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 your communication skills to elevate your career and build stronger professional relationships.
Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes. Subscribe now to unlock your potential as a thoughtful, impactful communicator. Learn more and sign up for our eNewsletter at fastersmarter.io.
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 your communication skills to elevate your career and build stronger professional relationships.
Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes. Subscribe now to unlock your potential as a thoughtful, impactful communicator. Learn more and sign up for our eNewsletter at fastersmarter.io.
Episodes
Mentioned books
170 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 24min
260. From Role To Soul: The Four Ingredients For Mastering Meaning
Bill Burnett, Stanford Life Design Lab director and design-thinking professor, and Dave Evans, co-founder of the Lab and product design lecturer, share practical approaches to crafting a meaningful life. They discuss purpose as direction, the compass and coherence tools, prototyping futures with odyssey plans, and the four ingredients of meaning: coherence, wonder, flow, and community.
220 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 22min
259. Quick Thinks: Task-Focused to People-Focused—A Smarter Way to Communicate
Megan Reitz, leadership researcher at Oxford who studies speaking up and psychological safety. She contrasts narrow task-focused attention with spacious attention that fosters connection. The conversation covers why teams get stuck in doing mode, how to build agility between modes, and practical moves to name spaciousness, invite dissent, and keep people speaking up.
194 snips
Jan 26, 2026 • 29min
258. When Power Talks, People Walk: Why Leaders Don’t Hear What Matters Most
Megan Reitz, an associate fellow and leadership scholar who studies workplace communication and power, discusses how conversational habits shape ethics, innovation, and engagement. She explains the T.R.U.T.H. framework and how titles and status shift who gets heard. She names common leader power traps and practical ways leaders can train attention to invite more voices.
244 snips
Jan 19, 2026 • 26min
257. Move Your Audience: Lessons From MLK You Should Use
Lerone Martin, the Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford, dives deep into the art of communication inspired by MLK. He reveals how even King struggled initially with public speaking and practiced tirelessly, including rehearsing in front of a mirror. The discussion explores King's techniques, such as narrative structure and vocal musicality, that captivated audiences. Martin emphasizes the need for conviction and authenticity in communication, urging young people to hone their skills to inspire change in their communities.
395 snips
Jan 15, 2026 • 27min
256. Be Kind: The Most Overlooked Driver of Success
Bonnie Hayden Cheng, a management professor at City University of Hong Kong, digs into the transformative power of kindness in workplaces. She introduces the 'Return on Kindness' metric, showing how kind cultures lead to happier, more productive employees. Cheng shares her RISE framework, highlighting role modeling and supportive actions as keys to kind leadership. The discussion contrasts kindness with niceness and emphasizes the importance of honest, compassionate feedback. Overall, it’s a powerful guide to fostering a culture of kindness that benefits everyone.
668 snips
Jan 13, 2026 • 28min
255. How Leaders Sound Smart Without Saying Too Much
In this conversation, Adam Bryant, a leadership expert and former New York Times journalist, shares insights from interviewing over 500 CEOs. He emphasizes the importance of simplifying complexity for effective leadership communication. Bryant highlights three core traits of successful leaders: clarity, authenticity, and empathy. He warns against common pitfalls like overwhelming audiences with information. With practical techniques, such as using curiosity and limiting key points, he reveals how leaders can engage their teams and drive impactful communication.
461 snips
Jan 6, 2026 • 27min
254. Start Fresh: How Framing, Timing, and Talk Can Improve Your Finances
Wendy De La Rosa, a professor at the Wharton School and co-founder of the Common Cents Lab, breaks down the importance of discussing money openly to enhance financial well-being. She introduces the Fresh Start Effect, emphasizing how timing cues like birthdays can boost motivation. Wendy explores how perceived wealth can shift with pay frequency, shares strategies for fostering financial conversations among loved ones, and highlights the crippling effects of financial shame. Discover how effective communication and framing can revolutionize your approach to finances.
546 snips
Dec 30, 2025 • 27min
253. Top 10: The Best Communication Tips from 2025
Uncover the best communication insights of 2025, starting with the power of facilitation and how to embrace productive serendipity. Learn the difference between toxic and healthy productivity, and discover how dialogue can lead to synergy. Trust is built through actions, not just words. Communication is most effective when it’s unselfish. Explore how using emotional, concrete language creates memorable connections. Lastly, transform your persuasive skills by inviting your audience to envision new identities.
459 snips
Dec 25, 2025 • 18min
252. Rethinks: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible
Lauren Weinstein, a communication coach and TEDx speaker, joins to share her expertise in making complex ideas accessible. They discuss the 'curse of knowledge' and emphasize the importance of audience-centric communication. Lauren highlights the power of analogies and storytelling, illustrating how personal stories enhance clarity. The technique of 'chunking' ideas into digestible bits is spotlighted, along with tips for making data relatable through vivid comparisons. Key takeaway: always connect with your audience before diving into details.
384 snips
Dec 23, 2025 • 29min
251. How to Stop Performing and Start Communicating with Presence
In this discussion, Dr. Kate Mason, a world champion debater and executive communication coach, shares insights on the importance of being authentically present rather than performative in communication. She debunks the myth of 'confidence' as unhelpful, emphasizing the need to bridge personal and corporate personas. Kate also addresses 'imposing syndrome', offers tips on nonverbal presence, and stresses the importance of authenticity in leadership. She advocates for embracing natural styles while preparing effectively but leaving room for agility.
