How to turn complexity into connection through clear communication. Communication in high-stakes moments isn’t about saying more — it’s about connecting better. For Jonathan Berek and Phil Polakoff , the most effective communicators don’t rely on jargon or performance. They rely on empathy, listening, and stories that resonate. Both longtime Stanford Medicine leaders, Berek and Polakoff have spent their careers translating complex, emotional, and often urgent health issues for patients, colleagu...
Feb 19, 2026•23 min
Why curiosity is the best way to start a conversation. No matter how wide political, cultural, and generational divides seem to grow, Fareed Zakaria is convinced: communication has the power to connect. Zakaria is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, a Washington Post columnist, and author of Age of Revolutions , a book about the seismic societal shifts that define modern history. In his decades of translating complex geopolitical issues for broad audiences, he’s found the key to navigating cha...
Feb 16, 2026•24 min
Why clarity and authenticity matter more than ever in modern communication. Clear communication in the age of likes, LLMs, and constant noise isn’t about talking more. For Nick Thompson , it’s about being unmistakably clear and unmistakably yourself. Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former editor-in-chief of Wired, has spent his career shaping stories that hold attention. “Clear beats clever,” he says, stressing that authenticity and specificity are what make messages land. “If you can get acro...
Feb 12, 2026•21 min
How to tap the full power of your voice. Being present in communication isn’t just mental. It’s about the physical energy you bring into a space — particularly, says Patsy Rodenburg , the presence of your voice. “The physical presence of the human being is the most important thing we have,” says Rodenburg. As a world-renowned expert in voice, speech, and presentation, she has helped everyone from stage actors to prime ministers hone their speaking and awaken the power and presence of their voice...
Feb 09, 2026•25 min
How to design meetings with purpose so they actually move work forward. Meetings are a necessary part of work. But for many people, they’re also a major source of frustration. According to Rebecca Hinds , meetings don’t have to feel like a drain—better meetings start when we stop treating them as a default and start designing them with intention. Hinds is the author of Your Best Meeting Ever: Seven Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done , and a future-of-work expert who founded t...
Feb 05, 2026•23 min
Why your best life isn’t about having the right answers, but about asking the right questions. Finding meaning and purpose in life isn’t about having all the answers. For Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, it’s about having the courage and curiosity to constantly engage with the questions. As designers, Burnett and Evans have careers spanning everything from academia to companies like Apple, Electronic Arts, and Hasbro. But beyond fashioning better products and user experiences, they’ve also put their...
Feb 02, 2026•22 min
How “spaciousness” helps teams move beyond busywork — and build the conditions for honest conversation. “We’re just so busy right now” is one of the most common reasons cultures don’t change — and it’s exactly what Megan Reitz set out to understand. In her research, she describes two modes of attention at work: doing mode, where focus narrows to tasks, control, and quick progress, and spacious mode, where attention expands, insight emerges, and real connection becomes possible. Reitz is a leader...
Jan 29, 2026•21 min
Why it’s critical to say what needs to be said — and listen when others do the same. Speak out, listen up — these are Megan Reitz’s core pillars of workplace communication. According to her, healthy organizations are only possible when everyone can say what they think, and they know they’ll be heard. Reitz is an academic and author whose work focuses on creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Her latest book, Speak Out, Listen Up , explores the power dynamics that shape our co...
Jan 26, 2026•28 min
Why it’s not about being born a great communicator, but becoming one. The greatest communicators aren’t always great from the start. As Lerone Martin knows, even the great Martin Luther King Jr. had to practice before he could persuade. Martin is the Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford, and as director of the King Research and Education Institute, he has spent years studying how King developed his brilliant communication that continues to captivate audiences to this day. “Thi...
Jan 19, 2026•24 min
Why being kind is the best investment. Can kindness be a company’s competitive advantage? Bonnie Hayden Cheng says yes — and she’s got a business metric to prove it: return on kindness. Cheng is a professor of management at City University of Hong Kong who researches how workplace behaviors affect interpersonal dynamics and well-being. In her book, The Return on Kindness , she explores how organizations that foster a culture of kindness see a measurable ROK — one marked by a more committed, more...
