English Language Learning

Presenting Confidently and Clearly in a Non-native Language

by Matt Abrahams

For most of us, presenting confidently and clearly in our native language is hard enough, but communicating in another language is marked by unique challenges and opportunities for growth. What follows is specific advice that can help all non-native speakers…

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Matt's favorite ELL podcasts

Angela Duckworth

11/02/2027Episode 337Open companion page

negotiate (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to discuss something with someone to reach an agreement
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “One element that you cannot negotiate out of is interest.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We negotiated a lower price with the seller yesterday.””

tenacity (noun)

Definition:: Definition: the ability to keep trying even when something is difficult
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “We have often spoken about grit and tenacity on the show, especially around communication and improving communication skills.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Her tenacity helped her finish the course despite many problems.””

sustained (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: continuing for a long time without stopping or becoming weaker
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And when I grew up to become a psychologist, I really wanted to shine a light on the importance of effort, sustained effort to becoming better at whatever it is that you wanna do.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He needs sustained practice to become confident at the piano.””

get down to something (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to focus on the most important or basic part of something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Like when you get right down to it, people who have a sense of purpose, a calling, this work is important, aren't only curious.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If we get down to the facts, both teams made serious mistakes.””

Frish Brandt

11/09/2026Episode 339Open companion page

morph (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to slowly change into something different
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But it will morph into one of the other letters, maybe two of the other letters, and at the heart of it, every letter is really a love letter, because that's really what brings it.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Their small idea is morphing into a plan for a new business.””

sucker (noun)

Definition:: Definition: someone who really likes a particular thing
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I'm a sucker for a good analogy, and I like that one.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If you’re a sucker for chocolate, you’ll love this cake.””

ephemeral (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: lasting for only a short time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “The thing about a letter, whether it's handwritten or typed, and even whether it's sent electronically, though I prefer on paper in any form, so much of our lives are digital, and so much of it is ephemeral, and we can't distinguish one from the other.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral, but we remembered it for years.””

solar plexus (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: the most important or central part of something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And the two for extra credit might in fact be the solar plexus of the book.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “She called the song the solar plexus of the show because every scene connects to it.”

Quick Thinks: Sleep

11/05/2026Episode 338Open companion page

ground (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to focus on your body or surroundings to feel calm and present
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Finally, I try to ground myself physically by feeling my body on the bed.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “I ground myself by taking slow breaths before an important meeting.””

nemesis (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a person or thing that is very difficult for you to defeat or deal with
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Of the three components of communication hygiene, sleep is my nemesis.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “My nemesis at work is staying focused during long meetings.””

ingrained (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: so familiar that it has become a natural part of your behavior
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Finally, if you go to bed and wake up at the same time each night, you'll be better off because that habit gets ingrained and you'll do better.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Checking his phone before breakfast has become an ingrained habit.””

dial down (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to make something less strong or intense
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So I write down things I'm thankful for, and this also dials down my worry about sleep.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Could you dial down the music while I finish this report?””

Rethinks: ABC's of Anxiety

10/29/2026Episode 336Open companion page

haunt (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to stay in your thoughts and make you feel worried or afraid
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Communication anxiety can be frightening, but it doesn't have to haunt you.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Fear of failure can haunt people even after they become successful.””

bases (noun)

Definition:: Definition: all the important things that need to be considered in a situation
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Most people, upwards of seventy-five percent of people, feel anxious in high-stakes communication situations, be it written or spoken, in person or virtual, with large audiences or small, synchronous or asynchronous. Whew. I think I covered all the bases there.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The report covers all the bases, including cost, safety, and timing.””

affective (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: connected with feelings or emotions
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Beyond affective experiences of anxiety that we can address through acknowledging and reframing our fear and reminding ourselves that it is normal and natural, we need also to address behavioral symptoms and sources.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If students feel safe, their affective experience of learning will improve.””

someone's heart is in (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: someone cares deeply about what they are doing
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So, you know, for example, when I start to feel anxious now, I will say to myself, ‘My heart is in it.’””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If your heart is in it, you will find the strength to continue.””

Nir Halevy

10/26/2026Episode 335Open companion page

map (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to show where things are or how they are connected
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “What strikes me about hierarchies is, in my experience at least, there are almost two different types of hierarchies, the one that you can map on an organizational chart, and then there's the one how things actually work.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “This report maps how students use the school library.””

hierarchy (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a system in which people or things are placed at different levels
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So hierarchies are all around us, and some of them are informal, some are formal, but they're all systems that differentiate between those who have more and those who have less.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “In the school’s hierarchy, the principal makes the final decisions.””

on-point (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: exactly right or closely connected to the subject
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “He is super smart and gives sharp, on-point advice.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Her on-point answer helped us understand the difficult question.””

in action (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: doing something in a real situation rather than only talking about it
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Recently, I've had the opportunity to see Nir in action working with Stanford athletes and coaches.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If you want to understand the program, observe it in action.””

Quick Thinks: Great Meetings

10/22/2026Episode 334Open companion page

congregate (verb)

Definition:: Definition: come together in a group in one place
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Now, in the meeting itself, it's important to congregate and get people started right away.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Students congregated outside the classroom before the exam began.””

gathering (noun)

Definition:: Definition: an event where people come together for a purpose or activity
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So don't call your gathering a meeting. Call it something else.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We are having a small family gathering at my home this weekend.””

hybrid (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: involving a mix of two different ways of doing something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Similarly, if I have a hybrid situation, I will request that those who are remote not use the chat feature because they could be having a side conversation that those of us in the room aren't privy to.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We will hold a hybrid event so people can join online or in the room.””

band-aid (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: a quick solution that covers a problem without truly fixing it
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Meetings are often used as band-aids, as ways of covering up for other larger communication challenges.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Hiring more staff was only a band-aid for the company’s deeper problems.””

Adam Grant Part 1

10/19/2026Episode 333Open companion page

languish (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to feel weak, unhappy, or without energy for a long time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “When you can recognize you're languishing, you can then begin to manage it and say, ‘Okay, I need to pay closer attention to what energizes me.’””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “After months without a clear goal, he began to languish at work.””

goodwill (noun)

Definition:: Definition: friendly feelings and a desire to help someone
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “It's one thing for you to know them. It's another thing for you to actually have earned their goodwill.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The manager earned the team’s goodwill by listening to their concerns.””

cardinal (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very important and basic
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I think most people believe that good listening is about talking less, and I think that is a cardinal error.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “If you ignore this cardinal rule, the project may quickly fail.””

off script (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: not following the planned words or actions
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But I think the starting point is to get people off script and not say, ‘What do you do?’ if you just meet a stranger, but instead ask them, ‘What do you love to do?’””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Our teacher sometimes goes off script to discuss students’ questions.””

Rethinks: Astro Teller

10/15/2026Episode 332Open companion page

resolve (verb)

Definition:: Definition: find an answer to a problem or disagreement
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “We could agree ahead of time, if you could make it, it would resolve that huge problem with the world.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We need to resolve this disagreement before it affects our friendship.””

moonshot (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a very big and difficult project that could greatly change people’s lives
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Yeah, of course, we want any particular moonshot we come up with to turn out to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the world.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Building a city on Mars is still considered a moonshot by many scientists.””

testable (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: able to be checked by trying it or doing an experiment
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “You have a testable hypothesis.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “His idea became testable after the team collected enough information.””

a glimmer of hope (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: a small sign that a difficult situation may improve
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And then three, there has to be some kind of breakthrough technology that gives us at least a glimmer of a hope that we could make that science fiction sounding product or service that would solve that huge problem with the world.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The news about the peace talks offers a glimmer of hope for both countries.””

Rachel Greenwald

10/12/2026Episode 331Open companion page

deepen (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to make something stronger, larger, or more serious, like a feeling or a relationship
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “People tend to avoid taboo topics because they're fearful of controversy or having awkward moments, but I would invite people as they move away from small talk and start to grow and deepen a relationship with somebody to reframe taboo topics as really a gateway to deepen connections.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Honest conversations can deepen relationships at work and at home.””

arena (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a place or area where people do activities, talk, or compete
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Rachel is an expert on communication and relationship building, not only in the dating arena, but also in the workplace.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Technology has changed the business arena significantly.””

manipulative (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: trying to control or influence others in a clever or unfair way
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I mean, I think the first thing to say about personal branding is that it gets a bad reputation as being manipulative or like you're bragging or showing off if you talk about something that makes you unique or special or memorable.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “His manipulative behavior made his friends question his true intentions.””

play offense (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to take action first to reach a goal instead of only defending or reacting
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But playing offense is more about being strategic with your small talk game to help your conversation partner learn something about you that might lead to a desired goal that you have.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “To grow their small business, the owners decided to play offense by calling new customers and offering a special deal.””

