WEBVTT 00:00:02.904 --> 00:00:05.174 Matt Abrahams: Communication is critical to success in your 00:00:05.184 --> 00:00:07.184 professional and personal lives. 00:00:07.484 --> 00:00:10.114 This idea has served as the guiding principle of our 00:00:10.114 --> 00:00:12.003 show ever since we started. 00:00:12.314 --> 00:00:16.404 And today, we are thrilled to be celebrating our 300th episode 00:00:16.644 --> 00:00:18.914 with a special Ask Matt Anything. 00:00:19.494 --> 00:00:23.043 My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach Strategic Communication at 00:00:23.043 --> 00:00:24.783 Stanford Graduate School of Business. 00:00:25.103 --> 00:00:28.653 Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. 00:00:29.314 --> 00:00:32.394 It's hard to believe that this is our 300th episode. 00:00:32.904 --> 00:00:35.394 I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for 00:00:35.394 --> 00:00:37.143 listening and viewing our show. 00:00:37.623 --> 00:00:41.503 We work really hard to bring you great content through our show and social 00:00:41.504 --> 00:00:45.803 media, and we truly appreciate your input in helping us spread the word. 00:00:46.243 --> 00:00:49.803 For this episode, we wanted to hear from you and help with your 00:00:49.824 --> 00:00:52.014 communication issues and challenges. 00:00:52.433 --> 00:00:54.793 We recorded this live a few weeks back. 00:00:55.173 --> 00:00:57.733 I start with a quick lesson about a structure I find 00:00:57.734 --> 00:00:59.363 myself using more and more. 00:00:59.743 --> 00:01:02.974 And then we move into questions from listeners around the globe. 00:01:03.484 --> 00:01:07.003 And as a special treat, I begin with questions from some of our amazing 00:01:07.013 --> 00:01:09.284 team that help bring you the show. 00:01:09.703 --> 00:01:12.443 So without further ado, let's get started. 00:01:13.486 --> 00:01:14.436 So welcome. 00:01:14.626 --> 00:01:18.046 This is our three hundredth episode. 00:01:18.456 --> 00:01:23.636 We are excited that you are here, and we are thrilled that you take the time 00:01:23.636 --> 00:01:26.305 to listen to Think Fast, Talk Smart. 00:01:26.915 --> 00:01:30.536 Before I get started taking your questions, I would love to share 00:01:30.545 --> 00:01:33.606 a new favorite structure of mine. 00:01:34.185 --> 00:01:39.145 You are all very familiar with the fact that I love structure. 00:01:39.156 --> 00:01:44.636 Structure is nothing more than a logical way of putting your points forward. 00:01:45.216 --> 00:01:49.016 We have all heard of my favorite structure, three questions. 00:01:49.026 --> 00:01:49.476 What? 00:01:50.026 --> 00:01:50.885 So what? 00:01:51.216 --> 00:01:52.136 Now what? 00:01:52.565 --> 00:01:55.415 This structure is very useful for lots of situations. 00:01:55.416 --> 00:01:59.235 You can use it when you're giving feedback, when you're giving an update, 00:01:59.236 --> 00:02:00.995 when you're introducing yourself. 00:02:01.355 --> 00:02:05.346 This structure is very useful for educating and informing. 00:02:05.815 --> 00:02:10.225 A new structure that I find myself relying on a lot as I have to 00:02:10.235 --> 00:02:14.685 articulate a point of view or defend a position is one I learned from 00:02:14.685 --> 00:02:16.795 a lawyer friend of mine, PREP. 00:02:17.385 --> 00:02:21.075 Point, reason, example, point. 00:02:21.405 --> 00:02:24.505 This is a great structure to use when you have to put forth an 00:02:24.505 --> 00:02:28.475 idea, when you have to support something that you're advocating for. 00:02:28.816 --> 00:02:30.266 It works very simply. 00:02:30.266 --> 00:02:33.965 You make a point, you give a rationale or reason supporting that 00:02:33.965 --> 00:02:36.155 point, give a concrete example. 00:02:36.155 --> 00:02:40.895 We tend to remember concrete examples far better than high level information. 00:02:41.075 --> 00:02:42.676 And then we return to the point. 00:02:43.195 --> 00:02:46.286 So point, reason, example, point. 00:02:46.535 --> 00:02:49.695 Let me share with you an example that in the classes I teach at Stanford's 00:02:49.695 --> 00:02:52.855 Business School we like to use as a way of getting practice with this. 00:02:53.145 --> 00:02:57.536 And I assign my students to defend one side of this argument. 00:02:58.005 --> 00:02:59.835 So some are for it and some are against it. 00:02:59.846 --> 00:03:03.605 So the issue is, is a burrito sushi? 00:03:04.206 --> 00:03:05.805 So how would you support that? 00:03:05.805 --> 00:03:08.516 If you wanted to support it, you might use PREP. 00:03:08.965 --> 00:03:12.055 So let's walk through this one part at a time. 00:03:12.555 --> 00:03:16.335 The point is, a burrito is technically a type of sushi. 00:03:16.846 --> 00:03:21.895 The reason, both are fundamentally seasoned rice fillings tight packly 00:03:21.896 --> 00:03:25.276 together in an edible cylindrical wrapper. 00:03:25.816 --> 00:03:30.966 An example, a burrito wraps meat and rice in a tortilla, while sushi is 00:03:30.966 --> 00:03:32.816 fish and rice wrapped in seaweed. 00:03:33.445 --> 00:03:35.456 So I would then restate my point. 00:03:36.086 --> 00:03:40.495 Thus, a burrito is technically a type of sushi. 00:03:41.025 --> 00:03:45.986 And in so doing, I have made a clear, concise point. 00:03:46.405 --> 00:03:50.215 So I challenge each of you to think about how you could use PREP. 00:03:50.215 --> 00:03:51.786 I'm going to give all of you a little homework. 00:03:52.055 --> 00:03:57.105 The other issue that we debate in my class is, is soup cereal? 00:03:57.655 --> 00:04:00.665 How would you defend that if you were to use PREP? 00:04:00.725 --> 00:04:03.255 Point, reason, example, point. 00:04:03.918 --> 00:04:08.448 So now you have another structure to add to your toolkit of structures. 00:04:08.678 --> 00:04:12.798 Goes right next to what, so what, now what? 00:04:13.488 --> 00:04:17.428 So let's get into some of your questions and challenges that 00:04:17.428 --> 00:04:19.397 you have in your communication. 