Jan 15, 2026•25 min
The keys to communicating clarity, not confusion. What separates communicators who clarify from those who confuse? The ability to “Simplify complexity,” says Adam Bryant . “I don't think you can be an effective leader if you can't do that.” Bryant is a senior managing director at the ExCo Group and former New York Times journalist who interviewed over 500 CEOs for his renowned Corner Office column. Through those conversations, he identified a pattern: the best communicators turn complexity into ...
Jan 13, 2026•27 min
How to have more open conversations about money. Talking about money is taboo for many people. But according to Wendy De La Rosa , financial well-being only starts when we break the silence around finance. De La Rosa is a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a co-founder of the Common Cents Lab, an initiative aiming to increase financial well-being for low- to moderate-income people. For many, she says, shame keeps us silent about money. “Shame is paralyzing, and ...
Jan 06, 2026•25 min
Our 10 favorite communication insights from 2025. The most transformative communication insights are the ones we actually remember to use. That’s why host Matt Abrahams is taking stock of his favorite communication tips from this year, so we can carry them into the next. In this annual Think Fast, Talk Smart tradition, Abrahams shares his top 10 communication insights from guests over the past year, from facilitating connection through Gina Bianchini's "proactive serendipity” to Jenn Wynn’s use ...
Dec 30, 2025•26 min
Presenting complex information for your audience to understand. As communicators, we often need to take complex information (e.g., financial, technical, or scientific) and make it more understandable for our audience – we’re experts and they likely aren’t. But having so much knowledge on the topics we discuss can often make the job more difficult: we dive in too quickly, forget about our audience's needs, or use jargon that goes over their heads. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , strat...
Dec 25, 2025•16 min
Why good communication requires presence, not performance. Effective communication isn't about perfecting your performance. According to Dr. Kate Mason , it's about being powerfully present. Mason is a world champion debater, executive communication coach, and author of the book Powerfully Likeable . In her work coaching senior executives to communicate more effectively, she emphasizes that it’s not about creating a performative persona, it’s about uncovering the authentic communicator you alrea...
Dec 23, 2025•28 min
Celebrate our 250th episode with expert strategies that make tough conversations easier — and more meaningful. Some of the most meaningful shifts in how we communicate come from the moments that challenge us the most. In this special 250th episode of Think Fast Talk Smart , Matt Abrahams reflects on the insights that have shown him how conflict can become a catalyst for clarity, connection, and even compassion. From Amy Gallo’s reminder that the “right kind of conflict” leads to better outcomes ...
Dec 16, 2025•28 min
The right rituals—and the right conversations—can transform how your team collaborates. Strong collaboration starts with thoughtful practices and clear communication. As Molly Sands , Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, emphasizes, the teams that thrive are the ones that regularly pause to align on what matters and how they’re progressing. “You want to know if you’re making progress,” she notes, “and you want ways to redirect early—before you’re scrambling at the end.” Through her research wi...
Dec 11, 2025•19 min
The secret to effective teamwork and collaboration. To collaborate, we have to communicate. As Molly Sands knows, “The more that we can get on the same page, the more effective we are.” Sands is a behavioral scientist and the head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, where she researches how teams can collaborate more effectively and efficiently, especially in distributed and hybrid work environments. As she’s seen in her research and within her own team, “People can accomplish a lot more together ...
Dec 09, 2025•26 min
Two new Think Fast Talk Smart AI tools put communication skills to the test in real time. Technology promises many things, but few experiments illustrate its potential more vividly than a coach in conversation with his own digital counterpart. In this episode, Matt Abrahams introduces two new AI-powered tools from the Think Fast Talk Smart Online Learning Community: Coach Matt and Chat Matt. Trained on years of Matt’s communication teachings and podcast insights, these digital counterparts offer...
