers to critically important questions involved in health and wellbeing. But it's far more of a problem if we try to pretend we do.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford Medical School dean Lloyd Minor sits down with podcast host Matt Abrahams to discuss transparency in leadership. “Rather than pushing ambiguity away, we should lean into it, and use it as a stimulus to guide our communication in more effective ways.” They als

Jun 7, 2022 • 17:16

59. From Dreaming to Doing: How We Set and Achieve Goals

59. From Dreaming to Doing: How We Set and Achieve Goals

Why do we do what we do? What factors drive us? And how do things like competition with others help us achieve our goals?These are the questions most interesting to Szu-chi Huang, an associate professor of marketing with a specific interest in motivation. “Competition definitely increases motivation,” says Huang. “It makes attaining the goal more valuable.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Huang and host Matt Abrahams explore the intersection of human psychology, behavior, and

May 24, 2022 • 21:07

58. Forgiveness: How the Right Communication Repairs Relationships

58. Forgiveness: How the Right Communication Repairs Relationships

Join TFTS Premium - Launching this weekIn relationships between imperfect people, mistakes are inevitable. And when we find ourselves with damaged connections, it’s a specific kind of communication that can help us make amends.Fred Luskin is the Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, and has devoted much of his career to researching the way forgiveness affects our psychological, relational, and physical health.“Apology is one of the few things that research shows actua

May 10, 2022 • 19:18

57. Are You Listening?: How to Stay Open and Curious to Other People’s Ideas

57. Are You Listening?: How to Stay Open and Curious to Other People’s Ideas

“Listening actively and deeply happens when I genuinely believe that the person who's speaking has intrinsic worth and brings a perspective that I lack and need.”This episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart features Kristin Hansen, lecturer in management and executive director of Civic Health Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to reduce extreme polarization and foster healthier civil discourse in U.S. citizenry, politics, and media.Together with host Matt Abrahams, Hansen

Apr 26, 2022 • 17:31

56. Lean Messaging: How Simple Messages Really Stick

56. Lean Messaging: How Simple Messages Really Stick

“Anyone can make a complicated thing sound complicated. It takes real skill to make it sound simple.” This episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart features Steve Blank, seasoned entrepreneur, marketer, and Stanford adjunct professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering. “Messages need to be memorable,” he tells podcast host and strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams. “The more memorable the message, the greater its ability to create change.”Blank teaches courses on

Apr 12, 2022 • 21:12

55. Ideas & Empathy: How to Design and Communicate with Others in Mind

55. Ideas & Empathy: How to Design and Communicate with Others in Mind

“Very often, you are not designing for yourself. And you kind of have to get out of your own way to effectively design with others’ needs in mind.”In this podcast episode, lecturer Matt Abrahams is joined by Sarah Stein Greenberg, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, aka the Stanford d.school, and author of Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways.Together, Greenberg and Abrahams discuss how design and communication require s

Mar 29, 2022 • 20:54

54. Leadership and Ethics: How to Communicate Your Core Values

54. Leadership and Ethics: How to Communicate Your Core Values

“A mistake that some leaders make is to assume that the people in your organization share your core values. Some of the time some of them do, but there's a bunch who don't, and those are the most difficult sorts of situations.” In this episode, Political Science professors Neil Malhotra and Ken Shotts sit down with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams, to discuss how to lead others whose values may not align with your own. “The most effective thing you can do is to understand the other perso

Mar 15, 2022 • 24:41

53. Step Up and Stand Out: How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

53. Step Up and Stand Out: How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

“You’re not going to hit the mark with everybody, but you still need to be mindful of everybody,” says Jonathan Levav, the King Philanthropies Professor of Marketing. “That’s critical to create an environment where communication is effective.”In this episode, Levav sits down with podcast host Matt Abrahams to talk about the science behind decision fatigue, how to lead effectively while working from home, and how to create the right company culture both in the office and online. The righ

Mar 1, 2022 • 22:56

52. Communicating Our Mistakes: How to Avoid Common Flaws and Make Better Decisions

52. Communicating Our Mistakes: How to Avoid Common Flaws and Make Better Decisions

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams sits down with finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen to talk about their new podcast, All Else Equal.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> L