00:04:19.886 --> 00:04:23.366 But before I take time to take your questions, I want to introduce 00:04:23.366 --> 00:04:25.266 you to a few members of our team. 00:04:25.666 --> 00:04:31.146 This is our 300th episode, and we work really hard to bring you the best 00:04:31.146 --> 00:04:33.066 in careers and communication advice. 00:04:33.326 --> 00:04:37.095 And while you get to see and hear me, there is an amazing team behind the 00:04:37.095 --> 00:04:39.426 scenes that brings this all to you. 00:04:39.695 --> 00:04:43.876 So I thought it would be really fun to start our Q&A with some Q&A from the team. 00:04:44.245 --> 00:04:49.516 So it is my honor and privilege to invite to the screen Katherine Reed. 00:04:49.565 --> 00:04:54.365 Kat is our executive producer and the brains behind all 00:04:54.366 --> 00:04:55.466 of what you hear and see. 00:04:55.466 --> 00:04:56.565 Kat, how are you doing? 00:04:56.985 --> 00:04:57.685 Katherine Reed: I'm good. 00:04:57.695 --> 00:04:58.436 How are you, Matt? 00:04:58.625 --> 00:04:59.505 Matt Abrahams: I'm doing great. 00:04:59.505 --> 00:05:01.176 I love these live events. 00:05:01.476 --> 00:05:02.216 You have a question? 00:05:02.216 --> 00:05:03.316 I'd love to hear your question. 00:05:03.685 --> 00:05:04.205 Katherine Reed: Yes. 00:05:04.296 --> 00:05:08.185 Very glad to be with you on this special occasion, and thank you 00:05:08.215 --> 00:05:09.976 to all that were able to join. 00:05:10.136 --> 00:05:13.305 So my question is about word recall. 00:05:13.535 --> 00:05:18.395 I find for myself there are many times during conversations or discussions 00:05:18.415 --> 00:05:22.505 when I know that there's a specific word that I want to use, but I can't 00:05:22.835 --> 00:05:25.006 quite seem to retrieve it in the moment. 00:05:25.456 --> 00:05:29.356 Sometimes I'll pause, and I'll give myself some grace and say something 00:05:29.356 --> 00:05:32.775 like, "What's the word I'm looking for?" to buy myself a little time. 00:05:33.055 --> 00:05:39.005 So my question is, do you have advice for improving word recall in those moments or 00:05:39.145 --> 00:05:43.885 strategies for retrieving the right word when it just feels like it's out of reach? 00:05:44.365 --> 00:05:45.585 Matt Abrahams: Well, I appreciate that question. 00:05:45.585 --> 00:05:48.455 And as somebody who's getting older, retrieval of information of any 00:05:48.456 --> 00:05:50.145 kind is, is getting challenging. 00:05:50.566 --> 00:05:53.325 The first thing I would suggest, Kat, is that as you think about 00:05:53.325 --> 00:05:56.215 this, there really is no right word. 00:05:56.225 --> 00:05:57.885 There are certainly better words than others. 00:05:57.886 --> 00:06:01.425 So sometimes what makes it hard to retrieve a word is you have this word 00:06:01.426 --> 00:06:04.595 in mind, and then you say, "I want to say that right word," and then 00:06:04.595 --> 00:06:06.725 that puts added pressure to yourself. 00:06:07.045 --> 00:06:10.415 So I really like the fact that you take a pause, take a beat, take 00:06:10.415 --> 00:06:12.066 perhaps a deep breath in that moment. 00:06:12.066 --> 00:06:15.365 And when you take the pressure off of yourself of saying the right word, 00:06:15.715 --> 00:06:17.965 actually it might come more easily. 00:06:18.316 --> 00:06:21.056 The first thing is to not make it harder on yourself by 00:06:21.085 --> 00:06:22.765 adding to your anxiety level. 00:06:23.115 --> 00:06:26.035 The next piece has to do with practice, the way we practice. 00:06:26.055 --> 00:06:27.405 Now, we don't want to memorize. 00:06:27.405 --> 00:06:30.715 We don't want to make sure that every word is exactly the way we wanted to say it. 00:06:30.716 --> 00:06:32.326 That adds extra pressure. 00:06:32.535 --> 00:06:38.935 But through repetition, those words become more comfortable and easy to retrieve. 00:06:38.955 --> 00:06:40.315 That's what practice is doing. 00:06:40.315 --> 00:06:45.506 It's actually laying down the neural pathways that make fluency easier for you. 00:06:45.506 --> 00:06:47.666 So part of it is the practice and the prep. 00:06:47.695 --> 00:06:50.086 Again, not to memorize, but just to get familiar with. 00:06:50.365 --> 00:06:53.645 And then the second part is when you have that missed moment, don't 00:06:53.645 --> 00:06:54.815 put too much pressure on yourself. 00:06:54.815 --> 00:06:56.905 Take a deep breath, and I hope that word will come. 00:06:57.195 --> 00:07:00.885 And I, Kat, as somebody who talks to you many times every day, have found 00:07:00.886 --> 00:07:05.395 that you use expert language, and I've never noticed anything other than that. 00:07:05.405 --> 00:07:06.725 So thank you for your question. 00:07:06.725 --> 00:07:07.555 I appreciate it. 00:07:08.012 --> 00:07:10.202 Well, you got to meet Kat, our executive producer. 00:07:10.212 --> 00:07:15.402 I'd like for you to meet another one of our absolutely instrumental and important 00:07:15.512 --> 00:07:17.382 colleagues here at Think Fast Talk Smart. 00:07:17.581 --> 00:07:20.312 I'd love for you to meet Neil McPhedran. 00:07:20.532 --> 00:07:24.132 Neil and I have been working together almost since the inception of the show. 00:07:24.382 --> 00:07:27.702 Neil, thanks for being with us, and I'd love to hear what question you have. 00:07:28.142 --> 00:07:28.661 Neil McPhedran: Thanks, Matt. 00:07:28.701 --> 00:07:29.922 Great to join you here. 00:07:30.011 --> 00:07:34.162 So Matt, my question's about a moment as well, like Kat's, but a different moment. 00:07:34.171 --> 00:07:38.991 So I'm curious about those first five seconds of public speaking, that 00:07:38.992 --> 00:07:42.641 exact moment when it just feels like all the eyes suddenly turn to you. 00:07:42.642 --> 00:07:46.042 So in fact, I just had one where one second I was sitting here listening, 00:07:46.042 --> 00:07:49.192 and next I'm popped up on everyone's screen, asked this question. 