Videos

Even if you don’t think you’re a natural, anyone can become proficient at the art of small talk by utilizing the right tactics and behaviors. In this collaboration with Harvard Business Review, strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams shares his tips and techniques for cocktail party chit chat, networking small talk,…

Communication is about so much more than sharing words. As neuroscientist Shane O’Mara explains, communication is about sharing reality. According to O’Mara, “A conversation is where we create a shared reality together.” As a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin, his research has focused on how human…

What comes to people’s minds when they think about you, and can you control it? Dorie Clark (https://dorieclark.com/) says you can — with the power of your personal brand. According to Clark, “You have brand equity in your own life.” Your personal brand or reputation, she says, “makes things either…

“Stress is natural,” says Alia Crum, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford. “Stress is inevitable when you’re living a life that’s connected with things you care about. And learning how to embrace it, learning how to work with it is really what helps us thrive and grow and perform…

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: (00:00) Matt's Introduction (00:42) Jonah Berger: episode 80 (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/magic-words-change-what-you-say-inspire-influence-others) (02:09) Rachel Greenwald: episode 89 (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/listen-listen-listen-how-build-deep-connections) (03:44) Dan Pink: episode 92 (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/no-regrets-how-take-risks-your-communication-relationships-career) (04:53) Vanessa Patrick: episode 95 (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/power-no-how-boundaries-help-us-live-more-empowered-lives)…

We have to be vulnerable in order to build trust in our relationships. But as Jacob Morgan (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn-LrHNSs5UefYS1tUbmgWg) says, “Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everybody else.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/business-podcasts/think-fast-talk-smart-podcast) , Morgan shares with host Matt Abrahams (https://mattabrahams.com/) his…

Research-backed techniques on how to beat nervousness in the moment. In this episode, Matt uses clips from experts from previous TFTS 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…

The information you receive is only as strong as the questions you ask. This week we revisit Matt's (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/matt-forrest-abrahams) discussion with Debra Schifrin (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/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,…

Delve into why people hate meetings, explore what hinders their effectiveness, and how to change that. Karin Reed (https://speakerdynamics.com/team/) (Emmy Award winner) and Joe Allen (https://www.joeallen.org/) (“The Meeting Doctor”) join Matt Abrahams (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/matt-forrest-abrahams) in the first of a two-part series that aims to reshape your approach to meetings and help…

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,…

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…

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,…

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…

Matt takes live questions from his worldwide audience. Join Matt Abrahams (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/matt-forrest-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…

New York Times Opinion columnist David Brooks shares how to communicate so that others feel seen, heard, and understood. All too often, we communicate without really connecting. The key to building deep connections with others, says David Brooks, is to make them feel seen and heard. Brooks (https://www.nytimes.com/column/david-brooks) is a…

“Simple language, forceful language, vivid language, and keeping it simple and direct,” says Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, are all powerful tools to strengthen your communication. Host and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Matt Abrahams interviews Pfeffer (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/jeffrey-pfeffer) , the author many books, including Power: Why Some People Have It and…

Why resistance isn’t always a bad thing. Friction — that’s Professor Huggy Rao (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/hayagreeva-rao) ’s metaphor for the forces that hamper workplace efficiency. But as he says, some friction can be helpful — if you know how to use it. In his book, The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make…

Effective and productive teams and relationships are based on the ability to communicate safely and to fail successfully. In this episode, Amy Edmondson (https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451) , a professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Right Kind of Wrong (https://amycedmondson.com/books/) : The Science of Failing Well, shares profound insights on…

The ways supercommunicators operate and how to emulate their techniques. Across more than 130 episodes, Think Fast, Talk Smart has touched a lot on what it takes to be a good communicator. But what about reaching that next level? What about being a “supercommunicator”? Supercommunicator is a term used by…

Leveraging AI to unlock new levels of creativity and communication innovation Join Matt Abrahams (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/matt-forrest-abrahams) with creativity and innovation experts Jeremy Utley (https://online.stanford.edu/instructors/jeremy-utley) and Kian Gohar (https://www.kian.is/) to explore the transformative potential of AI in the realms of creativity and problem-solving. If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll…

Why deep connection with others starts by connecting more deeply with ourselves. How are you feeling right now? According to Celine Teoh, we all need to ask ourselves that question more often — and be more precise in how we answer it. Teoh is a facilitator of the course Interpersonal…

Disagreement and conflict may look the same on the surface, but the two concepts are, in fact, very different. According to Julia Minson, knowing how these notions differ is crucial to how you approach them. In this episode of Think Fast Talk Smart, Minson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-minson-5b511b150/) and strategic communication lecturer Matt…

If communication is like painting, words are the primary colors. But to convey deeper meaning, we need a broader color palette, which Dana Carney (https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/carney-dana/) says requires the mastery of nonverbal communication. We often focus on the words that we say when honing our communication, but according to Carney, there…

From the way you communicate, to the way build your life and career, Graham Weaver, MBA ’99, says it’s about “giving yourself permission to fully be yourself. You can never go wrong when you’re saying your truth.” Weaver is a lecturer in management, a GSB alum, and the founder and…