Feb 16, 2022 • 21:03

51. We Asked, You Answered: Celebrating our 50th Episode with your Anxiety Management Plans

51. We Asked, You Answered: Celebrating our 50th Episode with your Anxiety Management Plans

In this 50th episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams and executive producer Jenny Luna share the winners' plans from our Confident Communicator Challenge and offer new, research-backed techniques for managing nervousness both before and during your communication. Thank you to many, many listeners from all over the world who sent in their anxiety management plans. Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>&gt

Feb 10, 2022 • 12:59

50. Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged

50. Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged

“Make them want to turn the page,” says Paula Moya, a professor at Stanford University and author of The Social Imperative: Race, Close Reading, and Contemporary Literary Criticism. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Moya sits down with strategic communication lecturer Matt Abrahams to share how the elements of story can be used in other types of communication. Create compelling situations, full of sense and surprise, she says. Create characters we can empathize with; speak your

Feb 2, 2022 • 19:44

49. Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively

49. Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively

Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.“We have to make data emotional because emotions are what drive us to act,” says Chip Heath, a professor of organizational behavior and author of the new book, Making Numbers Count: The Art of Science of Communicating Numbers. In this interview with podcast host Matt Abrahams, Heath talks about ways that data and statistics can be used to illuminate — or obscure — our message. “A lot of people in the world don’t understand number

Jan 18, 2022 • 17:39

48. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: How to Tackle Communication Anxiety

48. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: How to Tackle Communication Anxiety

“Eighty five percent of people report being nervous about speaking in public, and I believe the other 15% are lying,” says Matt Abrahams, lecturer in Strategic Communication and podcast host. “What is it about speaking in front of others that makes most of us nervous? Well, those of us who study this ubiquitous fear believe it is part of our human condition.” In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams returns to one of the podcast's main goals: helping people becom

Jan 5, 2022 • 25:21

47. Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder

47. Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder

“Great founders are great storytellers,” says Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Stephanos Zenios in this “Quick Thinks” episode. Zenios is the director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and heads Startup Garage, a project-based course where teams design and test business concepts that address real-world problems. “Founders have to tell a story to their customer so that they can inspire them to test and use their new product. They have to tell a story to their employ

Dec 14, 2021 • 8:22

46. Stay Creative: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh and Practical

46. Stay Creative: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh and Practical

“To be creative, ideas must be both novel and useful. That’s the definition that we use in creativity research,” says Justin Berg, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. But, he warns: “Novel ideas are often not very useful and useful ideas are often not very novel.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Berg sits down with lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams to share lessons from his work on creativity, which has included cond

Dec 3, 2021 • 21:10

45. Recipes From the “Communication Kitchen”: How to Handle Three Common Challenges This Holiday Season

45. Recipes From the “Communication Kitchen”: How to Handle Three Common Challenges This Holiday Season

In each episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford GSB lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams asks his guests the same question: “What are the first three ingredients in a successful communication recipe?” Answers have ranged from specific and poetic, to impactful and thought-provoking. In this episode, we bring you some favorite responses, as well as Matt’s tips for solving three common communication challenges that tend to arise during the holiday season. Connect:Premium Signup >

Nov 18, 2021 • 14:34

44. Act Like a Leader: How Lessons From The Theater Can Help You Step into Power

44. Act Like a Leader: How Lessons From The Theater Can Help You Step into Power

"Leadership is a role that you play, like a part you play in other people’s lives. And [your] expression of that role is your responsibility as a leader,” says Stanford GSB lecturer Melissa Jones Briggs. Jones Briggs’ work combines techniques from the theater with social science research to teach lessons about power and communication. In this conversation with host Matt Abrahams, she discusses how acting in a leadership position requires staying present and also knowing when to step bac

Nov 11, 2021 • 20:13

43. Get Psyched: How Time and Situations Shape Our Communication

43. Get Psyched: How Time and Situations Shape Our Communication

“Social psychologists believe that if we want to understand our own behavior and the behavior of others, the first thing we have to ask or notice is, ‘What is the situation in which they are performing, in which they are behaving?’ And then we want to know as much about the situation as possible.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford emeritus psychology professor Phillip Zimbardo sits down with host Matt Abrahams to discuss how time influences our perception and our positi