00:07:49.192 --> 00:07:52.982 So whether it's joining a Zoom presentation, suddenly, boom, you're 00:07:52.982 --> 00:07:57.011 the focus or walking out onto that stage after being introduced and 00:07:57.011 --> 00:08:00.121 the applause stops, and there's that instant where for me, it feels like 00:08:00.121 --> 00:08:01.641 I've just jumped into cold water. 00:08:01.901 --> 00:08:07.081 What are your favorite strategies for handling that surge of adrenaline, like 00:08:07.081 --> 00:08:11.661 settling your nerves and ultimately starting those first few seconds strongly? 00:08:11.951 --> 00:08:12.911 Matt Abrahams: Thank you for that question. 00:08:12.912 --> 00:08:16.482 And, and that moment right before you start, what I call commencing, 00:08:16.621 --> 00:08:21.141 is really powerful for many people and can be very anxiety fraught. 00:08:21.412 --> 00:08:23.151 So it's something we really need to think about. 00:08:23.312 --> 00:08:26.231 Let me share a few things about that moment. 00:08:26.511 --> 00:08:31.261 One, as we practice, as we prepare, which is really important to do, we can 00:08:31.261 --> 00:08:35.461 think about that moment knowing that that moment might be difficult for us. 00:08:35.651 --> 00:08:38.831 We can desensitize ourselves to that moment. 00:08:38.842 --> 00:08:40.791 So we think about what it would be like. 00:08:40.791 --> 00:08:44.681 We can actually visualize the experience and then think about how 00:08:44.681 --> 00:08:47.061 we might adjust and adapt in advance. 00:08:47.342 --> 00:08:52.542 Having that contingency plan ready to go, one, can allow us to invoke it when need 00:08:52.552 --> 00:08:56.951 be, and two, just the fact that we know we have something to do if we get that 00:08:56.952 --> 00:09:01.141 surge of adrenaline in that moment, that can actually reduce its intensity just 00:09:01.141 --> 00:09:02.951 by knowing that we have something to do. 00:09:02.952 --> 00:09:04.612 So part of it is the preparation. 00:09:04.842 --> 00:09:08.222 When that moment hits, I want to walk you through three steps. 00:09:08.222 --> 00:09:11.331 When it comes to dealing with anxiety around speaking, we 00:09:11.331 --> 00:09:13.011 need to think of the ABC's. 00:09:13.321 --> 00:09:14.651 Affect, that's feeling. 00:09:14.891 --> 00:09:17.871 B is for behavior, how you physiologically feel. 00:09:18.051 --> 00:09:19.531 And then C is for cognition. 00:09:19.621 --> 00:09:22.242 And we can do a management technique for each. 00:09:22.242 --> 00:09:26.811 So let's start with the A. That emotion you feel might be dread, might be fear. 00:09:27.011 --> 00:09:31.062 In that moment, just remind yourself that it's normal and natural. 00:09:31.071 --> 00:09:35.412 Most people, and I mean, like eighty-five percent of people, have that surge 00:09:35.412 --> 00:09:37.052 of anxiety that you're talking about. 00:09:37.301 --> 00:09:39.662 So recognizing that it's normal and natural can help. 00:09:40.032 --> 00:09:42.222 And when you do that, you acknowledge it. 00:09:42.222 --> 00:09:45.161 You actually give yourself a little bit of space and agency, so you can 00:09:45.172 --> 00:09:50.229 do something in that moment A great thing to do is to remind yourself that 00:09:50.469 --> 00:09:53.680 this is normal and natural to feel anxious, and it actually is a sign that 00:09:53.680 --> 00:09:56.140 this is important to you and valuable. 00:09:56.390 --> 00:09:59.479 And you can get excited about something that's important and valuable. 00:09:59.729 --> 00:10:03.379 As you well know, Neil, a frequent guest of our show is Alison Wood Brooks. 00:10:03.569 --> 00:10:07.030 She did some groundbreaking research quite a while back now that said 00:10:07.030 --> 00:10:11.539 if you reframe your anxiety as excitement, not only do you feel 00:10:11.550 --> 00:10:13.410 better, but you actually perform better. 00:10:13.410 --> 00:10:17.609 So in that moment, the affect piece, acknowledge, "Hey, this is me feeling 00:10:17.609 --> 00:10:20.909 nervous. Makes sense I'm nervous. Most people would be, and that's a sign that 00:10:20.909 --> 00:10:24.839 I should be excited about this." In terms of behavior in that moment, five seconds, 00:10:24.839 --> 00:10:29.059 10 seconds before you start, best thing you can do is take a deep belly breath. 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:30.939 It's going to slow your heart rate down. 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:33.449 It's going to calm down those nerves. 00:10:33.689 --> 00:10:36.329 Make sure your exhale is twice as long as your inhale. 00:10:36.329 --> 00:10:38.739 It is all in the exhale that the magic happens. 00:10:38.969 --> 00:10:42.899 And then finally, from a cognitive point of view, often in those few moments 00:10:42.909 --> 00:10:46.530 before we start speaking, we say a lot of negative things to ourselves. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:47.619 "I'm not prepared. 00:10:47.619 --> 00:10:48.459 I should have done more. 00:10:48.459 --> 00:10:49.319 Why am I doing this? 00:10:49.329 --> 00:10:52.370 Why isn't this other person doing it?" Instead, let's replace that 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:55.299 with something positive, a positive affirmation, a positive mantra. 00:10:55.530 --> 00:10:58.609 Doesn't have to be, "I'm the best speaker ever." Could be something simple. 00:10:58.619 --> 00:11:02.009 This is what I do before I speak, and I get nervous, and I still do 00:11:02.009 --> 00:11:03.670 get nervous in some situations. 00:11:03.890 --> 00:11:07.329 I simply say, "I have value to bring. I have something of value to the 00:11:07.329 --> 00:11:10.619 person or people that I'm speaking to." So at first you prepare. 00:11:10.719 --> 00:11:13.809 You think about, "What will I do if I have that experience?" And 00:11:13.810 --> 00:11:15.869 then ABC, the affective part. 00:11:16.089 --> 00:11:19.899 It's normal and natural, typical for somebody to get nervous in this situation. 