Quick Thinks: Think Faster Talk Smarter

10/08/2026Episode 330Open companion page

lob (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to throw something in a high, gentle curve
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Feeling hurt and offended, he couldn't help but lob some bitter insults back at her.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “She lobbed the keys across the room, and I caught them easily.””

dispute (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a disagreement or argument between people or groups
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Their dispute escalated, and despite the efforts of other family members to intervene, his sister stormed out.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Their dispute grew worse after neither person apologized.””

snide (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: unkind and indirect, often making fun of someone
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “As my friend was slicing up his sister's favorite roast chicken dish, she made a snide remark about his parenting skills.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “I ignored his snide comments during the meeting.””

flare up (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to suddenly become worse or more serious
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Take a listen to an excerpt from the updated audiobook on how to better manage emotional challenges that can flare up in our relationships.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Their argument flared up after one friend mentioned the forgotten promise.””

Daniel Lubetzky

10/05/2026Episode 329Open companion page

bridge (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to connect two people, groups, or ideas so they can understand each other
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “He leverages his unique background in Stanford law education to bridge deep societal divides, most recently launching the Builders Movement to empower citizens to overcome toxic polarization.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We can bridge ideas by listening to each other.””

extremism (noun)

Definition:: Definition: very strong and extreme beliefs that can lead to harmful actions
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But I've also built a lot of civic movements in the Middle East between Arabs and Israelis, Palestinians and Israelis working together in the United States, the Builders Movement, which is what this spin is about, to try to join forces against extremism and towards solving problems.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Extremism can make people stop listening to others.””

divisive (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: causing people to disagree and split into different groups
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And it seems very logical because when I just shared this message, probably 99% of your listeners agree, but it's very easy for us to fall prey to social media algorithms, to divisive media, to divisive politicians, to foreign influences, to divisive rhetoric, to divisive curricula that frames things as victim versus oppressor, and that makes us think that it's us versus them.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We avoid divisive topics at the party.””

tear someone apart (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to hurt someone badly with words or actions and make them feel very upset
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And it's a choice that all of us have every day in how we live our lives, whether we're gonna try to solve problems together or tear each other apart.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The coach did not tear the player apart.””

AMA: Finish Strong

10/01/2026Episode 328Open companion page

modality (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a particular way of doing or expressing something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And if what you are repeating is a declarative sentence, then a great way to do that is to switch the modality.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The teacher changed the modality of the lesson by asking students to discuss the topic.””

sustain (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to keep something going for a period of time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “As a communicator, we want to focus that attention, but not just in the moment. We want to sustain it, and sustained attention is what I call engagement.” ”
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “It can be difficult to sustain your attention during a long meeting.””

precious (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very valuable or important
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “We live in a world where attention is our most precious commodity.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Time is a precious resource, so we try to use it wisely.””

charged up (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: feeling a strong emotion or a lot of energy about something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Say, ‘Oh, I'm getting really charged up here,’ either positively or negatively, and naming it, saying, ‘I'm getting really excited,’ or, ‘This is really upsetting me.’””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He gets charged up when he talks about an idea he believes in.””

Lorraine K. Lee

09/28/2026Episode 327Open companion page

grill (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to ask someone many difficult questions
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Well, thank you for inviting me to grill you today, Matt.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “My parents grilled me about my plans.””

authenticity (noun)

Definition:: Definition: the quality of being real, genuine, and true
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “You said that AI has created an ‘authenticity crisis.’””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “People liked the authenticity of her story.””

timely (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: happening at a good or suitable time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So I read your two new chapters and emailed you very excitedly afterwards letting you know how timely they both are.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The article offers timely information.””

on the spot (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: immediately and without time to prepare
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “In a world where AI can polish and perfect our communication, the ability to communicate spontaneously on the spot not only demonstrates your humanness, but gives you an advantage in your personal and professional life.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The interviewer gave her a task on the spot.””

Rethinks: Jeremy Utley & Kian Gohar

09/24/2026Episode 326Open companion page

coach (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to teach, guide, or train someone to improve at something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So in my business, we coach teams to achieve complex business goals through team transformation practices.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Our manager coached us before the presentation.””

metric (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a number or measurement used to show how well something is doing
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Jeremy is a repeat guest to Think Fast, Talk Smart. He's an adjunct professor specializing in creativity and entrepreneurship at Stanford, and the author of Idea Flow: The Only Business Metric That Matters.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Test scores are one metric of student learning.””

spectacular (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very exciting, beautiful, or impressive
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And we went through a problem-solving ideation exercise, and at the end of it, we asked the problem owners or the executives who shared with us the particular pain point to grade all the various ideas from A, being spectacular, all the way to D, not worth pursuing further.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The view from the mountain was spectacular.””

pain point (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: a problem that causes trouble, stress, or difficulty
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And what we did was we recruited hundreds of participants from many companies in Europe and the US, and we asked them to identify a particular pain point within their organization or a problem that they needed to solve for, something that was real.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Finding parking is a pain point at our school.””

Oliver Aust

09/21/2026Episode 325Open companion page

strategize (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to plan the best way to do something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Oliver is founder of Speak Like a CEO Academy, where he coaches executives and founders how to refine and strategize about their communication.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The team strategizes their next move.””

lifespan (noun)

Definition:: Definition: the amount of time someone or something lives or lasts
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So in my most recent book, Message Machine, we looked at why 90% of startups fail, plus established companies, their lifespan gets shorter and shorter as well.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Light bulbs have a long lifespan.””

icky (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: unpleasant or a little gross
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And there's nothing icky about this.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The bug looks icky to me.””

in parallel (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: at the same time as something else
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Don't create a product and then think about how you want to sell it and find investors, et cetera. Do it in parallel.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “They cook dinner and set the table in parallel.””

Rethinks: Russ Altman

09/17/2026Episode 324Open companion page

shove (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to push something or someone hard and quickly
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “But that time, which is kind of a pain in the neck 'cause it means you have to have lunch with them, and maybe you don't want to have lunch, maybe you want to just take five minutes to shove food down your throat because you're busy.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Ben shoved the door open.””

thrill (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a feeling of great excitement or happiness
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I share enthusiasm for this podcast, and it's kind of a thrill.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Winning the game gave us a thrill.””

reticent (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: quiet and not willing to share thoughts or feelings easily
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Part of it is so I can have emergency topics to talk about if it turns out that you're, you know, reticent to speak.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Maya was reticent in the new class.””

stand in for (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to take the place of someone or something for a short time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “We always say you might have one good anecdote, and that doesn't replace lots of actual data, but I'm afraid that sometimes, a lot of times, a good story does stand in for a lot of data because it's so compelling to the human mind.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Mr. Lee will stand in for our teacher today.””

Priya Parker

09/14/2026Episode 323Open companion page

oscillate (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to keep changing from one thing or position to another
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “In so many workplaces and groups and friendships, when conflict arises, we tend to oscillate between two places, what I call unhealthy peace, which is conflict avoidance, pretending everything's fine, nothing to see here, folks, and unhealthy conflict, domination, escalation, abuse.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Prices may oscillate during the year.””

banter (noun)

Definition:: Definition: friendly and playful conversation between people
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I think of banter as the elixir of pro-social conflict.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Their banter made everyone laugh.””

perpetual (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: continuing for a very long time or never stopping
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “You talk about pineapple and ham pizza, which is a perpetual debate my wife and I had.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The desert seems to have perpetual sunshine.””

hit home (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to affect someone deeply or feel especially meaningful to them
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And you use a great example in your book, The Art of Fighting, that really hit home for me.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “That song hit home for me.””

Martin Seligman

09/10/2026Episode 322Open companion page

optimize (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to make something work as well as possible
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So as I look at PERMA, I feel that relationships and meaning are what's most important in my life, and I can try to optimize for those as almost a roadmap for how we can find our way to deeper fulfillment and flourishing simply by thinking through these five variables and what's important for us, and then how to optimize for them.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “She optimizes the layout of her room.””

monologue (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a long speech by one person or the private talk someone has in their head
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Some of your work talks about the internal conversations we have with ourselves, the monologue, that self-tape we have playing in our head.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “I heard a monologue in the play.””

contemplative (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: to be quiet and think deeply about something
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I have to confess I'm intimidated by the title of your endeavor. I used to be fast, and now I'm slow, and I used to be smart, and now the best I can do is be contemplative.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He was contemplative after the test.””

up to the challenge (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: ready and able to do a difficult task
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “The stories they're telling themselves is they don't deserve this, or they're not up to the challenge.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He feels up to the challenge at work.””