Dec 02, 2025•17 min
Why good communication is the key to good communities. Community and communication go hand-in-hand. For Sandy Pentland , the culture and cohesion of any group “has to do with the stories [people] tell each other.” Pentland is a professor at MIT, where he helped create and direct the MIT Media Lab. As a pioneer in computational social science, he’s using data to map social networks and decode communication. In his latest book, Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI , he explores the i...
Nov 27, 2025•23 min
Why community is the most powerful tool for transformation. Community isn't just a feel-good buzzword. According to Gina Bianchini , it's a catalyst for personal and collective transformation. Bianchini is the CEO and founder of community-building platform, Mighty Networks, and author of the book Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life . "Community is when people come together, and every single member has something to give and something to receive," she explains. In contrast to the one-...
Nov 20, 2025•26 min
Reduce speaking anxiety and achieve your communication goals. “There’s no difference between the physiological response to something that you’re excited about and something that you’re nervous about or dreading,” says Andrew Huberman, associate professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University. In this Think Fast Talk Smart Rethinks episode, we revisit one of our most popular interviews. In it, Huberman, from the wildly popular Huberman Lab Podcast , shares his research on the a...
Nov 17, 2025•28 min
Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Sometimes the best way to explain an idea is to show it. That’s why Loom was built — to make communication more visual, authentic, and efficient. By combining video, screen sharing, and AI-powered editing, Loom helps teams connect and collaborate asynchronously, no matter where they are. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Joe Thomas , co-founder and CEO of Loom, ...
Nov 13, 2025•15 min
How to unlock the power of groups through collective communication. They say teamwork makes the dream work. But as Colin Fisher knows, unlocking the power of groups requires a specific kind of collective communication. Fisher is an associate professor of organizations and innovation at University College London School of Management and author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups . His research reveals the dichotomy of group dynamics: "Groups can be the pinnacle of human a...
Nov 11, 2025•24 min
How to identify and rewrite the limiting beliefs holding you back. Achieving what you want in life doesn’t just hinge on what you believe about your future. According to Muriel Wilkins , it has just as much to do with what you believe about your past and present. Wilkins is an executive coach, author, and host of the HBR podcast Coaching Real Leaders . In her new book, Leadership Unblocked: Breakthrough the Beliefs that Limit Your Potential , she explains how our personal and professional blocks...
Nov 04, 2025•28 min
Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Meetings are where collaboration happens — but too often, scheduling them feels like the biggest barrier to meaningful connection. That’s why Calendly was created: to simplify scheduling and make time for what truly matters — the conversation itself. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Calendly’s Vice President of Growth, Darren Chait , about how intentional sched...
Oct 30, 2025•13 min
When we truly listen, every conversation changes — including the one with ourselves. Listening isn’t about waiting for your turn to speak — it’s about being present enough to truly hear. In a world full of noise, slowing down to listen can feel like a radical act. Yet it’s in those moments of stillness and attention that real understanding begins. In this special Ask Matt Anything episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , we explore what it means to “listen up” — to engage with intention, empathy, and...
Oct 28, 2025•26 min
Why we learn the most when we accept that we might be wrong. Effective communication isn’t about having all the answers. As Astro Teller knows, it’s about finding (and sometimes fumbling) your way through the questions. Teller is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who serves as Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. In his work leading teams toward audacious solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, he embraces what he calls “a learning journey,” where being wron...
Oct 21, 2025•27 min
Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Staying on top of communication starts with staying in control of your inbox. That’s why Rahul Vohra , founder and CEO of Superhuman, believes that how we manage email directly shapes how we manage our time, focus, and relationships. For years, Superhuman has helped professionals reach Inbox Zero faster — reducing email overload and reclaiming time for what truly matters. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Too...
Oct 16, 2025•14 min
The road to mastery is paved with small improvements every day. Communicating can feel daunting at times. What does it take to find your voice in the moments that matter most? As Chiney Ogwumike says, “There is freedom on the other side of your fear.” As a professional basketball player, NBA and WNBA analyst for ESPN, and advocate for gender equality in sports, Ogwumike faces many situations where communication is critical. For her, achieving confidence in communication is the same as honing any...
Oct 14, 2025•20 min