00:11:20.210 --> 00:11:21.999 B, do some deep breathing. 00:11:21.999 --> 00:11:23.260 That's for the behavioral piece. 00:11:23.469 --> 00:11:27.589 And C for the cognition, reframe it and see it through the lens of 00:11:27.589 --> 00:11:29.229 some kind of affirmation or mantra. 00:11:29.420 --> 00:11:31.399 If you do those things, you'll be better off. 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:35.279 Thanks, Neil, and I'm glad everybody got to meet you and Kat. 00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:36.240 So let's see. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:37.849 We've got some questions coming in. 00:11:38.019 --> 00:11:40.079 First question's from Ethiopia. 00:11:40.119 --> 00:11:40.639 Wow. 00:11:40.649 --> 00:11:41.609 Hello, hello. 00:11:42.132 --> 00:11:46.082 Uh, I talk a lot about tell the time, don't build the clock. 00:11:46.402 --> 00:11:51.792 Yet on the other hand, I will often say listeners tend to remember 00:11:52.102 --> 00:11:54.202 specifics more than generalities. 00:11:54.442 --> 00:11:56.592 So I find those two concepts contradictory. 00:11:56.832 --> 00:12:00.071 How can you make sure that you're concise and clear and 00:12:00.072 --> 00:12:01.641 at the same time give detail? 00:12:01.951 --> 00:12:05.691 This is a great question because it is a contradiction, right? 00:12:05.691 --> 00:12:07.562 It is a little bit confusing. 00:12:07.781 --> 00:12:10.251 How can we be concise but detailed at the same time? 00:12:10.462 --> 00:12:13.442 So this is a trade-off, and there are a number of trade-offs that we 00:12:13.442 --> 00:12:15.182 have to make whenever we communicate. 00:12:15.461 --> 00:12:19.282 We want to be specific and detailed, but we also want to be clear and concise. 00:12:19.562 --> 00:12:22.331 So the question then becomes how much detail do I give? 00:12:22.602 --> 00:12:27.112 And it really depends on your audience and the emotional 00:12:27.112 --> 00:12:28.381 impact you're trying to have. 00:12:28.762 --> 00:12:34.181 If I am trying to really motivate, impress upon you how important this is, 00:12:34.591 --> 00:12:40.191 I might spend a little bit more time giving detail because in that emotional 00:12:40.191 --> 00:12:45.091 experience you'll have of my detail, you are focusing in a way that you 00:12:45.091 --> 00:12:48.172 don't if I'm just relaying facts, if I'm just walking through, let's say, 00:12:48.401 --> 00:12:52.452 financial data or some technical data where there isn't as much emotion. 00:12:52.901 --> 00:12:57.152 It really depends on what your goal is in terms of the engagement you want. 00:12:57.242 --> 00:13:01.962 If you want engagement that's deep and perhaps emotional, over-index, spend 00:13:01.962 --> 00:13:05.471 a little more time giving detail, which means you won't be as concise. 00:13:05.941 --> 00:13:10.302 If you're giving details that are devoid or, or don't have a lot of 00:13:10.302 --> 00:13:14.692 emotions, then I might really fixate on being concise and clear to allow me 00:13:14.692 --> 00:13:18.012 to get to a point in my communication where I do want to bring emotion. 00:13:18.021 --> 00:13:21.891 So I really appreciate the deep thinking that you had there in 00:13:21.891 --> 00:13:23.671 terms of the advice that I give. 00:13:24.091 --> 00:13:30.332 It is a tension between concision and depth, and you have to find your best way 00:13:30.332 --> 00:13:33.561 of navigating that, and, and I believe it has to do with who you're speaking 00:13:33.562 --> 00:13:35.711 to and the emotion you want to engage. 00:13:35.981 --> 00:13:37.191 Thank you so much for that question. 00:13:37.201 --> 00:13:38.051 Really insightful. 00:13:38.051 --> 00:13:38.861 I appreciate it. 00:13:39.201 --> 00:13:40.791 All right, our next question. 00:13:41.041 --> 00:13:46.581 With a growing reliance on AI for summarization, email drafts, slides, 00:13:46.981 --> 00:13:50.382 how do you ensure our cognitive and linguistic skills remain sharp? 00:13:50.422 --> 00:13:51.001 Oh, wow. 00:13:51.481 --> 00:13:53.932 This is something that I have been spending a lot of my 00:13:53.932 --> 00:13:55.332 time recently thinking about. 00:13:55.841 --> 00:13:59.081 AI is fundamentally changing the way we communicate. 00:13:59.151 --> 00:14:05.351 And in fact, I believe that AI is actually making face-to-face, spontaneous, 00:14:05.371 --> 00:14:10.006 in-the-moment communication even more important And it's more important because 00:14:10.016 --> 00:14:11.666 that's how we authentically connect. 00:14:12.176 --> 00:14:18.806 In theory, AI can polish and in some cases perfect our communication, but it makes 00:14:18.806 --> 00:14:24.036 it more restrictive and blunts its emotion and reduces some of its connection. 00:14:24.576 --> 00:14:30.436 Part of that is that we offload our cognitive effort to the AI tool. 00:14:30.465 --> 00:14:32.156 We don't have to think as much. 00:14:32.485 --> 00:14:36.405 And communication and critical thinking are intimately related. 00:14:36.735 --> 00:14:39.305 You can't communicate well without critically thinking, and you 00:14:39.305 --> 00:14:41.866 can't critically think without being able to communicate well. 00:14:42.145 --> 00:14:46.615 And as we offload some of that critical thinking burden, we 00:14:46.675 --> 00:14:50.045 ultimately, I fear, lessen our skills. 00:14:50.296 --> 00:14:51.825 And we're starting to see this. 00:14:51.826 --> 00:14:56.225 Some recent research came out that says people are speaking less. 00:14:56.245 --> 00:14:57.475 We're just saying less. 00:14:57.796 --> 00:15:02.795 Part of what AI does is it increases concision, so we, we speak less. 00:15:03.026 --> 00:15:07.556 People's language and words are starting to become compressed. 00:15:07.556 --> 00:15:10.385 In other words, we're sounding more the same because we're 00:15:10.385 --> 00:15:11.976 relying on the same tools. 