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 disruptive behaviors in group discussions. This episode, taken from a Think Fast Talk Smart live event, offers practical tips and strategies; its a value add for anyone looking to enhance their communication skills in personal and professional contexts.

Episode Reference Links:

• Ep.67 What Is Normal? How Culture Affects Communication Styles
• Ep.105 Radical Candor: The Communication Shift That Can Transform Your Career 
• Ep.78 Three Guiding Principles for Successful Communication 

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
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• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 episode delves into the significance of structuring communication to achieve specific goals, highlighting Matt’s structure 'What? So What? Now What?. This episode is packed with practical advice and strategies for anyone looking to enhance their communication skills, whether in professional or personal contexts.

Be sure to tune in to Part 2, the “Ask Me Anything” portion of this recorded event.

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
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• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 that worked on Zoom,” Levav notes. What’s more, in-person brainstorming helped people consider a wider and more diverse range of possibilities. “Working on Zoom was a double penalty. Fewer ideas — and a narrower set of ideas.”

Remote work may be the new normal in our post-pandemic world, but Levav cautions us from accepting the status quo — especially if we want to keep our creative edge. As this episode of If/Then explores, our best ideas could still lie ahead of us — if we can all get in the same room.

If/Then is a podcast from the Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society. Each episode features an interview with a Stanford GSB faculty member.   

Key Takeaways: 

• For hybrid work environments, managers should select “in-office” days based on tasks we perform better in person, such as collaboration and brainstorming.
• More flexible schedules for remote and office work allow employees to bring their best selves and perform better at their jobs.  

Be sure to also listen to Part 1 and 2 of our Making Meeting Matter mini-series.

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 anxiety in any speaking situation?  

Think Fast, Talk Smart provides the tools, techniques, and best practices to help you communicate more effectively.

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
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• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
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• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn,  Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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 main categories of meetings, and shares practical strategies for engaging participants, handling common meeting issues and maximizing productivity through techniques like parallel processing as well as other tools.

Be sure to also listen to Part 1 of our meeting mini-series, as well as the following bonus Meeting's episode from the Stanford GSB's If/Then podcast.

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 importance of right-sizing meetings and focusing on realistic agendas. Karin provides valuable tips for enhancing on-air presence, focusing on aspects like eye contact, lighting, and framing, while Joe tackles the challenges of managing disruptive behaviors in virtual meetings. Don't miss this insightful exploration into the world of how to make meetings better.

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
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• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 Premium
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• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
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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 to your mistakes and struggles might make you vulnerable, but it doesn’t necessarily make you a leader. In his latest book, Leading with Vulnerability: Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization, Morgan lays out why leading with vulnerability goes a step further, saying, “Here's what I learned from the mistake that I made [and] steps that I'm going to put into place to make sure this doesn't happen again.”

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

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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 80

Rachel Greenwald: episode 89

Dan Pink: episode 92

Vanessa Patrick: episode 95

Carmine Gallo: episode 103

Katy Milkman: episode 104

Kim Scott: episode 105

Francis Frei: episode 109

Patrick McGinnis: episode 113

Julian Treasure: episode 114

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [email protected]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn,  Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

 ********
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