Claude Steele

09/07/2026Episode 321Open companion page

necessitate (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to make something necessary
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So it can absolutely amplify, and I think it necessitates that as we consume social media, that we at least think about what are the stereotypes being communicated and how does that have impact on us.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The broken pipe necessitates a call to the plumber.””

churn (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a lot of change or movement in a short time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Can you define for us what you mean by ‘churn’, and how can it help us better understand relationships and intergroup relationships?””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The company had a lot of churn last year.””

vigilant (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: watchful and careful to notice danger or problems
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “It can nag at a person, and they can be particularly vigilant as to how they're being perceived, and that can, as we just mentioned, interfere with performance right there in the immediate situation.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The guard is vigilant at night.””

chain of events (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: a series of actions or things that happen one after another
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So there's a, a kind of recursive chain of events, relief of this pressure.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “One mistake started a chain of events.””

Quick Thinks: Ace Your Interview

09/03/2026Episode 320Open companion page

brand (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to create a clear idea about yourself or something so other people recognize and remember you
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So today, I'd love to share with you some best practices around how to prepare for job interviews and any time you have to brand yourself and talk about what you do and how to differentiate yourself from others.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “She brands herself as a friendly teacher.””

claim (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a statement that says something is true
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “A theme is simply a claim.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The student's claim surprised the teacher.””

third-party (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: coming from someone who is not directly involved
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “These are third-party voices that support you and what you're talking about.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “A third-party company fixed the problem.””

small talk (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: short, friendly conversation about easy topics like the weather
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So in a job interview, in an opportunity where we get to share about ourselves, maybe making small talk or at some kind of networking event, you want to avoid just rambling and listing.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We made small talk about the rain.””

Troy Campbell

08/31/2026Episode 319Open companion page

signpost (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to point out the main ideas or steps so people can follow easily
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And we teach organizations this structure, and they love not only the structure, but they love using the words because it creates sort of this collective also culture where they can signpost to their audience 'cause they've both been trained to receive and deliver in goal, insight, action.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He signposted the plan for the project.””

causality (noun)

Definition:: Definition: the idea that one thing causes another thing to happen
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And causality is just this foundation that really allows us to anchor what we're trying to do when we're telling stories, which is that characters are changing, and there's something that's causing them to change.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The story shows causality between actions and change.””

grandiose (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very large or impressive in a way that seems too much or unrealistic
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So not all of us are in situations where we have to tell grandiose stories.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The movie used grandiose music.””

drive someone nuts (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to make someone feel very annoyed, angry, or upset
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “What drives me nuts is where you do some kind of icebreaker, and then the next task is totally unrelated.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Waiting in a long line drives him nuts.””

Quick Thinks: Vanessa Van Edwards

08/27/2026Episode 318Open companion page

dissect (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to study something carefully by looking at its parts
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “In your book, Captivate, you dissect the anatomy of a networking event.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The teacher helped us dissect the story.””

immediacy (noun)

Definition:: Definition: the feeling of being present and connected right now
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “In the academic world, we call this immediacy, and I like that term because immediacy implies I'm immediately present.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The speaker showed immediacy with eye contact.””

needless (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: not needed and able to be avoided
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Yeah, and so it sets up needless friction, right?””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Please avoid needless mistakes.””

take away from something (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to make something seem less good or less important
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I'm very careful to not prescribe smiling because if it's inauthentic, it actually does the opposite. It, it really takes away from your warmth.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Loud noise takes away from the music.””

Rhett Reese

08/24/2026Episode 317Open companion page

toggle (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to switch between two states or options
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “I'm curious, how do you toggle being really concise and clear and getting ideas across, but at the same time being playful and allowing for that spontaneity that you're known for?””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “I toggle the fan on and off.””

lifeline (noun)

Definition:: Definition: something or someone that helps you in a very difficult situation.
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And we were actually,we took tests together and I'm sure you carried me. each reached out to each other as a lifeline, I think, and we got an a, I remember we, we did very well on that.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Her support felt like a lifeline.””

witty (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: showing quick and clever humor
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And you are known for very witty and punchy lines.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Her witty answer made us laugh.””

down the road (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: in the future; at a later time
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And if you decide to hire us, if you decide to buy this pitch, it is going to lead to you and your life having greater success. It is going to pay off down the road.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “We will buy a house down the road.” ”

Carmine Gallo

08/20/2026Episode 316Open companion page

ignite (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to cause something to start quickly, like a fire or strong feeling
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Those go viral because it ignites the threat response.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Her speech ignited excitement in the crowd.””

premise (noun)

Definition:: Definition: an idea or statement that is the main reason for a story or argument
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Your new audiobook is based on the premise that the brain does not pay attention to boring things.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Their plan began with one simple premise.””

inciting (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: causing something to start, especially an important event in a story
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “For example, in every rom-com ever made, there's the inciting incident, the catalyst, as some people call it, the catalyst.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Writers look for an inciting idea.””

attention economy (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: the idea that people's attention is limited and many things compete for it
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “In today's hyper-distracted attention economy, what is the first thing a communicator must do to bypass the cognitive spam filters that come up?””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “In the attention economy, short videos win.””

Susan Cain

08/17/2026Episode 315Open companion page

declare (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to say something clearly and publicly, often in an official way
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So I went to this seminar for people with public speaking anxiety that used these principles of desensitization, so that on the first day, all you had to do was stand up, say your name, sit back down, you were finished, you declare victory.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He declared that he was ready.””

obligation (noun)

Definition:: Definition: something you must do because of a rule, promise, or duty
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “One would be, imagine that you have a weekend or a vacation and you have no social or professional obligations.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “I have an obligation to walk my dog.””

grave (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very serious and worrying
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So, for example, I had a fear, like a really, really deep and grave fear of public speaking.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He spoke in a grave voice.””

lose sight of something (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to stop noticing or remembering something important
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “And the way I think to really ask yourself which one am I really, because people lose sight of it, especially many introverts do because there's so much pressure from the time we're very small to act extroverted that many introverts come to believe they actually are extroverted until they think about it.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “He lost sight of the main idea during the meeting.””

Rethinks: Sheila Heen

08/13/2026Episode 314Open companion page

escalate (verb)

Definition:: Definition: to become stronger, more serious, or more intense
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “What tactics can we use to stay calm and focused as emotions escalate?””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Don't shout or the fight will escalate.””

ledger (noun)

Definition:: Definition: a book or list that shows money someone spends and money someone receives
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “So, when I'm negotiating with myself about having the courage to take the risk to have a conversation, the two things that help me are, number one, to remember that worrying about the potential costs of raising something important to me is only half the ledger.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “The ledger helps track money in and out.””

technicolor (adjective)

Definition:: Definition: very bright and full of strong color
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “They're less technicolor in my imagination because they're not going to happen in the moment that I raise it, but they're still very real.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “She wore a technicolor dress to the party.””

open a can of worms (idiom)

Definition:: Definition: to start something that will lead to many new and difficult problems
Example from the episode:: “Example from the episode: “Let's not open that whole can of worms.””
Example sentence:: “Example sentence: “Changing the schedule could open a can of worms.””

Nayeema Raza

08/10/2026Episode 313Open companion page

synthesize (verb)

Definition:: to combine different ideas or information to make something new
Example from the episode:: “Uh, in all of those roles, actually, you've had to synthesize complex information and make it accessible to people.”
Example sentence:: “Scientists synthesize data from many tests.”

gasp (noun)

Definition:: a short, loud breath made when someone is surprised, shocked, or scared
Example from the episode:: “But it was a gift to be able to share a little bit about how you think and the world works, and also to be able to share those kids' perspectives, which really caused a gasp in the room.”
Example sentence:: “There was a gasp when the cake fell.”

unplugged (adjective)

Definition:: not connected to electricity or not taking part, often showing little interest
Example from the episode:: “I felt that I found people who were very angry, who were very certain, who were very unplugged, disinterested.”
Example sentence:: “When tired, she looked unplugged and bored.”

in good faith (idiom)

Definition:: with honest intentions and a real desire to be fair or to understand
Example from the episode:: “If you enter in the conversation in good faith, and you're really trying to understand someone, then the conversation is often, if not always, a success.”
Example sentence:: “I trust you acted in good faith.”

