Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

One of the most essential ingredients to success in business and life is effective communication.

  • 28 minutes 57 seconds
    240. Belief It or Not: How to Rewrite the Narratives That Hold You Back

    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 often stem from our own limiting beliefs about ourselves. “A belief is a story that you tell yourself,” she says, “It is the operating principle that is driving your behavior and the decisions you make.” Before we can take actions that will lead us to where we want to go, we have to uncover these hidden beliefs. Otherwise, Wilkins says, “We'll come back right to where we started. It's not just about what we do, it's about what we think about what we do that makes all the difference."

    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Wilkins and host Matt Abrahams explore the three-step process of uncover, unpack, and unblock — Wilkins’ method for identifying limiting beliefs, understanding how they might be shaping our behavior, and updating narratives to align with who we actually want to be.

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

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:18) - The Seven Limiting Beliefs
    • (04:44) - Three Steps to Becoming Unblocked
    • (07:58) - Rethinking Values and Success
    • (09:13) - Healthy vs. Toxic Productivity
    • (11:57) - The Power of Mindset and Reframing
    • (14:33) - Reverse Engineering Your Goals
    • (17:42) - Managing Emotional Investment
    • (21:22) - The Final Three Question
    • (27:43) - 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.

    This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.

    4 November 2025, 2:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 55 seconds
    239. Tech Tools: How Smarter Scheduling Leads to Stronger Communication

    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 scheduling leads to better communication, stronger relationships, and more productive meetings. They explore how data-driven insights can improve collaboration, reduce burnout, and help teams make every meeting count.

    In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (01:12) - Calendly Elevator Pitch
    • (02:47) - The Origin of Calendly
    • (04:44) - The Art of Intentional Scheduling
    • (06:33) - Making Meetings More Effective
    • (07:30) - Favorite Communicator
    • (10:13) - Communication Hack or Tool
    • (12:18) - Conclusion

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

    Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

    30 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 26 minutes 49 seconds
    238. AMA: Why Listening Might Be Your Most Powerful Skill

    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 curiosity. Along the way, listener questions spark insights on how to slow down fast conversations, apply communication tools in real life, and navigate the nuances of culture and connection. Because better communication doesn’t start with what we say — it starts with what we hear.

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

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:35) - The Three Ps That Block Good Listening
    • (03:32) - Ace Your Listening: Pace, Space, and Grace
    • (05:52) - Listening Beyond Words: Nonverbal Cues That Matter
    • (06:30) - Listening Through Paraphrasing
    • (08:06) - Practicing Better Listening
    • (09:23) - Choosing the Right Structure for Your Audience
    • (12:48) - Applying Communication Skills Effectively
    • (15:55) - Slowing Down Conversations
    • (21:06) - Practicing and Getting Feedback
    • (23:36) - What’s Next for Think Fast Talk Smart
    • (25:28) - Conclusion

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    This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

    28 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 25 seconds
    237. Mistake It Till You Make It: Learn Faster and Fail Smarter

    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 wrong isn’t the end, but the beginning. “As scary as it is to be wrong,” he says, it’s a necessary part of the discovery process. Whether experimenting in the lab or testing our thoughts and opinions in conversation with others, it’s about having the humility and curiosity to face the limits of our understanding. “When do you learn something? You learn something when you have a model about the world, and then you get some data that tells you you're wrong,” he says. “You learn nothing when you're right.”

    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Teller and host Matt Abrahams discuss how embracing uncertainty drives innovation, why leaders should reward learning habits over outcomes, and how we learn the most when we’re not afraid to find that we might be wrong.

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

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:20) - Defining a Moonshot
    • (04:23) - Building a Learning Machine
    • (07:02) - Learning vs. Productivity
    • (08:37) - Capturing and Sharing Learning
    • (10:51) - Rewarding Habits, Not Outcomes
    • (13:19) - Moonshot Success Stories
    • (16:18) - The Power of Storytelling in Innovation
    • (17:48) - Launching The Moonshot Podcast
    • (19:39) - The Final Three Questions
    • (26:11) - 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.

    This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.

    21 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 57 seconds
    236. Tech Tools: Zeroing in on Your Email Communication

    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 Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Vohra about the philosophy behind Inbox Zero, how better systems lead to clearer communication, and why mindfulness and intentional design can make us more effective communicators.
    In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

    Episode Reference Links:


    Connect:


    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (01:18) - The Philosophy Behind Inbox Zero
    • (04:19) - The Superhuman Elevator Pitch
    • (05:50) - The Origin of Superhuman
    • (09:35) - Favorite Communicator
    • (10:38) - Communication Hack or Tool
    • (12:20) - Conclusion

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

    Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

    16 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 20 minutes 57 seconds
    235. Refine, Reframe, Repeat: Make Your Communication a Slam Dunk

    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 other skill—embracing failure and refinement through repetition. “The best things in life are things you work out over long periods of time,” she says. “Great people, great communicators, anyone that's working at something, show up each and every day and just chip away, chip away, chip away, until they turn that weakness into a strength.”

    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Ogwumike and host Matt Abrahams discuss how practice and preparation can equip us for better communication, transforming fear into confidence, perfectionism into authenticity, and weakness into strength.