Oct 28, 2021 • 19:11

42. Space, Pace, and Grace: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

42. Space, Pace, and Grace: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

Being a better listener has a lot to do with silence, says Collins Dobbs, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “A lot of people are uncomfortable with the smallest modicum of silence, but learning often happens when we create distance for useful reflection.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dobbs talks with host Matt Abrahams about the importance of “space, pace, and grace” when you’re receiving others’ feedback and handling the emotions that come o

Oct 15, 2021 • 23:52

41. Speak like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams

41. Speak like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams

“Part of teamwork is dating,” says Stefanos Zenios, The Investment Group of Santa Barbara Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Operations, Information & Technology. “Dating each other to see whether you can work well together. It’s about developing how you will speak with each other in the team, how you will manage difficult conversations, and how to be respectful, but also how to help each other grow.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams sits dow

Sep 30, 2021 • 18:51

40. Mindset Matters: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

40. Mindset Matters: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

“Stress is natural, stress is inevitable when you're living a life that's connected with things you care about. And learning how to embrace it, learning how to work with it is really what helps us thrive and grow and perform at our highest level, according to psychologist and associate professor at Stanford, Alia Crum. In this episode, Crum talks with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams about her research and findings as principal investigator of the Stanford Mind and Body Lab where she is

Sep 16, 2021 • 25:26

39. Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions

39. Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams sits down with David Eagleman, a neuroscientist and the host of the PBS series The Brain, to discuss why our brains are wired for storytelling and how new senses might impact our connection and communication with others. “I’ve always been really interested in this idea of how we can pass information to the brain via unusual channels," Eagleman says. "We’ve got our eyes or ears or fingertips and our nose,

Sep 2, 2021 • 21:42

38. The New Normal: How Hybrid Work Actually Works

38. The New Normal: How Hybrid Work Actually Works

“One of the things I think is really exciting about all this, and perhaps a little bit frightening, is nobody actually knows how to do it. It is not something that we’ve ever done before. And I’ve studied a lot of globally distributed work, and virtual teams, and so forth. But hybrid work is not that and it’s not telecommuting, which we know a bit about. But it’s something that is a mix of these multiple different modes of working,” says Pamela Hinds, Fortinet Founders Chair and profess

Aug 19, 2021 • 20:35

37. Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation

37. Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford GSB Lecturer Robert Siegel sits down with Matt Abrahams to discuss the role of communication in helping businesses to adapt and transform and his new book The Brains and Brawn Company: How Leading Organizations Blend the Best of Digital and Physical Specifically. “You have to see how things are interacting with each other. You have to see how your organization is interacting both internally and externally. And so what we found is that

Aug 5, 2021 • 22:37

36. Perfecting Teamwork: Building High-Performing Teams By Encouraging Learning

36. Perfecting Teamwork: Building High-Performing Teams By Encouraging Learning

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sara Singer, a professor of organizational behavior (by courtesy) at Stanford Graduate School of Business and a professor of medicine at Stanford School of Medicine, sits down with lecturer Matt Abrahams to discuss the role of open communication in high-performing teams. “Learning requires leadership that reinforces learning, a supportive environment, including especially psychological safety, but also an appreciation for differences when you’r

Jul 15, 2021 • 22:15

35. Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under Pressure

35. Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under Pressure

“I say sometimes that leadership is a journey into yourself. It’s self-renewal, self-reflection, self-confidence. It’s going to bed kind of scratching your head and saying, “Man, I’m not as good,” and waking up the next morning and trying it again — and I think that’s what matters.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, former CEO of General Electric and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Jeff Immelt sits down with lecturer Matt Abrahams to discuss communicating during t

Jun 25, 2021 • 22:34

34. How We Gain — Or Give Away — Authority While Speaking

34. How We Gain — Or Give Away — Authority While Speaking

“Simple language, forceful language, vivid language, and keeping it simple and direct,” says Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, are all tools to increase the strength of your communication. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host and lecturer Matt Abrahams interviews Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of Dying for a Paycheck, about the verbal and nonverbal ways we can harness, or give away, our authority in communication. To hear more from Jeffrey, listen to Pfeffer on Power, a podcast about accel