Quick Thinks: Stronger Speaking

08/06/2026Episode 312Open companion page

hunch (verb)

Definition:: to bend your shoulders forward and make your body smaller
Example from the episode:: “Many of us, especially when we're on virtual calls, we hunch over and close our body off.”
Example sentence:: “She hunched her shoulders because it was cold.”

stamina (noun)

Definition:: the energy and strength to keep doing something for a long time
Example from the episode:: “Then we'll talk about how to expand your volume, build vocal stamina, and finally, we'll conclude to talk about how microphones can help you communicate better.”
Example sentence:: “Eating well helps build stamina.”

sensory (adjective)

Definition:: connected to the senses like sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell
Example from the episode:: “So to help build that awareness of where your breath is coming from, give yourself a sensory experience of it.”
Example sentence:: “The baby liked the sensory toy.”

make the life of someone easier (idiom)

Definition:: to do something that helps another person and makes their work or tasks easier
Example from the episode:: “Handheld mic needs to be kept at the same distance from your mouth so that the volume stays the same and you make the life of the soundboard operator much easier.”
Example sentence:: “Putting toys away will make your mom's life easier.”

Kai Ryssdal

08/03/2026Episode 311Open companion page

sugarcoat (verb)

Definition:: to say something in a nicer way so it seems less bad
Example from the episode:: “And we can't sugarcoat it, so let's address the anxiety, let's address the fact that these are scary, scary times.”
Example sentence:: “The doctor did not sugarcoat the diagnosis.”

tangent (noun)

Definition:: a topic or idea that moves away from the main subject
Example from the episode:: “And when somebody goes off track or on a tangent, how do you pull them back?”
Example sentence:: “He went off on a tangent during class.”

mortifying (adjective)

Definition:: it is very embarrassing and makes you feel ashamed
Example from the episode:: “Not only is it mortifying, it's not edifying for the audience.”
Example sentence:: “Forgetting my lines felt mortifying.”

nuts and bolts (idiom)

Definition:: the basic and practical details of how something works
Example from the episode:: “It's a little bit of self-deprecation and then the nuts and bolts.”
Example sentence:: “Tell me the nuts and bolts of the plan.”

Brian Lowery

07/30/2026Episode 310Open companion page

reverberate (verb)

Definition:: to make a sound or an effect that continues and spreads out
Example from the episode:: “So often the way people talk about mattering and meaning is that it has to reverberate beyond your presence.”
Example sentence:: “The music reverberated in the hall.”

leeway (noun)

Definition:: extra freedom to make choices or to change plans
Example from the episode:: “And if you demonstrate that to people, like you're asking questions, you really care about the answer they give, even if you don't agree, you're trying to understand, and they see that as sincere, the way they'll respond to that and the kind of leeway they will give you is surprising.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher gives leeway on homework when students are sick.”

mindful (adjective)

Definition:: being careful to think about something and its effects on others
Example from the episode:: “And I think meaning is about being mindful of the effect you have on other people, and being purposeful about the effect you have on other people.”
Example sentence:: “Be mindful of other people's feelings.”

ripple effect (idiom)

Definition:: a series of small effects that slowly spread outward from one action
Example from the episode:: “So it's almost like a ripple effect.”
Example sentence:: “One kind act can have a ripple effect on others.”

Liz Wiseman

07/27/2026Episode 309Open companion page

recede (verb)

Definition:: to move back or become less strong or clear
Example from the episode:: “It was almost this like exclusive intelligence that like they were quick, they were sharp, they had great ideas, but other people held back around them, or other people had to sort of recede to make room for them and their intelligence and capability.”
Example sentence:: “The crowd began to recede from the stage.”

tyrant (noun)

Definition:: a ruler or person who uses power in a cruel, unfair, or strict way
Example from the episode:: “Diminishers tend to be a bit of tyrants, creating an environment full of stress, and we know what happens to people's ability to think and reason and solve hard problems when they're experiencing that kind of stress.”
Example sentence:: “The boss acted like a tyrant and yelled at workers.”

perennial (adjective)

Definition:: lasting for a long time or happening again and again
Example from the episode:: “Yeah, they handle what have become the perennial challenges of the modern workplace.”
Example sentence:: “The park has perennial trees that come back each spring.”

at the core of something (idiom)

Definition:: the most important or central part of something
Example from the episode:: “At the core of this is trust and at the core of trust is psychological safety.”
Example sentence:: “Hard work is at the core of success.”

AMA: Calm, Clear, & Convincing

07/23/2026Episode 308Open companion page

deviate (verb)

Definition:: to change from the usual path, plan, or way of doing something
Example from the episode:: “And then as the meeting progresses, we have a tendency to deviate from what the core subject or the topic we were presenting, right?”
Example sentence:: “The car deviated from the road.”

angst (noun)

Definition:: a strong worry or nervous feeling about something
Example from the episode:: “My question is: How do one approach something like this and put the anxiety and the level of angst that people have at rest and communicate what needs to be communicated in a thoughtful way?”
Example sentence:: “Many students feel angst on the first day of school.”

underutilized (adjective)

Definition:: not used enough or not used as well as it could be
Example from the episode:: “I think the most underutilized expectation setting tool is the calendar invite.”
Example sentence:: “The library computers are underutilized on weekends.”

on track (idiom)

Definition:: following a plan and moving toward a goal
Example from the episode:: “Now, in terms of how to stay on track, part of what I include in my meeting invites is an agenda.”
Example sentence:: “The team is on track to win the game.”

Peter Novak

07/20/2026Episode 307Open companion page

discern (verb)

Definition:: to notice or understand something that is not easy to see
Example from the episode:: “I have found that the folks I know who speak multiple languages, some of whom who have accents and some who don't, their ability to listen and discern subtlety is far superior to mine.”
Example sentence:: “It is hard to discern faces in the fog.”

reflex (noun)

Definition:: an automatic action your body does without thinking
Example from the episode:: “So accent bias is essentially that reflex that we have to trust people who sound like us, and this happens a lot with people who are the in-group and people who are part of the out-group.”
Example sentence:: “Pulling your hand back from heat is a reflex.”

buttoned-up (adjective)

Definition:: neat and formal in the way someone behaves or dresses
Example from the episode:: “In English, he was a little more stilted, a little more buttoned-up, but when I actually had him say the same thing in French, he became much more lively, much more connected, and we were able to use that as a tool, as a guide to allow him to feel more free speaking in English.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher was buttoned-up and serious.”

creep into something (idiom)

Definition:: to begin to affect something slowly and often without notice
Example from the episode:: “And so all of these aspects of accent bias creep into our workplace without us really understanding or knowing the full impact of it.”
Example sentence:: “Bad habits can creep into our routine.”

Melissa Valentine

07/16/2026Episode 306Open companion page

disassemble (verb)

Definition:: to take something apart into separate pieces
Example from the episode:: “Because it is relative strangers, you get together and you work together. Really intensely, and then you disassemble.”
Example sentence:: “The students disassembled the robot carefully.”

crowdsourcing (noun)

Definition:: the practice of getting ideas, help, or work from many people, usually online
Example from the episode:: “So what's cool about crowdsourcing is the crowd is like millions of people online, right?”
Example sentence:: “The city used crowdsourcing for design ideas.”

concerted (adjective)

Definition:: done with a lot of effort by many people working together
Example from the episode:: “So you set a framework and expectations, and then leverage a tool that pulls people in and flash team is really the focused concerted effort.”
Example sentence:: “The school planned a concerted campaign for recycling.”

put something out in the world (idiom)

Definition:: to share your work, ideas, or creations so other people can see them
Example from the episode:: “My advice is if you're an expert, put it out in the world, like people will find it.”
Example sentence:: “He put his idea out in the world and got helpful feedback.”

Chris Duffy

07/13/2026Episode 305Open companion page

hook (verb)

Definition:: to catch someone's attention or interest
Example from the episode:: “But to understand that this, like, you've hooked them in a way where they don't necessarily see what you're doing beforehand.”
Example sentence:: “A good start can hook your reader.”

levity (noun)

Definition:: a light and funny feeling or behavior that makes a serious moment feel less heavy
Example from the episode:: “Humor and levity lead to deeper connection and communication.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher used levity to make class fun.”

nonsense (adjective)

Definition:: not making sense or very silly
Example from the episode:: “It's just, kind of nonsense wordplay, and not even a good example of nonsense wordplay.”
Example sentence:: “He wrote nonsense words on the page.”

take a step back (idiom)

Definition:: to stop and look at a situation more calmly or from a wider view before you act
Example from the episode:: “I wanna take a step back and talk more about general conversation.”
Example sentence:: “She took a step back before answering.”

