Do you really win the negotiation if it means losing the relationship?

You might think that successful negotiation means getting what you want here and now. But Stan Christensen says this short-sighted view is selling many negotiators short.

Christensen is a professional negotiator, host of the All Things Negotiation podcast, and instructor of one of Stanford's most popular courses on the subject. His core insight: most negotiations happen with people you’ll see again — which means success isn’t about claiming victory, it’s about building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. “Most people think of negotiation statically,” he says. “It's you and I. There's a fixed pie. We're trying to get more for ourself and less for the other party. In reality, 95% of negotiations are gonna be with people you see again, so I define success as contributing to the value of the long-term relationship.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Christensen and host Matt Abrahams explore what it takes to negotiate well — from the power of listening and asking questions to managing emotions and communicating for collaboration. Whether you're negotiating a business deal or just deciding where to go to dinner, Christensen shows why every negotiation is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship.

Episode Reference Links:

• Stan Christensen
• Ep.15 The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want
• Ep.204 Tough Talks: Turn Tension Into Trust

Connect:

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• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:11) - What Is Negotiation?
• (02:50) - Negotiating Every Day
• (03:52) - The Power of Listening
• (05:25) - Asking Better Questions
• (07:26) - Handling Emotions
• (08:24) - Authentic Emotion
• (09:22) - Body Language Matters
• (10:13) - Collaboration in Negotiation
• (11:51) - Framing Conversations
• (13:16) - Setting the Agenda
• (14:38) - Co-Creating Structure
• (16:14) - A Common Negotiation Mistake
• (16:53) - Why Start a Podcast
• (17:57) - Learning from Guests
• (18:54) - The Final Three Questions
• (25:27) - Conclusion

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What it takes to lead as a communicator and communicate as a leader.

Leadership isn’t just about making decisions — it’s about how you communicate them. As Matt Abrahams puts it, “Communication is operationalized leadership.”

At a recent Me2We event, in connection with Stanford GSB's Executive Education LEAD program, Abrahams held a live discussion with four of the podcast’s most popular guests: Celine Teoh, facilitator of the GSB’s famous Interpersonal Dynamics course; Huggy Rao, organizational behavior professor and co-author of The Friction Project; legendary Stanford basketball coach Tara VanDerveer; and Dave Dodson, lecturer and author of The Manager's Handbook.

In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the panel shares frameworks and lessons for leading and communicating more effectively. From Teoh’s five A’s for inviting dissent to Rao’s warning against “jargon monoxide,” from VanDerveer’s relationship-first approach to Dodson’s case for leading like a teacher, this conversation explores what it takes to communicate as a leader — and lead as a communicator.

Episode Reference Links:

• Celine Teoh
• Tara VanDerveer
• Huggy Rao
• Huggy’s Book: The Friction Project
• David Dodson
• David’s Book: The Manager’s Handbook
• Ep.194 Live Lessons in Levity and Leadership: Me2We 2025 Part 1

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:

The hidden habits behind calm, confident communicators.

What does it really take to become a more confident communicator? In this special collaboration between Think Fast, Talk Smart and Headspace, host Matt Abrahams shares practical, mindful strategies for speaking with clarity, managing anxiety, listening more deeply, and connecting more authentically with others.

Across five short lessons, Matt outlines how to calm speaking nerves, become a better listener, structure your ideas clearly, engage any audience, and strengthen your presence — whether you’re leading a meeting, giving a presentation, or navigating everyday conversations.

Whether you’re speaking to a crowd or having a one-on-one conversation, these tools can help you communicate with more confidence, calm, and connection.

Episode Reference Links:

• Headspace

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
• (02:14) - Speaking Anxiety
• (07:20) - Mindful Communication
• (12:29) - Clarity & Structure
• (16:06) - Creating Engagement
• (22:48) - Building Presence
• (27:50) - Conclusion

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Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Unleash your Superhuman potential with AI that meets you where you work. Learn more at superhuman.com

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