Jun 3, 2021 • 20:31

33. Hacking your Speaking Anxiety: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently.

33. Hacking your Speaking Anxiety: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently.

“There’s no difference between the physiological response to something that you’re excited about and something that you’re nervous about or dreading,” says Andrew Huberman, associate professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University. In this podcast episode, Huberman talks with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams about his research on the autonomic continuum, a spectrum between states of very high alertness or fear, all the way down to deep sleep, and shares how to better-u

May 13, 2021 • 29:07

32. Speech That Empowers: How to Encourage Growth and Resilience in a Younger Audience

32. Speech That Empowers: How to Encourage Growth and Resilience in a Younger Audience

“Communication is such a delicate dance and kids need to emerge from childhood having practiced,” says Julie Lythcott-Haims, former associate vice provost of undergraduate education Stanford University. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams sits down with Lythcott-Haims to discuss her new book, Your Turn: How to be an Adult, and ideas on how to communicate with young people so they feel empowered to take on the various (and often intimidating

Apr 22, 2021 • 24:48

31. Quick Thinks: How to Shine Online and Excel at Virtual Communication

31. Quick Thinks: How to Shine Online and Excel at Virtual Communication

It has been over a year since millions of people have switched from office work to working from home. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and host Matt Abrahams highlights guests’ top takeaways on how to best communicate, share information, and cultivate a professional presence though the screen. “I think we have to find ways to reduce cognitive overload,” says Professor and Senior Associate Dean Sarah Soule. “I now offer my information in much smaller pieces intersperse

Apr 16, 2021 • 10:31

30. Dissolve Disagreements: How Communication Impacts Conflict

30. Dissolve Disagreements: How Communication Impacts Conflict

“Communication, conflict, and cooperation are intertwined in a multitude of ways,” says Nir Halevy, associate professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Halevy sits down with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams, to discuss how we can often solve conflicts and disagreements by employing the correct strategy in our communication.  “How you articulate a particular grievance, your choice of words, the nonverbal aspect

Mar 31, 2021 • 21:48

29. Question Everything: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

29. Question Everything: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

The information you receive is only as strong as the questions you ask. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturers Matt Abrahams and Debra Schifrin discuss how to craft inquiries that can lead to better communication outcomes. Questions are also instrumental in building relationships, Schifrin points out. “If you’re asking questions, you’re signaling to the other person that you value them. You’re taking time to listen to their answers.”Con

Mar 11, 2021 • 25:00

28. Building Strong Relationships: How to Effectively Communicate in Your Professional and Personal Life

28. Building Strong Relationships: How to Effectively Communicate in Your Professional and Personal Life

Recognizing the importance of forging connections with others — and learning how to build those bonds in real time — is the focus of a course that’s been the most popular elective at Stanford GSB for decades: Interpersonal Dynamics. The iconic course has taught thousands of students and professionals what it means to have exceptional relationships and how to interact with others in a way that contributes to deeper, stronger connections.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer

Feb 18, 2021 • 28:23

27. Psychology Trumps Technology: How to Be a Better Communicator on Social Media

27. Psychology Trumps Technology: How to Be a Better Communicator on Social Media

“Psychology trumps technology,” says Jeff Hancock, founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab and professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford.“If you want to understand what's going on in social media, the first place to start is with what's going on psychologically.”On the latest episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams sits down with Professor Hancock, to talk about the communication tendencies, styles, and mistakes of social medi

Jan 28, 2021 • 25:33

26. Writing to Win: How to Quickly Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged

26. Writing to Win: How to Quickly Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged

“The reader is impatient,” says Glenn Kramon, Stanford GSB lecturer in management and editor at the New York Times. “Start with the most important conclusion and then explain how you got there.”On the latest episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams sits down with Glenn Kramon to talk about just how important our writing is — from a lengthy report to the opening line of an email. Listen as they discuss tips on improving your writing skills and share exam

