Our 10 favorite communication insights from 2025.

The most transformative communication insights are the ones we actually remember to use. That’s why host Matt Abrahams is taking stock of his favorite communication tips from this year, so we can carry them into the next.

In this annual Think Fast, Talk Smart tradition, Abrahams shares his top 10 communication insights from guests over the past year, from facilitating connection through Gina Bianchini's "proactive serendipity” to Jenn Wynn’s use of dialogue as a gateway to synergy. Whether you're looking to build trust, boost productivity, or speak more spontaneously, this year’s top 10 insights offer a reminder of all we’ve learned this year — and a roadmap for better communication in the year ahead.

Episode Reference Links:

• Ep.177 Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons From 2024
• Ep.120 A Few of Matt’s Favorite Things: 10 Communication Takeaways from 2023's TFTS Episodes

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:21) - Facilitation and Productive Serendipity
• (03:56) - Toxic vs. Healthy Productivity
• (06:19) - Dialogue as the Path to Synergy
• (08:51) - How Actions Build Trust
• (10:17) - Communication as an Unselfish Act
• (12:12) - Be Present and Prepare to Be Spontaneous
• (14:17) - Why Memorable Words Matter
• (17:32) - Persuasion and Identity
• (19:21) - Finding Meaning Through Purpose
• (21:16) - Listening to Negative Emotions
• (23:33) - Conclusion

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Presenting complex information for your audience to understand.

As communicators, we often need to take complex information (e.g., financial, technical, or scientific) and make it more understandable for our audience – we’re experts and they likely aren’t. But having so much knowledge on the topics we discuss can often make the job more difficult: we dive in too quickly, forget about our audience's needs, or use jargon that goes over their heads.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, strategic communications lecturers Matt Abrahams and Lauren Weinstein explore the “curse of knowledge” and offer specific techniques you can use to be more successful in getting your point across.

Episode Reference Links:

• Lauren Weinstein
• Ep.3 When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible
• Ep.49 Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively
• Ep.91 Um, Like, So: How Filler Words Can Create More Connected, Effective Communication

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:35) - Where Complexity Breaks Down
• (03:48) - Start With the Audience
• (04:50) - The Power of Analogy
• (07:51) - The “Chunking” Technique
• (09:46) - Make Data Relatable
• (11:56) - The Final Three Question
• (15:19) - Conclusion

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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.

Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.

Why good communication requires presence, not performance.

Effective communication isn't about perfecting your performance. According to Dr. Kate Mason, it's about being powerfully present.

Mason is a world champion debater, executive communication coach, and author of the book Powerfully Likable. In her work coaching senior executives to communicate more effectively, she emphasizes that it’s not about creating a performative persona, it’s about uncovering the authentic communicator you already are. “The coaching is just bringing the real parts of you to the fore,” she says, “uncovering rather than totally building from scratch. A lot of people come to me and say, I need to be more warm or more insert adjective here. And I say, I'm not gonna help you be more warm if that's not what's coming naturally to you. I am gonna help you work out the thing you're already doing, the thing you're already saying, how to make that comfortable for people around you.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Mason and host Matt Abrahams discuss strategies for more present communication. From avoiding "imposing syndrome” to reducing “the delta between your real self and that corporate persona,” Mason's insights explore how we can bring more of our true selves to the table.

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

Episode Reference Links:

• Dr. Kate Mason
• Kate’s Book: Powerfully Likeable
• Ep. 210 First Impression to Lasting Impact: Use Status Strategically

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:32) - Why Confidence Is the Wrong Goal
• (03:55) - Bridging Your Real and Work Selves
• (05:27) - What Is Imposing Syndrome?
• (07:01) - Catching Yourself Shrinking
• (08:58) - Rethinking Imposter Syndrome
• (10:15) - Assertive vs. Agreeable
• (12:40) - Naming Your Communication Style
• (15:38) - What You Say vs. How You Show Up
• (17:43) - Body Language That Signals Openness
• (19:04) - Executive Messaging Lessons
• (22:01) - The Final Three Questions
• (26:51) - Conclusion

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Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.