Rethinks: Guy Kawasaki

07/09/2026Episode 304Open companion page

roll (verb)

Definition:: to begin or be ready to begin something, or to move by turning over
Example from the episode:: “I think the ideal pitch is you have 10 slides ready to roll, but you get to the second or third slide and you say, ‘Would you like a quick demo?’”
Example sentence:: “The meeting will roll at nine o'clock.”

evangelist (noun)

Definition:: a person who strongly promotes and speaks for an idea, product, or cause
Example from the episode:: “He was chief evangelist for Apple in the late 1980s and early '90s.”
Example sentence:: “He is an evangelist for the new app.”

awed (adjective)

Definition:: feeling very impressed, surprised, or full of wonder
Example from the episode:: “They're gonna just be so shocked and awed they're gonna ask me for wire transfer instructions.”
Example sentence:: “I was awed by the beautiful sunset.”

wear many hats (idiom)

Definition:: to do many different jobs or roles at the same time
Example from the episode:: “So you wear many hats. The one that intrigues me most is your role as chief evangelist.”
Example sentence:: “I wear many hats at home and at work.”

Kim Storin

07/06/2026Episode 303Open companion page

typecast (verb)

Definition:: to always choose an actor for the same kind of role so people expect them to play that part
Example from the episode:: “I can imagine it's like an actor who gets typecasted as a specific role and, one of the things that I think is impressive about Zoom and many other companies during times of difficulty and tragedy, leading with empathy.”
Example sentence:: “Directors often typecast him as the hero.”

ubiquity (noun)

Definition:: the state of being everywhere or very common
Example from the episode:: “So we've expanded into areas much further than just video conferencing yet because of the ubiquity of the brand, we've still been pigeonholed in a way and people don't recognize the breadth and depth of our product portfolio and the problems that we solve for customers.”
Example sentence:: “The ubiquity of the logo helped the brand grow.”

freemium (adjective)

Definition:: describing a product that is free to use but has paid upgrades for extra features
Example from the episode:: “But what's interesting is because of how Eric and the leadership team were so empathetic, put that freemium model in place right off the bat, helped turn on every school.”
Example sentence:: “She tested the freemium version before paying.”

take the challenge head on (idiom)

Definition:: to face a difficult problem or task directly and bravely
Example from the episode:: “I did watch what Zoom did, and I really admired how Zoom took the challenge head on and how Eric led with such empathy for not just customers, because Zoom was an enterprise business at that point.”
Example sentence:: “He decided to take the challenge head on at work.”

David Rogier

07/02/2026Episode 302Open companion page

wane (verb)

Definition:: to become smaller, weaker, or less strong over time
Example from the episode:: “In this portion, I find my attention is starting to wane.”
Example sentence:: “Her excitement began to wane.”

zest (noun)

Definition:: great enthusiasm and energy for something
Example from the episode:: “That definitely drove me to create MasterClass but also I think probably fueled my zest for learning.”
Example sentence:: “She studies with zest every day.”

endeared (adjective)

Definition:: liked and loved by others because of your actions or personality
Example from the episode:: “They're like, ‘Oh, I'm more endeared to you.’”
Example sentence:: “The puppy's playfulness endeared it to everyone.”

form factor (idiom)

Definition:: the size, shape, or design of something that affects how it is used
Example from the episode:: “So if you're at home doing this, I think a lot about what the form factor is supposed to be.”
Example sentence:: “A laptop's form factor can be thin.”

Vanessa Van Edwards

06/29/2026Episode 301Open companion page

cripple (verb)

Definition:: to make someone or something unable to move or work well
Example from the episode:: “And I think that these are crippling our communication.”
Example sentence:: “The storm crippled the bridge.”

charisma (noun)

Definition:: a special charm or power that makes people like and follow someone
Example from the episode:: “From your perspective, what is charisma and, and how does one manifest and display it?”
Example sentence:: “The singer has a lot of charisma on stage.”

attuned (adjective)

Definition:: aware of and able to understand someone or something
Example from the episode:: “Yes. I think that gestures are the most overlooked aspect of our presence, and the reason for this is because the brain is very attuned to gesture unconsciously.”
Example sentence:: “She is attuned to her friend's feelings.”

visual cue (idiom)

Definition:: a sight or movement that helps someone know what to do or understand something
Example from the episode:: “Yes, I can listen to your words, I can hear tone, but also I'm looking for visual cues.”
Example sentence:: “The picture is a visual cue for the story.”

300th Episode

06/25/2026Episode 300Open companion page

articulate (verb)

Definition:: to say or explain something clearly so others can understand
Example from the episode:: “A new structure that I find myself relying on a lot as I have to articulate a point of view or defend a position is one I learned from a lawyer friend of mine: PREP.”
Example sentence:: “She can articulate her ideas well.”

contingency (noun)

Definition:: a plan made to use if something unexpected happens
Example from the episode:: “Having that contingency plan ready to go, one, can allow us to invoke it when need be, and two, just the fact that we know we have something to do if we get that surge of adrenaline in that moment, that can actually reduce its intensity just by knowing that we have something to do.”
Example sentence:: “We made a contingency plan in case it rains.”

devoid (adjective)

Definition:: not having any of something
Example from the episode:: “If you're giving details that are devoid or don't have a lot of emotions, then I might really fixate on being concise and clear to allow me to get to a point in my communication where I do wanna bring emotion.”
Example sentence:: “His story was devoid of details.”

buy time (idiom)

Definition:: to do or say something that gives you extra time to think or to prepare
Example from the episode:: “Sometimes I'll pause and I'll give myself some grace and say something like, ‘What's the word I'm looking for?’ to buy time.”
Example sentence:: “He smiled to buy time before answering.”

Farnaz Khadem

06/22/2026Episode 299Open companion page

juggle (verb)

Definition:: to manage several things at the same time
Example from the episode:: “In today's world, communication is all about juggling multiple priorities.”
Example sentence:: “He juggles three jobs to save money.”

variable (noun)

Definition:: something that can change or be different
Example from the episode:: “That seems to be another big variable you have to deal with.”
Example sentence:: “Weather is a variable in our plans.”

exponential (adjective)

Definition:: growing or increasing very quickly, often by multiplying
Example from the episode:: “Because the exponential increase of channels is phenomenal.”
Example sentence:: “We saw exponential gains after the ad.”

to the fore (idiom)

Definition:: to become more important or noticed
Example from the episode:: “Maybe they've discovered something new or they've got some expertise that's being pulled to the fore.”
Example sentence:: “His experience came to the fore during the project.”

Quick Thinks: Presence Playbook

06/18/2026Episode 298Open companion page

flex (verb)

Definition:: to bend a part of your body, like a muscle, so it becomes tighter or moves
Example from the episode:: “A lot of us when we sit, we flex our legs a lot and bounce around.”
Example sentence:: “He likes to flex his arm to show his muscle.”

quadrant (noun)

Definition:: one of four equal parts of an area or space
Example from the episode:: “So if you have a large enough audience, let's say eight or more, create quadrants of the area you're speaking in.”
Example sentence:: “The classroom map is split into four quadrants.”

composed (adjective)

Definition:: calm and in control of your feelings
Example from the episode:: “Taken together, these skills will help you look confident and be composed while you're communicating.”
Example sentence:: “Mom stayed composed when the lights went out.”

side to side (idiom)

Definition:: moving from one side to the other again and again
Example from the episode:: “And as I mentioned earlier, a great thing to do when you're transitioning ideas is to move laterally side to side.”
Example sentence:: “She swayed side to side to the music.”

Sinéad Bovell

06/15/2026Episode 297Open companion page

conform (verb)

Definition:: to change how you act or think so you are like others or follow rules
Example from the episode:: “I think this is really smart, to think about the channel through which they're accessing the information and try to conform to those expectations.”
Example sentence:: “I try to conform to the class rules.”

half-life (noun)

Definition:: the time it takes for half of something to disappear or change
Example from the episode:: “And it's not that they're not important. It's just that the half-life of the average technical skill is now between 2.5 to 5 years.”
Example sentence:: “The medicine has a half-life of six hours.”

unprecedented (adjective)

Definition:: not something that has happened or been seen before
Example from the episode:: “And so if I'm in a room, let's say, with world leaders and we're talking about a technology that seems like it's moving really quickly and it seems so foreign and out of our control and unprecedented is a term we hear over and over.”
Example sentence:: “Their win was unprecedented for the school.”

meet somebody where they are (idiom)

Definition:: to accept and help a person based on how they feel or what they can do right now
Example from the episode:: “When things are too abstract and you don't bring it down, it's hard for people to connect with it. So I always try to meet people where they are.”
Example sentence:: “We can meet somebody where they are and offer small steps.”