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

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:12) - Communication on the Court
    • (03:54) - Performing Under Pressure
    • (06:03) - Lessons from Great Coaches
    • (08:13) - Embracing Imperfection and Authenticity
    • (11:35) - Strategies for Effective On-Air Communication
    • (16:49) - The Final Three Questions
    • (19:42) - Conclusion

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    This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

    14 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 25 minutes 10 seconds
    234. Need to Know: Lead With Transparency, Character, and Silence

    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, and a renowned leadership expert. In his experience building cohesive teams in complex environments, he’s discovered that successful teams are built on a “shared consciousness [where] all have a common contextual understanding of what the situation is.” The key to creating that kind of culture, he says, is radical transparency — from leaders and subordinates alike. Whatever your position, “You are responsible for informing other people of things that they need to know,” he says.

    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, McChrystal and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to build shared consciousness within teams, how to communicate across cultural divides, and how to lead with clarity, context, and character.

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

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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:22) - Building Shared Consciousness
    • (06:32) - Leading Across Differences
    • (08:12) - Delivering Difficult News
    • (10:37) - Communicating in a Virtual World
    • (16:36) - Character as an Iterative Practice
    • (18:46) - The Final Three Questions
    • (23:53) - Conclusion

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    This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

    7 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 54 seconds
    233. Tech Tools: Write with Confidence and Impact

    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 high-stakes professional communications. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Grammarly co-founder Max Lytvyn about the origins of the tool, how AI is shaping the future of writing, and why starting with your goal is the key to effective communication.

    In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

    Episode Reference Links:


    Connect:


    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (01:14) - The Origins of Grammarly
    • (02:50) - Grammarly Elevator Structure
    • (04:54) - Lessons on Improving Writing
    • (07:11) - Favorite Communicator
    • (08:08) - Communication Hack or Tool
    • (11:02) - Conclusion

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

    Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

    2 October 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 26 minutes 57 seconds
    232. Pause, Don’t Panic: Finding Calm in High-Stakes Moments

    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. As he knows from experience, there’s power in “Waking up to something fundamental, that the mind is out of control, and you don't want to be owned by it.” How do we break the pattern of being controlled by our thoughts? Mindfulness and self-awareness, he says, put “distance” between us and our “thoughts and urges and emotions,” enabling us to connect with ourselves and others with greater consciousness and clarity.

    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Harris and host Matt Abrahams discuss how mindfulness can transform our communication, sharing strategies for deeper listening, responding versus reacting, and reflecting what others say back to them. “Relationships are the most important aspect of your happiness,” Harris says. The quality of those connections goes up when “you’re “less stuck in your own head.”

    Episode Reference Links:


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    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:04) - On-Air Panic Attack
    • (03:12) - Managing Communication Anxiety
    • (04:14) - Nervousness Before Live Audiences
    • (06:01) - Meditation Misconceptions
    • (09:49) - Responding vs. Reacting
    • (12:20) - Mindfulness & Productivity
    • (15:24) - Lessons from Interviewing
    • (17:32) - The Final Three Question
    • (25:39) - Conclusion

      ********
    This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

    29 September 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 25 minutes 17 seconds
    231. Secret Signals: Why We Rarely Say Exactly What We Mean

    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 drift.”
    Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, a celebrated linguist and cognitive scientist, and the author of twelve influential books. His latest, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life, explores how our shared understanding of awareness — what Steven refers to as common knowledge — and the way we signal it, governs everything from friendships to authority to negotiations. “Common knowledge is what ratifies or annuls social relationships, and that's why blurting something out that contradicts the assumptions of the relationship can blow everything up and be deeply awkward.”
    In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Pinker joins host Matt Abrahams to discuss why humans lean on innuendo, euphemism, and strategic ambiguity. They examine how culture and context shape what we hear, why our social fabric depends on more than just literal meaning, and offer practical ways to refine our communication by paying attention not just to what we say, but to what others know we know.

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

    Episode Reference Links:


    Connect:


    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (02:15) - Why We Speak Indirectly
    • (06:31) - The Role of Context
    • (10:27) - Cross-Cultural Perspectives
    • (11:43) - Hypocrisy as Social Glue
    • (13:35) - Clarity, Conciseness, & Grace
    • (16:59) - Metaphors We Live By
    • (20:08) - The Final Three Questions
    • (24:04) - Conclusion

      ********
    This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

    23 September 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 28 seconds
    230. Tech Tools: Use Visuals to Your Advantage

    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, and build together — making it easier than ever to bring ideas to life in real time. In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Tech Tools miniseries, host Matt Abrahams talks with Yamashita about how visuals facilitate shared understanding, why frameworks enhance team communication, and how to craft insights that people naturally remember and reuse.
    In addition to insight-packed discussions, this miniseries explores innovative tools that enhance the way we communicate and connect. Whether you want to make your presentations more memorable, craft stories that stick, or connect with your audience on a deeper level, these episodes will help you communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

    Episode Reference Links:


    Connect:


    Chapters:

    • (00:00) - Introduction
    • (01:16) - Figma Elevator Structure
    • (02:07) - Joining Figma
    • (03:17) - The Power of Visual Storytelling
    • (04:36) - Creating Shared Meaning with Visuals
    • (05:37) - Favorite Communicator
    • (08:59) - Communication Hack or Tool
    • (10:36) - Conclusion

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

    Try Prezi today and get 25% off exclusively at prezi.com/thinkfast.

    18 September 2025, 1:00 pm
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