00:15:12.366 --> 00:15:15.875 That's all just proof points to say that AI does have an 00:15:15.875 --> 00:15:17.355 impact on our communication. 00:15:17.615 --> 00:15:21.996 So how do we make sure to leverage AI for the many benefits it can bring to us 00:15:22.235 --> 00:15:24.126 and not suffer some of the consequences? 00:15:24.615 --> 00:15:27.485 Well, it has to do with when we use it and how we use it. 00:15:27.905 --> 00:15:33.435 I think AI is a great tool to help you think through your audience, to use it as 00:15:33.435 --> 00:15:37.456 a thought partner in terms of different ways of arguing and structuring content. 00:15:37.785 --> 00:15:42.315 But do not rely on it to make all the decisions for you and to create 00:15:42.346 --> 00:15:45.835 the content instead of you actually thinking through it yourself. 00:15:46.165 --> 00:15:50.905 So use it as you would, let's say, a partner, or if you're a manager, as you 00:15:50.905 --> 00:15:55.915 might use an intern, somebody to help you, but not to do the work for you, 00:15:55.915 --> 00:16:00.465 because if we outsource it all the way, we actually lose some of the most precious 00:16:00.816 --> 00:16:02.565 communication skills that we have. 00:16:02.875 --> 00:16:04.426 So thank you for that insightful question. 00:16:04.426 --> 00:16:09.715 This is an issue that I have been thinking about a lot, and you highlight both the 00:16:09.745 --> 00:16:12.356 value of AI and some of the downsides. 00:16:12.982 --> 00:16:13.852 Let's see. 00:16:14.342 --> 00:16:18.272 In my work, I find that storytelling is important for sharing information with 00:16:18.272 --> 00:16:20.232 others rather than academic teaching. 00:16:20.622 --> 00:16:22.852 Do you have any takeaways for storytelling? 00:16:23.251 --> 00:16:25.691 Oh, storytelling is so important. 00:16:26.112 --> 00:16:28.782 First, human beings are storytelling machines. 00:16:28.791 --> 00:16:30.962 We are wired for story. 00:16:31.262 --> 00:16:35.491 Long before we had the written word, our species communicated 00:16:35.491 --> 00:16:37.561 information through stories. 00:16:37.571 --> 00:16:40.132 Think about folklore, legends. 00:16:40.391 --> 00:16:42.111 We're wired for story. 00:16:42.391 --> 00:16:46.001 So if we can tap into that, we can be much more successful. 00:16:46.361 --> 00:16:51.211 Stories engage and connect, so much so that when I tell a story, my 00:16:51.212 --> 00:16:53.872 brainwaves and your brainwaves sync up. 00:16:53.881 --> 00:16:55.582 It's called cognitive entrainment. 00:16:55.841 --> 00:16:59.882 And in some cases, when you look at the neurological feedback, you 00:16:59.882 --> 00:17:03.991 can't tell who was telling the story versus who was receiving it. 00:17:04.391 --> 00:17:08.071 Now the question becomes: how do we learn to become good storytellers? 00:17:08.531 --> 00:17:12.551 I hope this show, Think Fast, Talk Smart, provides some of the 00:17:12.551 --> 00:17:14.742 very important tools to do that. 00:17:14.742 --> 00:17:17.441 We've done several episodes on storytelling. 00:17:17.442 --> 00:17:18.751 We did one with Matthew Dicks. 00:17:18.751 --> 00:17:23.121 We did a whole miniseries on storytelling from people who have 00:17:23.131 --> 00:17:25.402 non-traditional storytelling jobs. 00:17:25.631 --> 00:17:27.841 Think of a lawyer, think of a magician. 00:17:28.061 --> 00:17:31.721 Lots of different situations where people tell stories, and 00:17:31.721 --> 00:17:33.571 we really try to dissect them. 00:17:34.001 --> 00:17:34.971 It is a skill. 00:17:35.061 --> 00:17:38.361 It is a skill you can learn, and everybody has to develop their 00:17:38.361 --> 00:17:40.432 own style around storytelling. 00:17:40.802 --> 00:17:45.121 A great way to get started is to think about stories in your 00:17:45.122 --> 00:17:46.542 life, things that have happened. 00:17:47.101 --> 00:17:51.941 Create a catalog of stories that you have experienced or that you 00:17:51.942 --> 00:17:54.831 have seen, and begin to refine them. 00:17:55.122 --> 00:18:01.132 Think about, how can I add detail, emotion, make it relatable to people? 00:18:01.401 --> 00:18:03.912 How can I start it in a way that's engaging? 00:18:04.311 --> 00:18:05.451 So it is a process. 00:18:05.482 --> 00:18:07.111 It's a process you have to practice. 00:18:07.341 --> 00:18:09.852 Another great way to get good at storytelling is just listen 00:18:09.852 --> 00:18:11.211 to other people's stories. 00:18:11.281 --> 00:18:14.472 Find people that you really admire who tell good stories, and 00:18:14.482 --> 00:18:16.241 begin to dissect what do they do. 00:18:16.561 --> 00:18:19.062 Do they start at the beginning, or do they start in the middle and then 00:18:19.062 --> 00:18:20.322 bring you back to the beginning? 00:18:20.501 --> 00:18:22.321 Do they use a lot of descriptive words? 00:18:22.321 --> 00:18:23.792 Do they lead with emotion? 00:18:24.291 --> 00:18:28.802 All of these are really interesting tools that you can deploy 00:18:29.031 --> 00:18:30.332 to be a better storyteller. 00:18:30.361 --> 00:18:33.501 I encourage all of you to work on your storytelling skills. 00:18:33.692 --> 00:18:37.791 And please, please consider Think Fast, Talk Smart as a good resource for that. 00:18:38.041 --> 00:18:42.461 If you go to our website, fastersmarter.io, and you go to the 00:18:42.462 --> 00:18:46.941 Resources page, you'll actually see some playlists that talk through 00:18:46.942 --> 00:18:48.961 stories and how to tell good stories. 00:18:48.971 --> 00:18:50.271 So thank you for that question. 00:18:51.510 --> 00:18:52.230 Let's see. 00:18:52.590 --> 00:18:55.050 From San Diego, one of my favorite places. 00:18:55.230 --> 00:18:58.080 How do you know when to use lingo to relate with your 00:18:58.080 --> 00:18:59.950 audience and to avoid jargon? 