AMA: Speak Up, Cool Down

06/11/2026Episode 296Open companion page

wedge (verb)

Definition:: to push something into a small space or to put an idea into a conversation
Example from the episode:: “We wanna make sure that we wedge our point of view into the conversation, but we wanna do so in a timely manner.”
Example sentence:: “We wedge our idea into the talk.”

psyche (noun)

Definition:: the mind and feelings of a person
Example from the episode:: “This kind of frustration can be really harmful for your own psyche.”
Example sentence:: “The loss stayed in his psyche for days.”

assertive (adjective)

Definition:: confident in saying what you think or need in a calm way
Example from the episode:: “So we do really need to get in and get in quick, but how do we do it so we don't look overly assertive or rude?”
Example sentence:: “Being assertive helps you set limits.”

get swept away (idiom)

Definition:: to become carried away by strong feelings or events so you lose control
Example from the episode:: “So rather than getting swept away with the emotion, when you say, ‘Hey, this is me feeling this way,’ that can help as well.”
Example sentence:: “He got swept away with the story and forgot the time.”

Eric Ries

06/08/2026Episode 295Open companion page

extrapolate (verb)

Definition:: to guess or make a likely prediction about something new by using known information or past data
Example from the episode:: “Like, it's actually a huge problem that we don't think about very often because conventional management systems are all based on this twentieth-century idea of extrapolating from a stable operating history to produce an accurate forecast.”
Example sentence:: “Scientists extrapolate future climate from past weather records.”

precondition (noun)

Definition:: something that must be true or must happen before another thing can happen
Example from the episode:: “If you say that if something unexpected happens, that's a failure, you have literally created the preconditions for no learning to take place.”
Example sentence:: “Trust is a precondition for a strong friendship.”

heuristic (adjective)

Definition:: helping you find a solution or learn by using a simple rule or method
Example from the episode:: “Having some kind of heuristic framework can be really, really helpful, and I appreciate you sharing that.”
Example sentence:: “Teachers give heuristic tips to help students learn.”

leap of faith (idiom)

Definition:: a decision to try or believe something even though you are not sure it will work
Example from the episode:: “So Lean Startup at its heart is to take the business plan, the fiction writing part of entrepreneurship or of any kind of business enterprise, and extract from it the hypotheses, the leap of faith assumptions that have to be true for the business to be a good idea.”
Example sentence:: “She took a leap of faith and tried the big slide.”

Stan Christensen

06/04/2026Episode 294Open companion page

better (verb)

Definition:: to improve something or make it good in a situation
Example from the episode:: “And I think that's really important because you can do some things to better your position in a negotiation that might not be bettering your future interaction with the person.”
Example sentence:: “He reads every day to better his English.”

parameter (noun)

Definition:: a limit or rule that controls how something can be done
Example from the episode:: “You can bring your own parameters and boundaries to the interaction.”
Example sentence:: “Parents put parameters on screen time.”

awry (adjective)

Definition:: when something goes wrong or not as planned
Example from the episode:: “So if something goes awry or doesn't go the way you expected, rather than entrench yourself or get distant, lean in and ask questions.”
Example sentence:: “The plan went awry because of the rain.”

smoke screen (idiom)

Definition:: something that hides the truth or real reason
Example from the episode:: “So I use a little bit of a smoke screen there and teach relationship management.”
Example sentence:: “The story was a smoke screen for the real plan.”

Me2We 2026

06/01/2026Episode 293Open companion page

bewilder (verb)

Definition:: to make someone feel confused and unsure
Example from the episode:: “What does the editor-in-chief of a movie or a newspaper do? They take out things that bore, bewilder, distract, and exhaust people.”
Example sentence:: “The loud noise bewildered the baby.”

dissent (noun)

Definition:: a feeling or expression of disagreement with an idea, choice, or opinion
Example from the episode:: “And as a leader, if you want to encourage dissent, one of the first things you have to do is ask for it.”
Example sentence:: “There was dissent in the meeting.”

mandated (adjective)

Definition:: required by a rule, law, or authority
Example from the episode:: “What I notice is agree was not mandated to agree.”
Example sentence:: “The meeting was mandated for all staff.”

put your money where your mouth is (idiom)

Definition:: to show you really support something by acting on it or spending money on it
Example from the episode:: “As much as possible, act on it, right? Put your money where your mouth is.”
Example sentence:: “She put her money where her mouth is and donated toys.”

Headspace

05/28/2026Episode 292Open companion page

abate (verb)

Definition:: to become less strong or to make something less strong
Example from the episode:: “Your respiration rate slows down, so you speak less quickly. The shakiness that comes from adrenaline abates a bit.”
Example sentence:: “The storm abated after an hour.”

commodity (noun)

Definition:: a useful thing that people buy, sell, or use
Example from the episode:: “I believe attention is the most precious commodity we have in the world today.”
Example sentence:: “Gold is a valuable commodity.”

physiological (adjective)

Definition:: connected to the body and how it works
Example from the episode:: “Another barrier to listening is physiological. What's going on in our bodies?”
Example sentence:: “Sleep affects our physiological health.”

hangry (idiom)

Definition:: angry or upset because you are very hungry
Example from the episode:: “If you're tired, if you're hungry, if you're hangry, if you're nervous, it's really hard to demonstrate the focusing required for listening.”
Example sentence:: “She was hangry and snapped at her friend.”

Nick Epley

05/25/2026Episode 291Open companion page

stockpile (verb)

Definition:: to collect and save a large amount of something for future use
Example from the episode:: “And you can think about some of those in advance, right? You can stockpile some questions.”
Example sentence:: “They stockpile blankets in the closet.”

elixir (noun)

Definition:: a special liquid that people think can heal or make things better
Example from the episode:: “Perspective taking isn't quite the magical elixir for understanding that we might imagine.”
Example sentence:: “The story said the elixir could heal wounds.”

high-stakes (adjective)

Definition:: involving a lot of risk or very important results
Example from the episode:: “In a high-stakes situation, just ask the question you want to know the answer to.”
Example sentence:: “She studied hard for the high-stakes test.”

mental gymnastics (idiom)

Definition:: thinking that uses many clever or complicated steps to solve a problem or explain something
Example from the episode:: “Psychologists for decades have been studying what happens when we do this little bit of mental gymnastics to move from my perspective to yours, to try to see things from your point of view, try to understand things from your perspective, recognizing that you might see the world differently than I do.”
Example sentence:: “Try some mental gymnastics to see her side.”

Kerry Burnight

05/18/2026Episode 289Open companion page

transcend (verb)

Definition:: to go beyond a limit or be greater than something
Example from the episode:: “And I think that's advice that transcends any communication.”
Example sentence:: “Good stories transcend time.”

vibe (noun)

Definition:: a feeling or mood that a person, place, or thing gives
Example from the episode:: “And then the third component is to always be eye level with people who are older because this thing of standing up above and leaning over down to somebody's chair or wheelchair, it doesn't set up the right vibe.”
Example sentence:: “The party has a fun vibe.”

aspirational (adjective)

Definition:: wanting to reach a higher goal or to be better
Example from the episode:: “People love aspirational examples.”
Example sentence:: “The poster has an aspirational message.”

do something justice (idiom)

Definition:: to show or describe something in a good or fair way
Example from the episode:: “So I know we won't do it justice in just this brief conversation, but can you give us a little bit of an overview of those four components?”
Example sentence:: “This short video won't do her singing justice.”

