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.

219. Six Motivations, One Workplace: Who Are You at Work?

July 29, 2025 0:24:38 4.11 MB ( 19.55 MB less) Downloads: 0

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 reveals a simple but overlooked truth: people want different things from their jobs. Despite this, most companies’ approach to employee motivation and reward is one-size-fits-all. “Every aspect of the standard organization model is built around this idea of the average worker,” he says. The problem? No average worker exists. “What people want from work is highly varied,” he says, and while many organizations spend millions to learn what drives their customers, “The mystery is why haven't we applied that same thinking to our workers?"

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Root and host Matt Abrahams explore how firms can transform organizational success by understanding their internal audience. Whether you're trying to attract new talent or encourage better performance from the team you already have, Root's research shows why it’s about knowing your audience — recognizing that different people are motivated by fundamentally different things at work.

Episode Reference Links:

Connect:


Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:21) - The Evolving Nature of Work
  • (05:21) - Leading Multigenerational Teams
  • (08:50) - The Six Archetypes Explained
  • (13:55) - The Archetypes Evolution
  • (19:38) - The Final Three Question
  • (22:56) - Conclusion

 ********
This Episode is brought to you by Strawberry.me. Get $50 off coaching today at Strawberry.me/smart
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.    

Download