How to communicate with impact when the stakes are high.

Communication isn't about getting information out. It's about making sure it gets through. In an era of fragmented attention and endless platforms, the challenge isn't finding ways to speak—it's finding ways to connect.

According to Farnaz Khadem, Vice President of University Communications at Stanford, great communicators start with three questions: What's the goal? Who's the audience? And what does the data tell us? Whether guiding a university through a crisis, helping experts share their ideas with broader audiences, or deciding where a story should be told, she believes effective communication centers around understanding people. "People want to know what's actually happening," she says. "And if what is happening is you don't know what is happening, you have to tell people you don't know."

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Khadem joins host Matt Abrahams to discuss the importance of preparation, transparency, and active listening when communicating during uncertainty. From navigating the opportunities and risks of AI to crafting stories that create genuine connection, she shares practical lessons for building trust, adapting to changing audiences, and communicating effectively when the stakes are highest.

Episode Reference Links:

• Farnaz Khadem
• Ep.22 Under Pressure: How to Communicate Clearly and Timely During a Crisis

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:38) - Communication Fundamentals
• (03:58) - Choosing the Right Channel
• (05:38) - Building Communication Networks
• (06:50) - Coaching Better Communicators
• (08:44) - Crisis Preparation
• (10:47) - Crisis Response
• (12:40) - The Power of Storytelling
• (14:28) - AI in Communications
• (17:29) - The Final Three Questions
• (24:23) - Conclusion

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The nonverbal habits that make you look confident, composed, and authentic before you even speak.

How you carry yourself can shape how others perceive your confidence, credibility, and authenticity—often before you say a word. In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams shares practical, research-backed techniques for strengthening your presence through body language, posture, gestures, and eye contact. Learn how to stand and sit with confidence, move with purpose, use your hands effectively, and avoid common nonverbal habits that can distract from your message. Whether you're presenting to an audience, leading a meeting, or navigating everyday conversations, these simple strategies can help you communicate with greater composure and impact.

Episode Reference Links:

• Ep.12 It's Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It: How To Communica…
• Ep.137 When Words Aren't Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:07) - Be Big, Balanced, and Still
• (03:01) - The Right Speaking Stance
• (03:46) - Moving with Purpose
• (04:37) - Presence While Seated
• (05:23) - What to Do with Your Hands
• (06:08) - Gesturing Beyond Your Shoulders
• (08:37) - Effective Eye Contact
• (09:22) - Thinking While Speaking
• (10:07) - Bringing It All Together
• (10:54) - Practice Through Recording
• (11:40) - Conclusion

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Why the most effective communicators help people see not just what's changing, but why it matters to them.

For Sinéad Bovell, effective communication isn’t just about explaining what’s coming next—it’s about giving people the confidence and agency to engage with it.
Bovell is a futurist, founder of the tech education company WAYE, and an expert advisor to the United Nations AI Advisory Body. Known for making complex topics accessible to broad audiences, she has spent years helping leaders, organizations, and young people understand the implications of artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies. Her approach starts with a simple principle: meet people where they are and connect big ideas to what matters in their lives. “If you scare people too much, if you disempower them, they do unsubscribe from the very activities you need them to lean into.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Bovell joins host Matt Abrahams to discuss how to communicate complexity without overwhelming people and why skills like adaptability and judgment are becoming more valuable in the age of AI. From making emerging technologies more accessible to building trust through relevance and empathy, they discuss what it takes to help audiences engage with change rather than fear it.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• Sinéad Bovell

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:00) - Explaining Complex Ideas
• (03:48) - The Future of Soft Skills
• (06:52) - Talking About AI Without Fear
• (10:33) - Storytelling for Young Audiences
• (12:46) - Reaching Young Audiences
• (15:01) - Career Pivots & Reinvention
• (16:53) - Becoming a Better Communicator
• (18:59) - The Final Three Questions
• (25:09) - Conclusion

Practical communication strategies you can use immediately at work and beyond.

How do you speak up when a conversation is moving faster than you can think? What should you do when emotions threaten to derail your listening? And how can you give honest feedback to a boss who doesn’t seem interested in hearing it?

In this Ask Matt Anything episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams answers listener questions from the Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community on some of the most challenging workplace communication scenarios. From practical techniques for inserting your ideas into fast-paced meetings to strategies for managing emotions and delivering feedback upward, Matt shares actionable advice to help you communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and impact.

Episode Reference Links:

• Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:04) - Speaking Up in Meetings
• (04:44) - Listening Through Emotion
• (08:00) - Giving Feedback Upward
• (13:17) - Conclusion

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Why the best leaders treat uncertainty as a chance to learn, not a failure to avoid.

Most companies are built to grow. Far fewer are built to stay true to their purpose as they do.

