177. Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons For 2025

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Ten essential communication strategies designed to elevate your skills.

2024 has been an incredible year for learning and growth, and as we head into 2025, there’s no better time to reflect on the skills and strategies that can shape our communication and careers. In this special episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams takes us through ten standout lessons from the past year. These aren’t just ideas to remember — they’re practices to evolve with. From Priya Parker’s insights on generous authority to Huggy Rao’s call to cut through jargon monoxide, each concept highlights how small shifts in mindset and behavior can lead to big transformations. With actionable advice and real-world examples, this episode is packed with inspiration to help you Think Fast, Talk Smart, and communicate better in the year ahead.

Thank you to our Sponsor Superhuman for offering the TFTS community one month free.

Episode Reference Links:

• Ep.174 Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful Moments
• Ep.164 Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others
• Ep.158 Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through Communication
• Ep.156 Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values
• Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations
• Ep.142 Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts
• Ep.137 When Words Aren’t Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication
• Ep.138 Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication
• Ep.134 How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI
• Ep.131 Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage
• 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 >>> [e-mail]
• 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
• (01:32) - Priya Parker: Gatherings And Generous Authority
• (03:38) - Robert Cialdini: Pre-Suasion
• (05:24) - Jamil Zaki: Trust Loudly
• (06:37) - Scott Dorley: Design Your Environment
• (09:03) - Irv Grousbeck: Brevity Conveys Conviction
• (10:32) - Michele Gelfand: Mind Your Metaphors
• (12:02) - Dana Carney: Take Space With Words
• (13:32) - Julia Minson: Use Hear When In Conflict
• (16:08) - Jeremy Utley And Kian Gohar: How To Chat With Bots
• (17:47) - Huggy Rao: Avoid Jargon Monoxide
• (19:53) - Conclusion