Jan 8, 2021 • 22:05

25. Quick Thinks: All Effective Communication Must Start With This

25. Quick Thinks: All Effective Communication Must Start With This

As we look back on more than 20 interviews with Think Fast, Talk Smart guests, we’ve heard one piece of advice over and again: Know Your Audience. This wisdom echoes what research clearly shows: Content that is relevant and meaningful to an audience is more likely to be heard, retained and acted upon. The word communication comes from the Latin for to “make common,” yet many of us start our message from the wrong place. As lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams shares in this Quick Thi

Dec 4, 2020 • 8:09

24. Feelings First: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

24. Feelings First: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

“Something like 90 to 95% of our decisions and behaviors are constantly being shaped the non-consciously by emotional brain system.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Professor of Marketing Baba Shiv sits down with lecturer and host Matt Abrahams to share his research on how emotions affect our, and our audience’s, decision making. “You’ve got to pay careful attention to the audience that you’re talking to and allow the person to talk,” Shiv says. “Allow the person to talk beca

Nov 20, 2020 • 23:59

23. Look Within: How to Lead with Self Awareness and Vulnerability

23. Look Within: How to Lead with Self Awareness and Vulnerability

Be the first to hear about TFTS Premium -> Sign up for our email“Effective is being able to achieve your goals, which is important, but there are plenty of people who achieve their goals that most of us would find unworthy. So the question what does it take to be a good leader requires you to reflect on the values that you hold dear.”In this episode of *Think Fast, Talk Smart*, Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Organizational Behavior Brian Lowery sits down with lecturer and hos

Nov 6, 2020 • 31:23

22. Under Pressure: How to Communicate Clearly and Timely During a Crisis

22. Under Pressure: How to Communicate Clearly and Timely During a Crisis

“Knowing your values gives you a beacon, or a lamppost, that can inform how you’re going to prioritize your actions.”   In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer and Stanford University’s former Vice President of Public Affairs David Demarest speaks with host and lecturer Matt Abrahams on why knowing your values and the concerns of your stakeholders lays the foundation for any communication during a time of crisis.Connect:Premium Signup &gt

Oct 22, 2020 • 26:05

21. Words Matter: How to Make Your Communication Inclusive

21. Words Matter: How to Make Your Communication Inclusive

What way can the language we use reinforce existing stereotypes and biases? In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sarah Soule, Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Organizational Behavior sits down with lecturer and host Matt Abrahams to discuss how even the details of our word choice can shape culture, for better or worse.  Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts &g

Oct 9, 2020 • 22:11

20. Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

20. Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

“Sparking communication starts with asking why or what or how.” On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Tina Seelig, the Professor of the Practice in Stanford’s department of Management Science and Engineering, sits down with podcast host and lecturer Matt Abrahams to talk about the structures of storytelling that will help become more creative communicators and the importance of asking questions about everything we do. “Having a mindset of curiosity opens the door to great communica

Sep 25, 2020 • 24:27

19. Showing Your Smile From Behind a Mask: How Culture and Emotion Impact Communication

19. Showing Your Smile From Behind a Mask: How Culture and Emotion Impact Communication

“In companies, you’re interacting with other people who come from different cultural contexts, and in order to be effective, you have to understand how much of your own communication and other people’s communication is shaped by their cultural ideas and their cultural values.” On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams sits down with Jeanne Tsai, an associate professor of Psychology at Stanford and director of the Culture and Emotion Lab. Jeanne’s research focuses on

Sep 11, 2020 • 25:05

18. Managing in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

18. Managing in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

“The less time you can spend dwelling on your mistakes, the more mental energy you can devote to doing what you need to do in that moment.” On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Christian Wheeler, the StrataComm Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing at Stanford Graduate School Business, sits down with podcast host and lecturer Matt Abrahams to talk about embracing failure and managing your team in-the-moment. “When we’re confronted with personal failure, it feels bad t