Eric Ries is an entrepreneur, creator of the Lean Startup movement, and author of Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great. For Ries, innovation starts with a simple reality: nobody can predict the future. “If you're going to do something fundamentally new,” he says, “how are we supposed to forecast” what success will look like? Instead of relying on certainty, leaders should focus on learning. “If you cannot fail, you cannot learn.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Ries and host Matt Abrahams explore how leaders can communicate through uncertainty, turn setbacks into valuable insights, and build cultures rooted in trust. From the power of the build-measure-learn feedback loop to the importance of making “deposits” in a company’s culture bank, Ries shares practical strategies for creating organizations that innovate, adapt, and stay true to their values as they grow.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

• Eric Ries
• Eric’s Book: Incorruptible
• Ep.56 Lean Messaging: How Simple Messages Really Stick
• Ep.54 Leadership and Ethics: How to Communicate Your Core Values

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:23) - Lean Startup Fundamentals
• (04:05) - Business Plans vs. Reality
• (06:33) - Learning from Failure
• (08:13) - Why Companies Go Bad
• (10:51) - The Culture Bank
• (13:53) - The Final Three Questions
• (21:53) - Conclusion

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Do you really win the negotiation if it means losing the relationship?

You might think that successful negotiation means getting what you want here and now. But Stan Christensen says this short-sighted view is selling many negotiators short.

Christensen is a professional negotiator, host of the All Things Negotiation podcast, and instructor of one of Stanford's most popular courses on the subject. His core insight: most negotiations happen with people you’ll see again — which means success isn’t about claiming victory, it’s about building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. “Most people think of negotiation statically,” he says. “It's you and I. There's a fixed pie. We're trying to get more for ourself and less for the other party. In reality, 95% of negotiations are gonna be with people you see again, so I define success as contributing to the value of the long-term relationship.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Christensen and host Matt Abrahams explore what it takes to negotiate well — from the power of listening and asking questions to managing emotions and communicating for collaboration. Whether you're negotiating a business deal or just deciding where to go to dinner, Christensen shows why every negotiation is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship.

Episode Reference Links:

• Stan Christensen
• All Things Negotiation Podcast
• Ep.15 The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want
• Ep.204 Tough Talks: Turn Tension Into Trust

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:13) - What Is Negotiation?
• (02:52) - Negotiating Every Day
• (03:54) - The Power of Listening
• (05:27) - Asking Better Questions
• (07:28) - Handling Emotions
• (08:26) - Authentic Emotion
• (09:24) - Body Language Matters
• (10:15) - Collaboration in Negotiation
• (11:53) - Framing Conversations
• (13:18) - Setting the Agenda
• (14:40) - Co-Creating Structure
• (16:16) - A Common Negotiation Mistake
• (16:55) - Why Start a Podcast
• (17:59) - Learning from Guests
• (18:56) - The Final Three Questions
• (26:03) - Conclusion

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What it takes to lead as a communicator and communicate as a leader.

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions — it’s about how you communicate them. As Matt Abrahams puts it, “Communication is operationalized leadership.”

At a recent Me2We event, in connection with Stanford GSB's Executive Education LEAD program, Abrahams held a live discussion with four of the podcast’s most popular guests: Celine Teoh, facilitator of the GSB’s famous Interpersonal Dynamics course; Huggy Rao, organizational behavior professor and co-author of The Friction Project; legendary Stanford basketball coach Tara VanDerveer; and Dave Dodson, lecturer and author of The Manager's Handbook.

In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the panel shares frameworks and lessons for leading and communicating more effectively. From Teoh’s five A’s for inviting dissent to Rao’s warning against “jargon monoxide,” from VanDerveer’s relationship-first approach to Dodson’s case for leading like a teacher, this conversation explores what it takes to communicate as a leader — and lead as a communicator.

Episode Reference Links:

• Celine Teoh
• Tara VanDerveer
• Huggy Rao
• Huggy’s Book: The Friction Project
• David Dodson
• David’s Book: The Manager’s Handbook
• Ep.194 Live Lessons in Levity and Leadership: Me2We 2025 Part 1

Connect:

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

Chapters:

The hidden habits behind calm, confident communicators.

What does it really take to become a more confident communicator? In this special collaboration between Think Fast, Talk Smart and Headspace, host Matt Abrahams shares practical, mindful strategies for speaking with clarity, managing anxiety, listening more deeply, and connecting more authentically with others.

Across five short lessons, Matt outlines how to calm speaking nerves, become a better listener, structure your ideas clearly, engage any audience, and strengthen your presence — whether you’re leading a meeting, giving a presentation, or navigating everyday conversations.

Whether you’re speaking to a crowd or having a one-on-one conversation, these tools can help you communicate with more confidence, calm, and connection.

Episode Reference Links:

• Headspace

Connect:

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

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:16) - Speaking Anxiety
• (07:22) - Mindful Communication
• (12:31) - Clarity & Structure
• (16:08) - Creating Engagement
• (23:24) - Building Presence
• (28:26) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Upwork is a one-stop platform to find, hire, and pay expert freelancers. Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free.