Tiger Sisters

05/14/2026Open companion page

bootstrap (verb)

Definition:: to start and build a project or business using your own money, work, and resources without outside help
Example from the episode:: “We said, we are gonna bootstrap this. We said, we are going to, no matter what, spend 18 months on this and just see where it goes.”
Example sentence:: “He bootstrapped the project instead of asking for money.”

candor (noun)

Definition:: the quality of being honest and direct when you speak
Example from the episode:: “They blend the strategic rigor of the boardroom with the candor of sisterly love.”
Example sentence:: “The boss liked her candor about the problem.”

bashful (adjective)

Definition:: shy and uncomfortable in front of other people
Example from the episode:: “And that's something that we didn't really say out loud and start telling people until recently because we were quite sort of bashful about how audacious that is.”
Example sentence:: “She gave a bashful smile and looked down.”

count somebody out (idiom)

Definition:: to decide someone will not win or to leave them out of a plan or chance
Example from the episode:: “The other tenet that I lived my life by is that don't ever like count yourself out.”
Example sentence:: “Please do not count your friends out before they try.”

Dr. Cheri Mah

05/11/2026Open companion page

overhaul (verb)

Definition:: to make big changes to something so it works much better
Example from the episode:: “So it doesn't mean that you have to overhaul your whole day or how you are approaching your sleep at nighttime.”
Example sentence:: “The school will overhaul the playground next month.”

stressor (noun)

Definition:: something that causes stress or makes you feel worried or upset
Example from the episode:: “We've all experienced this at some point in time, especially when there's acute stressors.”
Example sentence:: “Moving to a new house was a big stressor.”

gradual (adjective)

Definition:: happening slowly, little by little, over time
Example from the episode:: “But to the question about what can you do, I really advocate it's all about these small steps and gradual changes over time.”
Example sentence:: “Plants grow at a gradual pace.”

go out the door (idiom)

Definition:: to be the first thing that is dropped, forgotten, or given up
Example from the episode:: “Yeah, sleep is challenging, right? And sometimes the first thing that goes out the door.”
Example sentence:: “When she got busy, her hobbies went out the door.”

Susie Wolff

05/07/2026Open companion page

poach (verb)

Definition:: to take someone from another team or company so they join your team, often because of their skills
Example from the episode:: “And in our sports, quite often the quickest way to gain performance is simply to poach someone from another team that's performing because they bring all their know-how.”
Example sentence:: “It can be hard to stop companies from trying to poach staff.”

intel (noun)

Definition:: useful information or facts that help you understand a situation
Example from the episode:: “So I got as much intel from as many different people within the sport, different perspectives from mine, and some were not nice to hear.”
Example sentence:: “The team shared intel about the opponent's tactics.”

blatant (adjective)

Definition:: very obvious and easy to notice, usually in a bad or wrong way
Example from the episode:: “And interestingly, when you walk into a room, you can quite often feel, it's not blatant skepticism, but you have an undercurrent of whether I'm taken seriously in this setting or, okay, I've got my work to do to win these people over.”
Example sentence:: “There was blatant cheating during the game.”

in somebody’s blood (idiom)

Definition:: a natural part of who someone is, often because their family did it or they grew up with it
Example from the episode:: “Well, I think you could say it was in my blood because my mom met my dad when she went to buy her first motorbike from his shop.”
Example sentence:: “Farming is in his blood; his family has farmed for generations.”

David Epstein

05/04/2026Open companion page

spawn (verb)

Definition:: to cause something new to begin, often creating many similar things
Example from the episode:: “And it became this rollicking tale, of course, that spawned imitators and changed children's literature.”
Example sentence:: “The idea spawned a small club at school.”

beat (noun)

Definition:: a short moment in a story
Example from the episode:: “They'd say, I just did not understand this beat in the story, whatever it was.”
Example sentence:: “The movie had a funny beat that made us laugh.”

hardwired (adjective)

Definition:: built-in or natural in someone or something, as if it is part of how they are made
Example from the episode:: “And humans have a hardwired, what's called ‘additive bias,’ to always solve problems by putting more and more on.”
Example sentence:: “We are hardwired to notice faces.”

lose track of something (idiom)

Definition:: to stop noticing or remembering something, often because you are busy or distracted
Example from the episode:: “So it's a great system in that way that people can really lose track of what the other party doesn't understand if they start taking for granted the meaning of things in their world.”
Example sentence:: “I lost track of time and missed the bus.”

Valerie Fridland

04/27/2026Open companion page

populate (verb)

Definition:: to fill a place with people, animals, or things
Example from the episode:: “We all recognize because they're the ‘uhs’ and ‘ums’ that populate our pauses, and every language has them.”
Example sentence:: “Students populate the classroom in the morning.”

facet (noun)

Definition:: a part or side of something
Example from the episode:: “But I wouldn't overpopulate because we also don't like them. So just be aware of that facet as well.”
Example sentence:: “We will study every facet of the project.”

heightened (adjective)

Definition:: showing a higher level of feeling, attention, or awareness
Example from the episode:: “We also are very heightened to notice difference.”
Example sentence:: “Her senses were heightened at night.”

break something down (idiom)

Definition:: to explain something by dividing it into smaller, easier parts
Example from the episode:: “So let's break that down.”
Example sentence:: “Can you break the task down for me?”

AMA 2026

04/23/2026Open companion page

gesture (verb)

Definition:: to move your hand or body to show an idea or feeling
Example from the episode:: “Most people who speak fast gesture fast.”
Example sentence:: “She gestured to the door.”

repertoire (noun)

Definition:: a set of skills, songs, or tools a person can use
Example from the episode:: “I believe that all communicators, all good communicators have to have a wide repertoire or like a tool that can be applied in different occasions and with different people.”
Example sentence:: “The singer has a big repertoire of songs.”

soft-spoken (adjective)

Definition:: speaking in a quiet and gentle voice
Example from the episode:: “Some of us are more soft-spoken, some of us are more direct.”
Example sentence:: “The soft-spoken teacher read the story.”

the other side of the equation (idiom)

Definition:: the other part of a situation or problem that must be considered
Example from the episode:: “Now, on the other side of the equation, when you go to call for questions and there are no questions, first you have to wait. Pausing is appropriate.”
Example sentence:: “We want good pay, but the other side of the equation is more work.”

Tina Seelig

04/20/2026Open companion page

unpack (verb)

Definition:: to explain something clearly or show what it means
Example from the episode:: “You use the term making luck. Can you unpack that for us?”
Example sentence:: “They unpack the problem together.”

cadence (noun)

Definition:: a regular rhythm or pattern of sounds or events
Example from the episode:: “And you figure out what the cadence is going to be. Is it going to be a week? Is it going to be a month? Is it going to be a year?”
Example sentence:: “Listen to the cadence of the speaker.”

transactional (adjective)

Definition:: based on giving and getting things, not on friendship
Example from the episode:: “And I think, wow, that was so interesting that the difference between when you have a relationship and it's built on trust and mutual understanding, as opposed to someone who wants something in a very transactional way.”
Example sentence:: “The email sounded transactional, not friendly.”

out of the blue (idiom)

Definition:: suddenly and without warning
Example from the episode:: “It's in contrast to sometimes I get an email out of the blue from someone, someone who I haven't talked to in years, who then has a long list of things that they want.”
Example sentence:: “He appeared out of the blue at school.”

Masters of Scale Feed Drop

04/17/2026Open companion page

jeopardize (verb)

Definition:: to put someone or something in danger or at risk of harm or loss
Example from the episode:: “And if you did anything that jeopardized that, it could have quite a, a significant impact.”
Example sentence:: “Her mistake might jeopardize the whole project.”

audit (noun)

Definition:: a careful check of records or work to see if everything is correct
Example from the episode:: “When I come in and do some of my consulting work, one of the first things I'll do is a communication audit and I look for the number of meetings that people have and who, how many people and who are those people in those meetings?”
Example sentence:: “The school will do an audit of the books.”

inquisitive (adjective)

Definition:: curious and wanting to learn or know more
Example from the episode:: “I think you ask questions, you do your homework, you do your cyber stalking, you're checking out their LinkedIn profiles, you're, you're looking at their blog posts and, and Substacks, but you, you come in inquisitive.”
Example sentence:: “The inquisitive child asked many questions.”

low-hanging fruit (idiom)

Definition:: easy tasks or chances that give quick results
Example from the episode:: “What are the mistakes that you most commonly see and where are the opportunities to get better that, that are just the lowest hanging fruit to coach people up on?”
Example sentence:: “Fixing the typo is low-hanging fruit.”

