Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Be ready, stay grounded, and communicate clearly — no matter what’s at stake. Communicating under pressure isn’t just a useful skill — it can be the difference between escalation and resolution. For Chris Voss , former FBI hostage negotiator and CEO of The Black Swan Group, it’s a daily discipline built on empathy, self-regulation, and intentional listening. In this expanded conversation from our...

Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick. Great communication isn’t just about what you say — it’s about what your audience remembers. That’s why Jim Szafranski , CEO of Prezi, believes that visuals and storytelling are key to making ideas stick. For more than 15 years, Prezi has been reimagining the way we share information, helping communicators move beyond static sl...

Reinventing your life or career starts with reflection and conversation.  Making the leap — to a new career, to the next stage of a relationship, or to a different version of yourself — requires honest communication. For Ilana Golan , being “leap-ready” requires that we answer three questions: Why me? Why this? And why now? Golan knows all about these leaps, as her career spans corporate executive...

In the digital age, it’s critical to craft communication that fits the context. Like it or not, algorithms now decide whose messages get heard. “If you want to communicate effectively,” says Adam Aleksic , “you need to be exactly aware of what that medium is doing.” Aleksic is a linguist, author, and educational content creator with millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. His...

Why modern communication still relies on ancient words and narratives. All communication and connection depend on one thing: language. That’s why Laura Spinney says understanding language — where it comes from and how it evolves over time — can help us use it more effectively. “Language is incredibly powerful,” says Spinney, an author and journalist published in the Atlantic, National Geographic,...

By lightening up your communication, you can build serious connections. Humor in communication isn’t all fun and games. According to Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas , levity is one of the most serious tools we have in building successful connections. Wood Brooks and Bagdonas, both teachers, authors, and experts in the field of communication, recognize how crucial levity is to our professiona...

Some conversations are uncomfortable, but avoiding them comes with a cost. You want a more successful career, a more fulfilling relationship, a more meaningful life? What if all that’s standing in your way — are the conversations that you’re avoiding? “Most things that we want in life are on the other side of a difficult conversation,” says Jenn Wynn , a professor at NYU Stern School of Business a...

How do you stay clear, calm, and precise when every word counts and there’s no room for error? Staying calm and focused while translating high-stakes conversations in real time isn’t just a language skill — it’s a masterclass in communication under pressure. And for Giampaolo Bianchi , simultaneous interpreter for the United Nations and World Health Organization, it’s a challenge he meets with pre...

Master the art of thinking on your feet and turning unpredictability into powerful communication. Being quick on your feet isn’t just a performance skill — it’s a communication necessity. And for Peter Sagal , longtime host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me , it’s a craft he’s honed over more than two decades in front of a live audience. In this expanded conversation from our Spontaneous Speaking...

When communicating with their employees, most firms have no idea who they’re talking to. Good communication is about knowing your audience. But if your organization is only focused on knowing your customers, James Root says you're forgetting a whole other cohort: your employees. Root is a senior partner at Bain & Company, Chair of Bain Futures, and author of The Archetype Effect , in which he...

Real connection means understanding your audience, staying true to yourself, and creating space for others. How do you communicate who you are, what you stand for, and leave space for others to do the same? At the Stanford Seed Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, three GSB professors explored why real connection is built through authentic communication. For Jesper Sørensen , authentic organizationa...

How to be a skilled conversationalist in work, love, and life. Whether you’re trying to build a romantic or professional connection, Rachel Greenwald’s advice is exactly the same. “Focus on how you make someone feel more than you focus on the words that you're saying,” she says.  As a professional coach, Greenwald helps people develop better communication skills, from executives in the business wo...

Understanding your audience's psychology is the key to crafting communication that resonates. Persuading others isn't about magic spells or mind-reading tricks. According to Emily Falk , the real secret is simpler: know what your audience finds relevant, and you’ll be able to craft a message that resonates. Falk is a professor of communication, psychology, and marketing at the University of Pennsy...

For your communication to be credible, you can’t just say it — you have to do it. Want people to believe what you say? According to Richard Edelman , the words you choose only get you halfway there. To build real trust, he says, you have to practice what you preach. “Action builds trust,” says Edelman. “If you don't do something, you can't talk about it.” As the president and CEO of Edelman, a lea...

How to communicate clearly in any context, from newsrooms to the world stage. All good communication, whether spoken or written, is built on the same foundation. In everything from police reporting for a newspaper to serving as spokesman for the Pope, Greg Burke has found the key: "Keep it as simple as possible." Burke has worked as a journalist for Time Magazine and Fox News, as Director of Commu...

How to turn doubt and suspicion into hopefulness and trust. There’s a lot in the world to make us cynical about other people and their motives and intentions. But by “trusting loudly,” Professor Jamil Zaki believes we can renew our faith in one another. Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience lab, and author of several books, including his most r...

Career growth starts with stepping outside your comfort zone. Building a successful career isn’t about following a set path—it’s about knowing when to evolve and embracing change. Whitney Johnson believes that success comes from disrupting yourself—challenging routines, stepping into discomfort, and continuously evolving. “People think staying in their comfort zone is the safe choice,” she explain...

In the age of virtual communication, here’s how to ensure your messages convey what you mean. Texts. Emails. Slacks. Zooms. We’re communicating in more ways than ever, but Andrew Brodsky has a word of warning: Your virtual communication might be sending messages you’re not aware of. Brodsky is the author of PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication . And as a professor of management at...

Career success takes a status boost, not a power grab. How do you chart the career course you’ve always imagined? According to Alison Fragale , it’s about gaining influence through status, power, and ultimately, being “a likeable badass.” As a research psychologist, professor, speaker, and author, Fragale is on a mission to help women take control of their careers. In her book Likeable Badass: How...

How to turn curiosity, clarity, and AI into your most powerful job search tools. Job search isn’t just about landing your next role—it’s about understanding who you are and how you want to show up in the world. According to Andrew Seaman , Senior Managing Editor for Jobs and Career Development at LinkedIn, that process begins with curiosity, not certainty. “People assume they need to apply to doze...

Amidst constant change, clear communication is the key to navigating uncertainty. How do you communicate with others when you’re confused yourself? For Rob Siegel , leadership isn’t about avoiding uncertainty, it’s about embracing the clarity that ambiguity can bring. "What if ambiguity is the new normal?" asks Siegel, a venture investor and lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. From r...

How victim, villain, and helpless stories sabotage our most important conversations. The hardest conversations aren’t just about what you say to the other person. According to Joseph Grenny , critical conversations begin with the stories that you tell yourself. As a leading expert on business performance and communication, and a New York Times bestselling co-author of Crucial Conversations , Grenn...

Great strategy starts with a question—and a story worth believing in. A good strategy isn’t just built—it’s told. For Martin Reeves , chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and author of The Imagination Machine and Like: The Button That Changed the World , strategy and imagination are both deeply communicative processes, rooted in storytelling, curiosity, and the courage to reframe assumptions. “...

A live SXSW panel on how employee complaints illuminate the path to organizational innovation. Wrong question: How can AI revolutionize productivity in my organization? Right question: What do my employees hate most about their jobs? For the Portland Trail Blazers, a winning game plan for AI implementation didn’t begin with a tech-first approach — it began with a talk-first one. “The whole concept...

How to have the conversations that are most difficult — and most important. Before you can have hard conversations with others, you need to have an honest conversation with yourself. That's the counterintuitive advice from Sheila Heen , who says our own internal narratives often derail our attempts at negotiation and conflict resolution. "The first negotiation is actually a negotiation I have with...