Podcast Episodes

50. Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged

Season 3

“Make them want to turn the page,” says Paula Moya, a professor at Stanford University and author of The Social Imperative: Race, Close Reading, and Contemporary Literary Criticism. 

In this episode o…

Published on 3 years, 10 months ago

49. Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively

Season 3

“We have to make data emotional because emotions are what drive us to act,” says Chip Heath, a professor of organizational behavior and author of the new book, Making Numbers Count: The Art of Scienc…

Published on 3 years, 11 months ago

48. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: How to Tackle Communication Anxiety

Season 3

“Eighty five percent of people report being nervous about speaking in public, and I believe the other 15% are lying,” says Matt Abrahams, lecturer in Strategic Communication and podcast host. “What i…

Published on 3 years, 11 months ago

47. Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder

Season 3

“Great founders are great storytellers,” says Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Stephanos Zenios in this “Quick Thinks” episode. Zenios is the director of the Center for Entrepreneurial …

Published on 4 years ago

46. Stay Creative: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh and Practical

Season 3

“To be creative, ideas must be both novel and useful. That’s the definition that we use in creativity research,” says Justin Berg, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Gradua…

Published on 4 years ago

45. Recipes From the “Communication Kitchen”: How to Handle Three Common Challenges This Holiday Season

Season 3

In each episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Stanford GSB lecturer and podcast host Matt Abrahams asks his guests the same question: “What are the first three ingredients in a successful communication …

Published on 4 years, 1 month ago

44. Act Like a Leader: How Lessons From The Theater Can Help You Step into Power

Season 3

"Leadership is a role that you play, like a part you play in other people’s lives. And [your] expression of that role is your responsibility as a leader,” says Stanford GSB lecturer Melissa Jones Bri…

Published on 4 years, 1 month ago

43. Get Psyched: How Time and Situations Shape Our Communication

Season 3

“Social psychologists believe that if we want to understand our own behavior and the behavior of others, the first thing we have to ask or notice is, ‘What is the situation in which they are performi…

Published on 4 years, 2 months ago

42. Space, Pace, and Grace: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

Season 3

Being a better listener has a lot to do with silence, says Collins Dobbs, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “A lot of people are uncomfortable with the smallest modicu…

Published on 4 years, 2 months ago

41. Speak like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams

Season 3

“Part of teamwork is dating,” says Stefanos Zenios, The Investment Group of Santa Barbara Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Operations, Information & Technology. “Dating each other to se…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago