Matt Abrahams

We say more than we need to because we are trying to build our credibility, demonstrate we know our stuff inside and out. But what's important for the audience is just the bottom line, telling the time. So in the military, they have this notion of bluff, bottom line up front. Tell us what's important. And if people want to learn more or know more, they're going to ask questions.

We say more than we need to because we are trying to build our credibility, demonstrate we know our stuff inside and out. But what's important for the audience is just the bottom line, telling the time. So in the military, they have this notion of bluff, bottom line up front. Tell us what's important. And if people want to learn more or know more, they're going to ask questions.

You're in service of your audience. The goal is not to demonstrate how much you know. It's to give them what they need. So examples are rampant all over the place. Hopefully I'm being a good example of being focused, concise, and precise, but you can tell me.

You're in service of your audience. The goal is not to demonstrate how much you know. It's to give them what they need. So examples are rampant all over the place. Hopefully I'm being a good example of being focused, concise, and precise, but you can tell me.

You're in service of your audience. The goal is not to demonstrate how much you know. It's to give them what they need. So examples are rampant all over the place. Hopefully I'm being a good example of being focused, concise, and precise, but you can tell me.

Exactly. Exactly. It's a way of distancing yourself. If you really think about it, all of that puts distance between you and your audience and communication. The word communication comes from the same root as to make common. Communication is about making something common and connected. You know, I have a colleague at the business school, his name is Huggy Rao, and he talks about jargon monoxide.

Exactly. Exactly. It's a way of distancing yourself. If you really think about it, all of that puts distance between you and your audience and communication. The word communication comes from the same root as to make common. Communication is about making something common and connected. You know, I have a colleague at the business school, his name is Huggy Rao, and he talks about jargon monoxide.

Exactly. Exactly. It's a way of distancing yourself. If you really think about it, all of that puts distance between you and your audience and communication. The word communication comes from the same root as to make common. Communication is about making something common and connected. You know, I have a colleague at the business school, his name is Huggy Rao, and he talks about jargon monoxide.

It suffocates the communication. And you want to avoid using technical terms, acronyms, et cetera, because it gets in the way of what you're trying to do, which is connect, build trust, and enhance understanding. So I 100% agree with you that there's an urge to do that, but that urge, I think, is driven by the wanting to distance ourselves rather than to engage.

It suffocates the communication. And you want to avoid using technical terms, acronyms, et cetera, because it gets in the way of what you're trying to do, which is connect, build trust, and enhance understanding. So I 100% agree with you that there's an urge to do that, but that urge, I think, is driven by the wanting to distance ourselves rather than to engage.

It suffocates the communication. And you want to avoid using technical terms, acronyms, et cetera, because it gets in the way of what you're trying to do, which is connect, build trust, and enhance understanding. So I 100% agree with you that there's an urge to do that, but that urge, I think, is driven by the wanting to distance ourselves rather than to engage.

Part of it is preparing to be spontaneous. So you have to do your reps, just like an athlete, just like a musician. You have to practice and you have to think about what's going on. So it's not just about practicing, you have to reflect. So you have to have some tools in the toolkit. One, you have to be able to very quickly connect with the people that you're talking to.

Part of it is preparing to be spontaneous. So you have to do your reps, just like an athlete, just like a musician. You have to practice and you have to think about what's going on. So it's not just about practicing, you have to reflect. So you have to have some tools in the toolkit. One, you have to be able to very quickly connect with the people that you're talking to.

Part of it is preparing to be spontaneous. So you have to do your reps, just like an athlete, just like a musician. You have to practice and you have to think about what's going on. So it's not just about practicing, you have to reflect. So you have to have some tools in the toolkit. One, you have to be able to very quickly connect with the people that you're talking to.

So you have to understand what's important to them, what's relevant for them. And once you do that, that helps you hone. And as you engage in that communication, you might adjust your hypothesis. I might have gone in thinking, hey, this is what's really important to them. As I hear them respond to me, oh, all of a sudden this. So we have to have that flexibility, but we start from somewhere.

So you have to understand what's important to them, what's relevant for them. And once you do that, that helps you hone. And as you engage in that communication, you might adjust your hypothesis. I might have gone in thinking, hey, this is what's really important to them. As I hear them respond to me, oh, all of a sudden this. So we have to have that flexibility, but we start from somewhere.

So you have to understand what's important to them, what's relevant for them. And once you do that, that helps you hone. And as you engage in that communication, you might adjust your hypothesis. I might have gone in thinking, hey, this is what's really important to them. As I hear them respond to me, oh, all of a sudden this. So we have to have that flexibility, but we start from somewhere.

You have to be able to leverage structure because in a structure, it helps me respond to you. You know, I'm a lousy cook, but I made a better cook by following a recipe. So having a structure helps you. And there are lots of structures. My favorite in the whole world is three simple questions. What, so what, now what? So if you ask me a question, I can answer the question by saying, what?

You have to be able to leverage structure because in a structure, it helps me respond to you. You know, I'm a lousy cook, but I made a better cook by following a recipe. So having a structure helps you. And there are lots of structures. My favorite in the whole world is three simple questions. What, so what, now what? So if you ask me a question, I can answer the question by saying, what?

You have to be able to leverage structure because in a structure, it helps me respond to you. You know, I'm a lousy cook, but I made a better cook by following a recipe. So having a structure helps you. And there are lots of structures. My favorite in the whole world is three simple questions. What, so what, now what? So if you ask me a question, I can answer the question by saying, what?