Academics get in a habit of feeling like they have to prove that they know stuff, she says. "The purpose of any really interesting communication should be for the other person to have interesting thoughts" It's not to convince them that your work is right or important and that you know everything about it, she adds.
Stress, anxiety, nervousness — when these feelings inevitably arise, lecturer Kelly McGonigal says it’s not about making them go away, but using them to your advantage.
“What I have come to value about anxiety,” says McGonigal, “is it’s a sign that I care.” As she explains, feelings of stress alert us to things that matter to us and help us stay present in the moment — particularly useful, she says, when it comes to communication.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McGonigal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to channel stress toward more effective communication and to a deeper connection to our own purpose and meaning.
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