meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

199. Blunder Pressure: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (3 of 3)

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This three-part miniseries is all about keeping your cool when speaking on the spot.

Communicating effectively can be challenging enough, even with plenty of time to prepare what we want to say. But for most of our communication, there’s no time to plan, practice, or perfect — we have to respond in the moment.

Spontaneous communication is a part of our everyday lives, but few of us have been trained to handle these impromptu situations with confidence. What does it take to flow, not freeze, when put on the spot? This special three-part series turns to experts for guidance, from a sports commentator, FBI hostage negotiator, and UN translator to a game show host, NFL referee and Sotheby’s auctioneer.

Part 1: Preparation and Mindset

Discover how to prepare for the unpredictable, manage anxiety, and find the right headspace for success.

Part 2: Mastering the Moment

Learn to stay present, read the room, and use techniques like mirroring and pacing to connect with your audience.

Part 3: When Things Go Wrong

Find out how to recover from inevitable mishaps and keep moving forward with confidence, turning mistakes into gold.

In addition to insight-packed discussions, this Think Fast, Talk Smart miniseries offers practical exercises and homework assignments to help you implement what you've learned. Whether you draw blanks when put on the spot or simply want to articulate your thoughts more clearly in the moment, these episodes will transform how you think — and speak — on your feet.

Episode Reference Links:


Connect:


Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:42) - Focus on What’s Next, Not What Went Wrong
  • (04:40) - Failure with Confidence
  • (06:45) - Flexibility Over a Fixed Plan
  • (08:28) - Staying Cool in Public Slip-Ups
  • (10:36) - Using Laughter to Reset
  • (13:05) - Gracefully Correcting Yourself
  • (14:42) - Staying Calm Under Pressure
  • (19:40) - Listener Exercises on Reflecting to Improve
  • (21:56) - Conclusion

  *****
Stay up to date on the next great discovery at Stanford by signing up for the Stanford Report
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.      

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by Stanford University.

0:03.8

At Think Fast Talk Smart, we strive to bring you tools to help you succeed in business and in life.

0:08.8

Like the ideas you heard from my Stanford colleague Tina Seelig, who studies how to ask more creative, insightful questions.

0:16.0

I'd like to share another way that Stanford research matters.

0:19.3

Chronic heart failure is a major cause of death,

0:22.0

in large part due to the short supply of suitable hearts for transplant. Stanford bioengineer Mark

0:27.8

Skyler Scott is trying to change that. By using 3D bioprinting technology, Mark and his colleagues

0:33.2

are working to create new hearts and other organs on demand, using cells from a patient's

0:38.1

own body. Mark's work is just starting, and it looks promising. Groundbreaking, innovative,

0:43.8

and impactful work like Marks is happening all over the Stanford campus. To stay up to date

0:48.7

on the next great discovery, sign up for Stanford Report at connect. .standford.edu.

0:59.8

Let's say somebody says something that is just the wrong tone

1:01.4

and it brings the room down.

1:02.6

You have two choices at that moment.

1:03.8

You can say, oh, God, that was terrible.

1:06.1

That just ruined everything.

1:08.1

You can dwell on that.

1:09.3

Or you can say, well, we got 30 more minutes a show,

1:13.1

and that can still be good. I'm Matt Abrams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate

1:19.4

School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Whether it's introducing a colleague,

1:26.3

speaking up in a work meeting, or making small talk with a cashier,

1:30.3

most of our daily communication happens in the moment. And yet speaking on the spot is something

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 3 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Think Fast Talk Smart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Think Fast Talk Smart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.