Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
#careergrowth #career #careerskills #influence #leadership #improv #communication #communicating #publicspeaking #business #careers

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 challenges. How do I send my message clearly when put on the spot? How do I write emails to get my point across? How can I easily convey complex information? How do I manage my reputation? Whether you’re giving a toast or presenting in a meeting, communication is critical to success in business and in life.Think Fast, Talk Smart provides the tools, techniques, and best practices to help you communicate more effectively.

218. Teaching Truths & Tactics: Live Lessons From Stanford in Capetown

July 24, 2025 0:34:36 5.9 MB ( 27.32 MB less) Downloads: 0

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 organizational communication means talking about a business in ways customers or investors can understand, like using analogies to relate a new business model to one that people already know. For incoming GSB Dean Sarah Soule, authentic communication is about truth, not trends. Her research on "corporate confession" shows that companies build trust when they admit their shortcomings — but only if those admissions connect authentically to their core business. And for Christian Wheeler, authentic communication means suspending judgment of ourselves and others. “We have a tendency to rush to categorization, to assume that we understand things before we really do,” he says. “Get used to postponing judgment.”

In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams and his panel of guests explore communication challenges for budding entrepreneurs. From the risks of comparing yourself to competitors to how your phone might undermine genuine connection, they reveal how authentic communication — whether organizational or personal — requires understanding your audience, staying true to your values, and creating space for others to be heard.

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Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (01:04) - Jesper Sørensen on Strategic Analogies
  • (04:06) - Sarah Soule on Corporate Confessions
  • (08:46) - Christian Wheeler on Spontaneity & Presence
  • (12:06) - Panel Discussion: AI’s Role in Research, Teaching, & Life
  • (17:52) - Professors Share Current Projects
  • (22:55) - Live Audience Q&A
  • (32:53) - Conclusion

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