Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Episodes
58. Forgiveness: How the Right Communication Repairs Relationships
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In relationships between imperfect people, mistakes are inevitable. And when we find ourselves with damaged connections, it’s a specific kind of com...
57. Are You Listening?: How to Stay Open and Curious to Other People’s Ideas
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Listening actively and deeply happens when I genuinely believe that the person who's speaking has intrinsic worth and brings a perspective that I l...
56. Lean Messaging: How Simple Messages Really Stick
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Anyone can make a complicated thing sound complicated. It takes real skill to make it sound simple.” This episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart featu...
55. Ideas & Empathy: How to Design and Communicate with Others in Mind
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“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....
54. Leadership and Ethics: How to Communicate Your Core Values
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“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 th...
53. Step Up and Stand Out: How to Create the Right Environment for Communication
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“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 P...
52. Communicating Our Mistakes: How to Avoid Common Flaws and Make Better Decisions
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
51. We Asked, You Answered: Celebrating our 50th Episode with your Anxiety Management Plans
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this 50th episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams and executive producer Jenny Luna share the winners' plans from our Confident Commu...
50. Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Make them want to turn the page,” says Paula Moya, a professor at Stanford University and author of The Social Imperative: Race, Close Reading, a...
49. Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“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 ...
48. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: How to Tackle Communication Anxiety
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Eighty five percent of people report being nervous about speaking in public, and I believe the other 15% are lying,” says Matt Abrahams, lecturer...
47. Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Great founders are great storytellers,” says Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Stephanos Zenios in this “Quick Thinks” episode. ...
46. Stay Creative: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh and Practical
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“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 ...
45. Recipes From the “Communication Kitchen”: How to Handle Three Common Challenges This Holiday Season
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 fir...
44. Act Like a Leader: How Lessons From The Theater Can Help You Step into Power
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"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 le...
43. Get Psyched: How Time and Situations Shape Our Communication
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“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...
42. Space, Pace, and Grace: How to Handle Challenging Conversations
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
41. Speak like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Part of teamwork is dating,” says Stefanos Zenios, The Investment Group of Santa Barbara Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Operation...
40. Mindset Matters: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“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, lear...
39. Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
38. The New Normal: How Hybrid Work Actually Works
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“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...
37. Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 he...
36. Perfecting Teamwork: Building High-Performing Teams By Encouraging Learning
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sara Singer, a professor of organizational behavior (by courtesy) at Stanford Graduate School of Business a...
35. Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under Pressure
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“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 scra...
34. How We Gain — Or Give Away — Authority While Speaking
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Simple language, forceful language, vivid language, and keeping it simple and direct,” says Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, are all tools to increase ...
33. Hacking your Speaking Anxiety: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently.
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“There’s no difference between the physiological response to something that you’re excited about and something that you’re nervous about or dr...
32. Speech That Empowers: How to Encourage Growth and Resilience in a Younger Audience
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Communication is such a delicate dance and kids need to emerge from childhood having practiced,” says Julie Lythcott-Haims, former associate vice...
31. Quick Thinks: How to Shine Online and Excel at Virtual Communication
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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, lectu...
30. Dissolve Disagreements: How Communication Impacts Conflict
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Communication, conflict, and cooperation are intertwined in a multitude of ways,” says Nir Halevy, associate professor of organizational behavior...
29. Question Everything: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 Busines...
28. Building Strong Relationships: How to Effectively Communicate in Your Professional and Personal Life
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
27. Psychology Trumps Technology: How to Be a Better Communicator on Social Media
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Psychology trumps technology,” says Jeff Hancock, founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab and professor in the Department of Communica...
26. Writing to Win: How to Quickly Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“The reader is impatient,” says Glenn Kramon, Stanford GSB lecturer in management and editor at the New York Times. “Start with the most importa...
25. Quick Thinks: All Effective Communication Must Start With This
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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. T...
24. Feelings First: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“Something like 90 to 95% of our decisions and behaviors are constantly being shaped the non-consciously by emotional brain system.” In this episo...
23. Look Within: How to Lead with Self Awareness and Vulnerability
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“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 fin...
22. Under Pressure: How to Communicate Clearly and Timely During a Crisis
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“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 Thi...
21. Words Matter: How to Make Your Communication Inclusive
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What way can the language we use reinforce existing stereotypes and biases? In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sarah Soule, Senior Associate ...
20. Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“Sparking communication starts with asking why or what or how.” On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Tina Seelig, the Professor of the Pract...
19. Showing Your Smile From Behind a Mask: How Culture and Emotion Impact Communication
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“In companies, you’re interacting with other people who come from different cultural contexts, and in order to be effective, you have to understan...
18. Managing in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“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 thi...
17. Think Fast: You Asked, We Answered
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We asked listeners to send in their communication conundrums and ended up with an inbox full of thoughtful, specific questions. In this episode of Th...
16. Quick Thinks: How to Craft Your Body Language When Confronting Objections
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Knowing what to say to a skeptical audience is paramount, but how can your body language communicate empathy, openness, and power? In this Quick Thin...
15. The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
14. Be Better At Work: How to Communicate Better With Coworkers and Employees
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
13. Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
12. It's Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It: How To Communicate Power
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ep...
11. The Science of Influence: How to Persuade Others And Hold Their Attention
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re constantly bombarded with competing images, messaging, and bids for our attention. That's why as communicators, it’s increasingly important ...
10. High-Stakes Communication: How to Manage Anxiety When Speaking in Front of Others
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ca...
9. Quick Thinks: How Being Present-Oriented Improves Communication
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
8. Don't Get Lost in Translation: How Non-Native Speakers Can Communicate With Confidence
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
7. Quick Thinks: Use This Framework to Speak up in Virtual Meetings
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
6. Quick Thinks: Communicating and Leading Virtually
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leading successful meetings remotely and being a strong speaker on-screen require specific skills. Communicating effectively has to do with your prese...
5. From Monologue to Dialogue: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Preparing to speak in front of a skeptical audience is more than thinking about objections beforehand – there are specific techniques you can use to...
4. The Journey to Mastery: How Self Reflection Can Improve Communication
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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, St...
3. When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As communicators, we often need to take complex information (e.g., financial, technical, or scientific) and make it more understandable for our audien...
2. Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 cons...
1. Speaking Without a Net: How to Master Impromptu Communication
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most professional communication is spontaneous in nature: it’s providing feedback in the moment, answering questions, introducing people. On this po...
Introducing Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join Matt Abrahams, lecturer in strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, as he sits down with experts from across the world to...