Aug 28, 2020 • 31:21

17. Think Fast: You Asked, We Answered

17. Think Fast: You Asked, We Answered

We asked listeners to send in their communication conundrums and ended up with an inbox full of thoughtful, specific questions. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host and Stanford GSB lecturer Matt Abrahams is joined by Shawon Jackson, MBA ’21, to share techniques on crafting written responses, dealing with constant interruptions, and confronting the power dynamics present in most communication. Shawon is the founder of Our Voices Matter, a public speaking program for high scho

Aug 13, 2020 • 19:47

16. Quick Thinks: How to Craft Your Body Language When Confronting Objections

16. Quick Thinks: How to Craft Your Body Language When Confronting Objections

Knowing what to say to a skeptical audience is paramount, but how can your body language communicate empathy, openness, and power? In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, we revisit Matt Abrahams’s conversation with Stanford GSB lecturer Burt Alper about how to keep body language in mind when it comes to handling objections.  Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Tran

Jul 31, 2020 • 6:43

15. The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want

15. The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want

Whether we realize it or not, we negotiate everyday. But when we approach these situations as a win-or-lose battle, we’re already showing resistance, and setting ourselves up for difficulty. But what if you reframed the whole idea, to think of a negotiation not as a fight, but as a problem-solving exercise involving emotions?In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford GSB Professor emeritus Maggie Neale (and author of Getting More of What You Want: How t

Jul 16, 2020 • 16:16

14. Be Better At Work: How to Communicate Better With Coworkers and Employees

14. Be Better At Work: How to Communicate Better With Coworkers and Employees

Most of the work we do requires coordinating and collaborating with others. But how can we ensure the benefits of working with others, while avoiding conflict that’s inherent to communicating within groups?In this episode, Matt Abrahams speaks with Bob Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford School of Engineering and GSB Professor of Organizational Behavior (by courtesy) about maximizing productivity while minimizing what he calls “friction.” “So many organiz

Jul 2, 2020 • 24:00

13. Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication

13. Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication

Humor does more than just make people laugh. It allows you to connect with your audience, diffuse tension, elevate status, and compel others to your point of view. Humor can also help you and your message stand out, yet most of us hesitate to use humor, especially in our professional lives.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford GSB Professor Jennifer Aaker and Lecturer Naomi Bagdonas about when and how humor operates in the work place. “Many believ

Jun 22, 2020 • 27:34

12. It's Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It: How To Communicate Power

12. It's Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It: How To Communicate Power

Power exists in every relationship — whether we like that idea or not — and to be effective in any role, power needs to be understood. In this episode, Matt Abrahams sits down with Professor of Organizational Behavior Deborah Gruenfeld to discuss her new book, Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe. Deborah shares how body language can give us power, or take it from us, and advises how we can use power for good. Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Tal

Jun 5, 2020 • 20:22

11. The Science of Influence: How to Persuade Others And Hold Their Attention

11. The Science of Influence: How to Persuade Others And Hold Their Attention

We’re constantly bombarded with competing images, messaging, and bids for our attention. That's why as communicators, it’s increasingly important to know what engages people.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford GSB Professor Zak Tormala about the subtle ways you can structure your speech to get people to pay attention. “It’s not really about tricking people into doing what you want,” Professor Tormala says. “It’s more about understanding the fact

May 21, 2020 • 21:40

10. High-Stakes Communication: How to Manage Anxiety When Speaking in Front of Others

10. High-Stakes Communication: How to Manage Anxiety When Speaking in Front of Others

Most people feel nervous in situations such as speaking in front of a class, pitching a big idea, or giving a toast, yet research-backed techniques can help manage both the symptoms and sources of our speaking jitters.Matt Abrahams sits in the interviewee chair for this episode and talks with the podcast's producer, Jenny Luna, to share his backstory with public speaking anxiety and how by recognizing the causes of our nervousness, and applying mitigating techniques, we can gain confide

May 7, 2020 • 18:13

9. Quick Thinks: How Being Present-Oriented Improves Communication

9. Quick Thinks: How Being Present-Oriented Improves Communication

Although it may feel counter intuitive, letting go of our prepared notes and focusing on the present can help us communicate more effectively.In this Quick Thinks episode, host Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford University lecturers and improv theater experts Dan Klein and Adam Tobin on how staying in the moment allows communicators to connect with their audience. Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@faste

