Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

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

Oct 3, 2023

Frances Frei, a Harvard Business School professor and former Uber executive, shares her insights on simplifying communication for greater impact. She discusses strategies for building trust and fostering inclusion, emphasizing the balance of authenticity and empathy. Frei highlights the importance of storytelling in problem-solving and the role of clarity in dialogue. She also pays tribute to comedians for their ability to make complex ideas relatable, while underscoring the joy and intent behind effective communication.

24:35

Creator website

Episode guests

Frances X. Frei

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Quick takeaways

Building trust involves actively addressing areas of mistrust and debunking common myths.

Prioritizing inclusion sets the foundation for successful diversity and equity programs.

Deep dives

Building and Supporting Trust

Building trust as a leader involves treating trust as something that can be built and repaired. Trust is not a fixed entity, and leaders should focus on understanding its component parts and addressing any areas of mistrust. By treating trust as a continuous process and debunking common myths, leaders can actively work on maintaining and strengthening trust within their teams and organizations.

The Foundation of Persuasive Communication

01:21

Building & Maintaining Trust

01:49

The Ingredients for Successful Communication: Intention, Hard Work, and Joy

01:20

Intro

2min

Building Trust and Enhancing Inclusion

7min

Effective Communication for Problem-Solving

11min

The Art of Simple and Deep Humor: A Tribute to Comedians

2min

The Essential Ingredients of Effective Communication

3min

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 influence and persuasion, we have to understand it really deeply. And then describe it in a simple and compelling enough way that others can take action.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Frei and host Matt Abrahams explore strategies for simpler communication, building and maintaining trust, and celebrating diverse perspectives within our teams. They also discuss takeaways from Frei's latest book, Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leaders' Guide to Solving Hard Problems.

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