{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"EP 1: Unpacking a Loaded Term: Communications - with Matt Abrahams","description":"Welcome to the inaugural Lift podcast! Today we chat with Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the founder of BoldEcho. Matt and Allison are both passionate about strategic communications, and today discuss exactly that -- what do we mean when we say someone is a "great communicator\u201d and how can leaders use some simple guidelines to increase their emotive communications success? We outline three fundamental steps towards more action-driven interactions, whether between a group or just two individuals and add stories from our collective experiences as coaches to executive teams. Find out what karaoke-time storytelling means, how to handle suddenly short presentations, and whether messages can be iterative, as you listen to veterans in the field share their insights. Please join us on today\u2019s episode!    Key Points From This Episode:  What does it mean to be a great communicator?  The importance of listening and audience centricity.  Understanding the fail fast model with regards to communication.  The criteria for assessing successful communication.   Altering communication according to your audience and their biases.   Leveraging stories and reaching for a higher level to bridge across audience types.  One-on-one communication and directive-driven interactions.   Clarity and definition in important messages.  Leading a conversation or using questions and imagination scenarios.  Considering time constraints in any scenario.   How further upskill if you\u2019re already an advanced and sophisticated communicator.   And much more!    Tweetables:  \u201cIt\u2019s about empathy, it\u2019s really about doing the appropriate amount of reconnaissance and reflection in advance of the communication.\u201d \u2014 Matt Abrahams  "I think communication is about listening, slowing down and listening, not just literally, but to all the kinds of subtexts that are happening." \u2014 Allison J. Taylor  \u201cTo me, it really boils down to the ability to synthesize a lot of information, make it accessible, really emotionally connect to your audience, to motivate them.\u201d \u2014 Matt Abrahams "What makes or breaks communication is one-on-one direction and priority setting." \u2014 Allison J. Taylor  \u201cWhat I found is, it\u2019s very helpful to be crisp in an outcome you\u2019re looking for.\u201d \u2014 Allison J. Taylor  "In business organizations, it's important not to lose sight of why a person is in a particular role and what that role is supposed to bring, or we misconstrue what the role is supposed to be. It's coaching employees to help them understand their roles." \u2014 Allison J. Taylor  \u201cReally, to me, the three criteria are again, information, emotion and action.\u201d \u2014 Matt Abrahams     Links Mentioned in Today\u2019s Episode:  Matt Abrahams \u2014 https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/maabrahams\/    Speaking Up Without Freaking Out \u2014 https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Speaking-without-Freaking-Out-Techniques\/dp\/1465290478  Allison J. Taylor \u2013 https:\/\/www.thoughtmarketing.com BoldEcho \u2013 http:\/\/boldecho.com\/   ","author_name":"LIFT","author_url":"https:\/\/www.thoughtmarketing.com\/podcasts\/","html":"