00:19:00.149 --> 00:19:03.350 Yeah, this is a really, again, a tricky tension that we have. 00:19:03.790 --> 00:19:09.979 Sometimes using specific terminology, lingo as you say, can actually 00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.690 demonstrate your competence. 00:19:11.909 --> 00:19:16.810 The problem is, if you use too much of it, or you use that terminology 00:19:16.849 --> 00:19:20.929 with others who aren't in the know or don't have the experience you do, 00:19:21.269 --> 00:19:26.239 then it tips into jargon, and jargon is wording that it can be distancing. 00:19:26.549 --> 00:19:30.050 One of my colleagues, he's been on the show twice, Huggy Rao. 00:19:30.050 --> 00:19:32.539 Huggy likes to talk about jargon monoxide. 00:19:33.006 --> 00:19:34.906 It suffocates communication. 00:19:35.316 --> 00:19:41.016 So we want to avoid using lingo, technical speak, acronyms just for the use of them. 00:19:41.016 --> 00:19:42.276 They should serve a purpose. 00:19:42.276 --> 00:19:47.006 So if the purpose is to demonstrate competence, to connect with your 00:19:47.006 --> 00:19:50.396 audience on a deep level because they know the terms well, then I 00:19:50.396 --> 00:19:52.236 would suggest using those terms. 00:19:52.565 --> 00:19:56.325 But if you think someone in the audience might not be aware or they 00:19:56.326 --> 00:19:59.996 don't have the depth of knowledge, at the very least, define your terms. 00:19:59.996 --> 00:20:02.296 Maybe you show them on a slide, maybe you spell them out 00:20:02.296 --> 00:20:03.485 the first time you use them. 00:20:03.795 --> 00:20:09.156 There is more reputational risk, I believe, in using jargon, 00:20:09.156 --> 00:20:13.416 terminology people don't know, than there is reputational advantage to 00:20:13.416 --> 00:20:15.336 using lingo that people do know. 00:20:15.756 --> 00:20:20.245 I think you are set farther back by using jargon than you are put farther 00:20:20.245 --> 00:20:21.995 ahead by using appropriate lingo. 00:20:22.506 --> 00:20:25.805 So I'd like to introduce you to a few more of our team members who 00:20:25.805 --> 00:20:30.765 work tirelessly behind the scenes to help bring Think Fast, Talk Smart 00:20:30.815 --> 00:20:33.095 to you twice a week every week. 00:20:33.385 --> 00:20:35.805 Kylé, I'd love to have you join me on screen. 00:20:36.135 --> 00:20:40.026 Kylé helps with so many facets of how we make our show work for all of you. 00:20:40.355 --> 00:20:41.155 Welcome, Kylé. 00:20:41.175 --> 00:20:42.425 I know you've got a question for me. 00:20:42.425 --> 00:20:43.145 Would love to hear it. 00:20:43.395 --> 00:20:43.985 Kylé McPhedran: Hi, Matt. 00:20:44.006 --> 00:20:45.166 Nice to see you here. 00:20:45.445 --> 00:20:49.696 I have a question about high emotion situations. 00:20:49.965 --> 00:20:54.215 As a leader, I sometimes feel very nervous before difficult one-on-one 00:20:54.215 --> 00:20:58.266 conversations with employees, especially when I need to ask a hard question 00:20:58.555 --> 00:21:02.755 or give constructive feedback where they could potentially get emotional. 00:21:03.105 --> 00:21:08.566 How do I stay calm before and during the moment, make sure I actually deliver 00:21:08.566 --> 00:21:13.836 my point while still addressing the situation clearly, but showing care? 00:21:14.235 --> 00:21:16.845 Matt Abrahams: Well, so Kylé, just so you all know, Kylé is a very 00:21:16.855 --> 00:21:20.435 empathetic and kind person, and that's demonstrated in your question. 00:21:20.445 --> 00:21:24.265 Because often as a leader, we have to give constructive feedback. 00:21:24.296 --> 00:21:28.105 We have to give direction that might be challenging for those 00:21:28.135 --> 00:21:29.355 that are reporting to us. 00:21:29.665 --> 00:21:33.095 And it's really appropriate to be concerned about their 00:21:33.095 --> 00:21:34.825 emotions, but also your emotions. 00:21:35.285 --> 00:21:39.186 So if this is a circumstance where you actually get to plan it out in 00:21:39.186 --> 00:21:43.156 advance, then I would be thinking through not just the messaging. 00:21:43.245 --> 00:21:46.255 One of the many structures that we cover, what, so what now, what 00:21:46.256 --> 00:21:47.716 is a great way to give feedback. 00:21:47.955 --> 00:21:49.015 What is the feedback? 00:21:49.015 --> 00:21:50.366 So what is why it's important. 00:21:50.405 --> 00:21:53.055 Now what is what you'd like the person to do differently. 00:21:53.056 --> 00:21:57.385 So thinking through the structure, maybe even practicing vocalizing it can help. 00:21:57.806 --> 00:22:01.306 But also thinking through the emotions that you might feel in that 00:22:01.306 --> 00:22:05.746 moment, and really think through what this might be like for you. 00:22:05.806 --> 00:22:10.356 Anxiety, maybe there's a little bit of frustration with the person. 00:22:10.646 --> 00:22:14.856 By cataloging and thinking about those emotions first, that can help 00:22:14.876 --> 00:22:16.685 you come up with a contingency plan. 00:22:17.156 --> 00:22:21.246 And then remind yourself, your job as a leader, as a manager, 00:22:21.255 --> 00:22:25.205 is to help your team succeed and to help your employees succeed. 00:22:25.325 --> 00:22:28.755 And part of that is actually giving constructive feedback. 00:22:28.755 --> 00:22:32.495 So taking the time to plan the message and to plan for the 00:22:32.545 --> 00:22:34.075 emotion can be really helpful. 00:22:34.506 --> 00:22:35.565 Kylé McPhedran: That's really helpful. 00:22:35.596 --> 00:22:36.455 Thank you very much. 00:22:36.576 --> 00:22:37.156 Matt Abrahams: Very good. 00:22:37.435 --> 00:22:40.955 All right, let me now take one more question from one of our 00:22:41.015 --> 00:22:42.686 team that helps bring the show. 00:22:42.885 --> 00:22:44.415 I'd like to bring Greg in. 00:22:44.416 --> 00:22:48.616 Greg is so helpful, particularly on all the technical aspects of our show. 00:22:48.865 --> 00:22:50.006 Greg, good to see you. 00:22:50.025 --> 00:22:50.865 Thanks for being here. 00:22:50.865 --> 00:22:52.036 I'd love to hear your question. 