Apr 23, 2020 • 6:56

8. Don't Get Lost in Translation: How Non-Native Speakers Can Communicate With Confidence

8. Don't Get Lost in Translation: How Non-Native Speakers Can Communicate With Confidence

Having to communicate in a language other than our native tongue can be quite a challenge. In this podcast episode, host Matt Abrahams speaks with Ken Romeo, the Associate Director for the Stanford Language Center, on specific tactics and approaches non-native speakers can use to prepare for speeches or presentations. Ken also shares advice on how to handle in-the-moment challenges, improve fluency, and let go of the need for perfection.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast

Apr 10, 2020 • 14:50

7. Quick Think: Use This Framework to Speak up in Virtual Meetings

7. Quick Think: Use This Framework to Speak up in Virtual Meetings

We've all been in the situation where you have something important to contribute to a meeting and you don't know how to insert your thoughts. On this "Quick Thinks" episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, podcast host Matt Abrahams offers the three ways to insert your ideas, either by paraphrasing, asking a question, or stating an emotion. He also outlines the "What, So What, Now What" framework and explains how to use this structure to communicate your ideas more effectively. Connect:Email

Apr 3, 2020 • 5:06

6. Quick Thinks: Communicating and Leading Virtually

6. Quick Thinks: Communicating and Leading Virtually

Leading successful meetings remotely and being a strong speaker on-screen require specific skills. Communicating effectively has to do with your presence, ability to leverage tools, and your audience engagement. In this Quick Thinks episode, Stanford GSB Strategic Communications lecturer Matt Abrahams shares best practices for becoming a more effective and engaging online communicator.  Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback &

Mar 27, 2020 • 8:42

5. From Monologue to Dialogue: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

5. From Monologue to Dialogue: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

Preparing to speak in front of a skeptical audience is more than thinking about objections beforehand – there are specific techniques you can use to respond to these challenging situations without sounding defensive, evasive, or dismissive. Here, we offer a few key tips for how to handle skepticism with aplomb.In this podcast, host Matt Abrahams and Stanford GSB lecturer Burt Alper share how to prepare for these challenges from your audience and discuss the importance of tactics like ac

Mar 12, 2020 • 17:21

4. The Journey to Mastery: How Self Reflection Can Improve Communication

4. The Journey to Mastery: How Self Reflection Can Improve Communication

What does it mean to truly master communication? How can we speak and write for the most impact? In this podcast episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturers JD Schramm and Matt Abrahams discuss how to use self reflection for self improvement. They also offer methods for preparing for a high stakes situation such as a pitch meeting or an everyday interaction like an email. Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Que

Feb 27, 2020 • 16:32

3. When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible

3. When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible

As communicators, we often need to take complex information (e.g., financial, technical, or scientific) and make it more understandable for our audience – we’re experts and they likely aren’t. But having so much knowledge on the topics we discuss can often make the job more difficult: we dive in too quickly, forget about our audience's needs, or use jargon that goes over their heads. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, strategic communications lecturers Matt Abrahams and Lauren W

Feb 11, 2020 • 13:57

2. Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation

2. Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation

How others perceive us in person and via social media can impact our careers and social standing. But we can build the reputation we want through conscious communication. On this podcast episode, strategic communication lecturers Matt Abrahams and Allison Kluger share techniques on effectively improving and managing your reputation.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts &g

Jan 30, 2020 • 16:13

1. Speaking Without a Net: How to Master Impromptu Communication

1. Speaking Without a Net: How to Master Impromptu Communication

Most professional communication is spontaneous in nature: it’s providing feedback in the moment, answering questions, introducing people. On this podcast episode, Strategic Communication lecturer Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford lecturers Adam Tobin and Dan Klein on how to become more comfortable and confident in in-the-moment speaking situations. Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpis

Jan 15, 2020 • 23:17

Introducing Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast

Introducing Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast

Join Matt Abrahams, lecturer in strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he sits down with experts from across the world to discuss public speaking anxiety, speaking off the cuff, nailing a Q&A, and more.Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>>

Jan 10, 2020 • 1:37

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