Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

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 moder...

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 yea...

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'...

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 n...

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 ev...

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...

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...

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. Train...

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 commu...

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...

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 inte...

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...

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 G...

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: Breakt...

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...

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...

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 solution...

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 overloa...

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...

When it comes to leading a team, there’s no such thing as too much information. Good leadership is about good communication. And for General Stanley McChrystal , that means creating a culture of free-flowing information: “The goal is to have everyone know everything all the time,” he says. McChrystal is a retired four-star general, former commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, an...

Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Clarity is the cornerstone of great communication—but turning your thoughts into words isn’t always simple. That’s why Grammarly exists: to help you express yourself with confidence and precision, no matter the context. For over a decade, Grammarly has helped millions of people improve their writing, from everyday emails to hig...

To connect with others, you have to get out of your own head. Whether presenting to millions on live television or talking to just one person, Dan Harris knows that the quality of every interaction depends on the presence you bring to it. Harris is a former national news anchor for ABC News and is now the host of the 10% Happier podcast and author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics...

Why what isn’t said can communicate more than what is spoken. We often speak in hints and half-truths, not because we can’t be direct, but because subtlety protects our relationships. “An awful lot of the time, we don’t just blurt out what we mean,” says Steven Pinker . “We hint, we wink, we beat around the bush — counting on our listener to read between the lines, connect the dots, catch our drif...

Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Clear communication isn’t just about sharing information — it’s about making ideas stick. That’s why Yuhki Yamashita , Chief Product Officer at Figma, believes the key to effective collaboration lies in turning complex concepts into simple, memorable visuals. For years, Figma has been reshaping the way teams brainstorm, design,...

To celebrate its second anniversary, we revisit our favourite tools and tips from Matt’s book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter. Original executive producer Jenny Luna turns the tables and interviews host and strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams about his bestselling book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot . To celebrate the book’s second annive...