00:22:52.466 --> 00:22:53.635 Gregg Oldring: Wonderful to see you, too. 00:22:53.635 --> 00:22:55.135 Thanks, Matt, and hello, listeners. 00:22:55.466 --> 00:22:58.115 Okay, my question is this, and I think the listeners will have 00:22:58.115 --> 00:23:02.605 noticed this, listening to this show, that you have a superpower, 00:23:03.015 --> 00:23:05.546 and that superpower is summarizing. 00:23:05.846 --> 00:23:07.795 You have an incredible ability to do it. 00:23:07.825 --> 00:23:10.355 You listen to somebody speak, and you repeat back what 00:23:10.355 --> 00:23:12.296 they've said in your own words. 00:23:12.416 --> 00:23:16.256 And what that does for us as listeners of the show, I think 00:23:16.276 --> 00:23:19.806 it clarifies what's been said and helps us to understand and remember. 00:23:20.245 --> 00:23:23.405 And having worked with you now for a couple of years, what it does for 00:23:23.416 --> 00:23:25.176 me personally is it shows empathy. 00:23:25.475 --> 00:23:29.525 It shows that you are listening to what I'm saying, and so it feels good as 00:23:29.535 --> 00:23:31.725 the person receiving that summary back. 00:23:31.725 --> 00:23:37.626 And so my question to you is this: What is going through your mind right now as 00:23:37.635 --> 00:23:42.085 you are listening to my long, rambling, uh, preamble to my question, so that 00:23:42.085 --> 00:23:43.565 you can summarize what I have said? 00:23:44.174 --> 00:23:46.084 Matt Abrahams: So you're really asking about paraphrasing 00:23:46.233 --> 00:23:47.664 and how I go about doing it. 00:23:47.874 --> 00:23:52.494 As I listen to our guests, as I listen to you, as I will be listening and reading 00:23:52.494 --> 00:23:57.274 the questions from others today, I am always asking myself, what's the bottom 00:23:57.274 --> 00:24:03.833 line of what the person is saying, and why and how is it relevant, in the case of the 00:24:03.834 --> 00:24:06.293 interviews on the show, to the audience? 00:24:06.654 --> 00:24:10.604 As you're speaking, I'm listening intently, and I'm constantly thinking 00:24:10.604 --> 00:24:12.143 to myself, what's the bottom line? 00:24:12.154 --> 00:24:14.844 What's the key point the person is making? 00:24:15.283 --> 00:24:19.113 I might get it wrong, and that's where paraphrasing actually helps because 00:24:19.124 --> 00:24:24.144 not only does it validate you, it says, "I've heard you," but it also allows 00:24:24.144 --> 00:24:26.174 me to validate that I got it right. 00:24:26.214 --> 00:24:28.623 Because if I miss it, you could correct me. 00:24:28.863 --> 00:24:33.774 Paraphrasing not only is a tool for connection, it's a fidelity check. 00:24:33.774 --> 00:24:38.413 Fidelity is the accuracy and clarity of the transmission of the information. 00:24:38.843 --> 00:24:42.554 It's a wonderful tool to connect, and it's a wonderful tool to make sure 00:24:42.554 --> 00:24:44.004 I'm hearing what people are saying. 00:24:44.283 --> 00:24:45.943 And I encourage all of you to practice. 00:24:45.944 --> 00:24:49.103 At the end of every one of our episodes, I would love for you to 00:24:49.184 --> 00:24:53.173 take a moment and say, what was the bottom line key takeaway from that 00:24:53.174 --> 00:24:55.153 episode for me, you as the listener? 00:24:55.483 --> 00:24:57.164 And then we hope you put it into practice. 00:24:57.164 --> 00:25:02.023 But by training that skill, you can really help yourself connect and make sure 00:25:02.023 --> 00:25:03.744 you're accurately hearing information. 00:25:04.034 --> 00:25:04.714 How'd I do, Greg? 00:25:04.714 --> 00:25:05.773 Did I paraphrase that well? 00:25:06.004 --> 00:25:07.013 Gregg Oldring: You paraphrased it well. 00:25:07.153 --> 00:25:09.623 Matt Abrahams: Greg, you do amazing work, as does the rest of the team. 00:25:09.633 --> 00:25:11.033 Thank you for the question. 00:25:11.553 --> 00:25:13.743 Let's take one final question, please. 00:25:14.638 --> 00:25:18.898 Please share tips for beginning speakers to seem unplanned in using 00:25:18.898 --> 00:25:22.828 gestures while having actually planned and rehearsed ahead. 00:25:23.197 --> 00:25:25.518 Oh, well, I've got a little teaser for you. 00:25:25.897 --> 00:25:30.017 Coming up actually right around the time this episode, our three hundredth 00:25:30.018 --> 00:25:34.537 episode airs, I am interviewing Vanessa Van Edwards, and Vanessa is 00:25:34.538 --> 00:25:38.807 an amazing researcher as well as a presenter on communication issues. 00:25:38.808 --> 00:25:40.757 And we talked exactly about this issue. 00:25:40.967 --> 00:25:44.047 You'll hear the dialogue and discussion there, but I'll give you a summary here. 00:25:44.308 --> 00:25:45.608 Gestures are really important. 00:25:45.788 --> 00:25:51.287 Gestures are, for the audience, a way that we can engage in a multimodal way. 00:25:51.748 --> 00:25:56.397 Our brains are primarily designed to take in the world visually. 00:25:56.908 --> 00:26:00.278 There are more parts of the human brain dedicated to vision, 00:26:00.287 --> 00:26:02.607 seeing, than to the other senses. 00:26:02.998 --> 00:26:06.798 So while I'm speaking, you have an area in your brain that's verbal, 00:26:06.807 --> 00:26:08.407 but there's a lot more that's visual. 00:26:08.408 --> 00:26:12.818 So when I'm gesturing in a consistent way, I'm actually reinforcing what I'm 00:26:12.818 --> 00:26:16.047 saying because you're seeing it and you're hearing it, and I'm activating 00:26:16.057 --> 00:26:17.607 a lot of brain regions for doing it. 00:26:18.097 --> 00:26:23.387 Now, for me as a communicator, the one, in this case, speaking, gestures 00:26:23.417 --> 00:26:26.127 actually offload cognitive load. 00:26:26.187 --> 00:26:31.037 So when I gesture, I actually make it easier for myself to think. 00:26:31.397 --> 00:26:34.858 So if my gestures are consistent with what I'm saying, it 00:26:34.858 --> 00:26:36.547 actually helps me be clearer. 00:26:36.547 --> 00:26:39.057 It increases my processing fluency. 00:26:39.457 --> 00:26:42.667 And for you, it makes it easier to understand because I'm 00:26:42.748 --> 00:26:44.338 engaging multiple brain systems. 00:26:44.697 --> 00:26:46.248 So gesturing is really important. 00:26:46.904 --> 00:26:49.774 How do we practice it though so we don't look robotic? 00:26:50.194 --> 00:26:53.084 First, we do not want to script gestures. 00:26:53.384 --> 00:26:58.483 I do not want to start a speech in a very scripted way because it looks scripted, it 00:26:58.484 --> 00:27:01.164 looks disingenuous, it looks inauthentic. 00:27:01.783 --> 00:27:03.214 So how do we practice? 00:27:03.554 --> 00:27:07.183 For many people who are just beginning to work on gestures, my biggest bit of 00:27:07.183 --> 00:27:09.663 advice is play charades as you speak. 00:27:09.663 --> 00:27:12.514 Charades is a game where we don't use words to describe 00:27:12.514 --> 00:27:13.844 things, we use our gestures. 00:27:14.234 --> 00:27:16.334 Use what are known as descriptive gestures. 00:27:16.343 --> 00:27:19.183 So if I'm standing up giving a, a sales pitch and say, "This is a 00:27:19.193 --> 00:27:21.013 big opportunity," I gesture big. 00:27:21.013 --> 00:27:24.074 I wouldn't say, "This is a big opportunity," and gesture small. 00:27:24.344 --> 00:27:27.764 If I were saying, "Profits will likely rise," I do a gesture 00:27:27.764 --> 00:27:29.423 that demonstrates rising. 00:27:29.833 --> 00:27:33.293 You're mimicking or mirroring the words in your gestures. 00:27:33.293 --> 00:27:35.453 And if you're not comfortable with gesturing or you want to learn 00:27:35.473 --> 00:27:39.683 to gesture more, starting with descriptive gestures is easiest. 00:27:40.054 --> 00:27:43.214 Then you graduate to what are called emphatic gestures, and 00:27:43.214 --> 00:27:46.253 if you've ever watched me speak, you see I use a lot of these. 00:27:46.253 --> 00:27:49.673 Emphatic gestures are gestures that add emphasis. 00:27:49.993 --> 00:27:52.963 They don't have an immediate correlate to what I'm saying. 00:27:53.493 --> 00:27:57.303 A former student of mine actually introduced a technique to me for 00:27:57.303 --> 00:28:02.593 practicing this as he was preparing for a presentation he had in my class. 00:28:02.853 --> 00:28:07.134 What he would do is he would audio record himself, do, like, a voice memo 00:28:07.504 --> 00:28:10.614 of him presenting his presentation, not memorized, not reading it. 00:28:10.623 --> 00:28:12.353 He would just talk it through and record it. 00:28:12.763 --> 00:28:17.264 And then he would put earbuds in, he would stand up, and he would listen to 00:28:17.264 --> 00:28:22.793 himself saying the words, and he would just walk around practicing the gestures 00:28:22.794 --> 00:28:27.843 that he might say as those words were delivered, not to script them, but 00:28:27.843 --> 00:28:29.743 to give him the cognitive bandwidth. 00:28:29.754 --> 00:28:31.813 He didn't have to think of what to say because he was just 00:28:31.813 --> 00:28:33.554 listening to himself say it. 00:28:33.813 --> 00:28:36.633 He could actually think about his gestures and say, "You know, at this 00:28:36.644 --> 00:28:39.863 point, I should probably do a really big gesture. At this point, maybe I 00:28:39.864 --> 00:28:42.134 should move because it's a transition." 00:28:42.434 --> 00:28:48.193 He was freeing up his brain to think about how he wanted to gesture because he 00:28:48.193 --> 00:28:52.103 didn't need to use all of that cognitive bandwidth to think of what he was saying. 00:28:52.464 --> 00:28:54.353 So this is a great way to practice. 00:28:54.363 --> 00:28:56.063 It's an intermediate step. 00:28:56.423 --> 00:29:01.803 You absolutely need to practice speaking and gesturing, but before that, you 00:29:01.804 --> 00:29:05.663 can do this technique of recording it, listening to it while you're presenting. 00:29:05.873 --> 00:29:08.413 So those are all ways to hone and develop gesturing. 00:29:08.423 --> 00:29:11.743 Start with descriptive gestures, know that gestures are helping you and 00:29:11.743 --> 00:29:15.973 your audience, and record yourself and practice listening to that recording. 00:29:17.334 --> 00:29:21.393 With that, I will simply say, first, thank you for joining me for this. 00:29:21.413 --> 00:29:23.363 I thoroughly enjoyed the questions. 00:29:23.433 --> 00:29:25.363 I hope you found value in the answers. 00:29:28.014 --> 00:29:30.623 So there you have it, our 300th episode. 00:29:31.014 --> 00:29:33.474 Thank you again for listening and your support. 00:29:33.813 --> 00:29:37.404 Do me a huge favor and be sure to subscribe and rate us. 00:29:37.483 --> 00:29:40.153 Also, follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram. 00:29:40.494 --> 00:29:44.154 If you like celebration episodes, please take a listen to our 250th 00:29:44.244 --> 00:29:46.434 episode all about managing conflict. 00:29:47.083 --> 00:29:50.414 This episode was produced by Katherine Reed, Shelby Merriweather, 00:29:50.553 --> 00:29:53.363 Ryan Campos, and me, Matt Abrahams. 00:29:53.674 --> 00:29:57.883 Our music is from Floyd Wonder, with special thanks to Podium Podcast Company. 00:29:58.333 --> 00:30:01.143 Please find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. 00:30:01.723 --> 00:30:05.983 Check out fastersmarter.io for deep dive videos, English language 00:30:05.983 --> 00:30:08.163 learning content, and our newsletter. 00:30:08.703 --> 00:30:11.774 Please consider joining our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community 00:30:11.774 --> 00:30:14.524 at fastersmarter.io/learning. 00:30:14.853 --> 00:30:18.963 You'll find video lessons, learning quests, discussion boards, an AI 00:30:19.003 --> 00:30:21.183 coach, and book club opportunities. 00:30:21.424 --> 00:30:26.883 Again, that's fastersmarter.io/learning to become part of our Think Fast 00:30:27.003 --> 00:30:28.813 Talk Smart Learning Community.