Aneesh Raman

04/13/2026Open companion page

pigeonhole (verb)

Definition:: to put someone or something into a small category and not notice other parts of them
Example from the episode:: “And that was this like really important moment because at first, again, this, I had this reflexiveness against being like pigeonholed and storytelling was like campfire, children's book.”
Example sentence:: “She felt pigeonholed by the job title.”

coalition (noun)

Definition:: a group of people or organizations that work together for a shared goal
Example from the episode:: “And the lived experience for me here is when I tell you that the three things I do best are explanatory storytelling to build coalitions around an expertise of economic opportunity, you would never get that from a description of my career by job title, like never in a million years.”
Example sentence:: “A coalition of students asked for a longer recess.”

gripping (adjective)

Definition:: very exciting or interesting and holding your attention
Example from the episode:: “And that has just developed into a communication style that is really maybe not as descriptive as others, maybe not as gripping as a story to others, but it's really the intent is to help you understand something better and more and more in a way that gives you a better sense of self and a better sense of belief about what's possible.”
Example sentence:: “The book has a gripping ending.”

in service of (idiom)

Definition:: to do something to help or support another goal, person, or cause
Example from the episode:: “But I started thinking about it and I said, yeah, that is actually something that I really enjoy doing in service of a bunch of other goals.”
Example sentence:: “They studied hard in service of their dream.”

Rethinks: Dan Heath

04/09/2026Open companion page

dodge (verb)

Definition:: to move quickly to one side or away from something so you do not get hit or involved
Example from the episode:: “They're having people over-order because they want to dodge this chaos of the receiving area.”
Example sentence:: “He tried to dodge the question from the teacher.”

vehicle (noun)

Definition:: a way or method used to share ideas, feelings, or information
Example from the episode:: “And I think that's one of the reasons why stories are such profound vehicles for communication.”
Example sentence:: “This poem is a vehicle for hope.”

dry (adjective)

Definition:: not interesting or exciting; plain and boring
Example from the episode:: “I love how you have taken what is a very dry topic of systems and systems change and really found two key ideas, this notion of motivation and progress, very psychological concepts that we can apply to all the systems we find.”
Example sentence:: “The lecture was dry, so many students yawned.”

the heart of something (idiom)

Definition:: the most important or central part of something
Example from the episode:: “It is the heart of what I do and what takes the most time out of everything I work on as a writer.”
Example sentence:: “Trust is the heart of a strong team.”

Jefferson Fisher

04/07/2026Open companion page

unravel (verb)

Definition:: to make something unclear or complicated become clear by thinking about it or taking it apart
Example from the episode:: “What I say is, arguments are not something to win. They're something to unravel.”
Example sentence:: “The detective tried to unravel the case.”

contempt (noun)

Definition:: a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless or deserves no respect
Example from the episode:: “The only thing you've won with that kind of person is contempt.”
Example sentence:: “The judge spoke with contempt.”

agitated (adjective)

Definition:: feeling nervous, upset, or restless
Example from the episode:: “And both levels, both types of pace, I think, are insightful to see if the person is agitated, concerned, if there's friction building up.”
Example sentence:: “He sounded agitated on the phone.”

geek out (idiom)

Definition:: to get very excited and talk a lot about a hobby or interest
Example from the episode:: “It's rare that I get a chance to geek out with somebody on all things communication.”
Example sentence:: “They geeked out over the new game.”

Eric Zimmer

04/02/2026Open companion page

downshift (verb)

Definition:: to change to a lower gear or slow down your speed or pace
Example from the episode:: “It takes me a little while to downshift into David's pace, but when I do, I just feel like there is this sort of stunning luminosity to what he writes.”
Example sentence:: “She downshifts her pace to match the group.”

parable (noun)

Definition:: a short simple story that teaches a lesson
Example from the episode:: “So the great thing about a parable like that is the minute I say it, you get it.”
Example sentence:: “The parable taught the boy to be kind.”

habitual (adjective)

Definition:: done often and without thinking because it has become a habit
Example from the episode:: “And in the book, I have something that I think is unique to what I do, which is it's a method for working with and changing our habitual thought patterns.”
Example sentence:: “He kept his habitual routine before school.”

at battle (idiom)

Definition:: in conflict or fighting with someone or something
Example from the episode:: “Many of your listeners may have heard it before, but it's a story that says we all have these two wolves inside of us that are always at battle with each other.”
Example sentence:: “The ideas are at battle in her mind.”

Arthur Brooks

03/30/2026Open companion page

steer (verb)

Definition:: to control the direction of something or guide what happens
Example from the episode:: “You have a professional brand, whether you like it or not, and it's up to you to decide if you're in control of that or if you're going to let other people steer that.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher steers the class discussion.”

distortion (noun)

Definition:: something that makes a picture, sound, or idea look, sound, or seem wrong
Example from the episode:: “You know, just to kind of reframe those cognitive distortions that we have.”
Example sentence:: “The old speaker makes a distortion in the music.”

actionable (adjective)

Definition:: clear and useful so you can do something with it right away
Example from the episode:: “Over the past several months, I've really enjoyed getting to know you, and I really appreciate the helpful, actionable advice you provide.”
Example sentence:: “The coach gave actionable tips for practice.”

hidden curriculum (idiom)

Definition:: the unwritten lessons, rules, or behaviors people learn but are not openly taught
Example from the episode:: “And it's this hidden curriculum to the workforce.”
Example sentence:: “He learned the hidden curriculum at his new job.”

Erin McGoff

03/26/2026Open companion page

steer (verb)

Definition:: to control the direction of something or guide what happens
Example from the episode:: “You have a professional brand, whether you like it or not, and it's up to you to decide if you're in control of that or if you're going to let other people steer that.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher steers the class discussion.”

distortion (noun)

Definition:: something that makes a picture, sound, or idea look, sound, or seem wrong
Example from the episode:: “You know, just to kind of reframe those cognitive distortions that we have.”
Example sentence:: “The old speaker makes a distortion in the music.”

actionable (adjective)

Definition:: clear and useful so you can do something with it right away
Example from the episode:: “Over the past several months, I've really enjoyed getting to know you, and I really appreciate the helpful, actionable advice you provide.”
Example sentence:: “The coach gave actionable tips for practice.”

hidden curriculum (idiom)

Definition:: the unwritten lessons, rules, or behaviors people learn but are not openly taught
Example from the episode:: “And it's this hidden curriculum to the workforce.”
Example sentence:: “He learned the hidden curriculum at his new job.”

Sonja Lyubomirsky

03/23/2026Open companion page

neutralize (verb)

Definition:: to make something stop having an effect or to make it harmless
Example from the episode:: “Also, gratitude neutralizes negative emotions, right?”
Example sentence:: “The cleaner neutralized the strong smell.”

accolade (noun)

Definition:: a praise or award given to someone for doing something well
Example from the episode:: “She's received many awards and accolades for her teaching and research.”
Example sentence:: “The singer accepted the accolade on stage.”

resentful (adjective)

Definition:: feeling angry or bitter because of something unfair or hurtful
Example from the episode:: “It's hard to feel grateful and envious, or grateful and resentful at the same time.”
Example sentence:: “He felt resentful when his brother got the toy.”

the scheme of things (idiom)

Definition:: how important something is when you look at the whole situation
Example from the episode:: “But really in the big scheme of things, we're so lucky.”
Example sentence:: “Losing one game is tiny in the scheme of things.”

Carmen Simon

03/16/2026Open companion page

prompt (verb)

Definition:: to make someone do or say something by asking or giving a hint
Example from the episode:: “Are you looking on your own accord, either outside or inside, or is someone prompting you to look?”
Example sentence:: “The sign prompts drivers to slow down.”

stimulus (noun)

Definition:: something that makes a person, animal, or thing react or do something.
Example from the episode:: “From that perspective, you can use some physical properties of a stimulus.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher used a picture as a stimulus for discussion.”

inevitable (adjective)

Definition:: certain to happen and impossible to avoid
Example from the episode:: “To combat the inevitable forgetting of your content that your audience will experience, you need to define your 10% message.”
Example sentence:: “Change is inevitable in life.”

on the surface (idiom)

Definition:: used to say that something seems true at first but may be different when you look deeper
Example from the episode:: “That's a strong question and a very deep one, because to aspire at creating memory traces in somebody else's brain, it sounds very good and noble on the surface.”
Example sentence:: “On the surface, he seemed happy.”

Nir Eyal

03/09/2026Open companion page

harness (verb)

Definition:: to control and use something, like energy or ideas, to help you do something
Example from the episode:: “And if we can harness our beliefs, we can impact our motivation and communication.”
Example sentence:: “We can harness wind to make electricity.”

novelty (noun)

Definition:: something new or different that catches your attention
Example from the episode:: “I really like how you explain the way in which structure allows to process fluency, but at the same time, novelty engages us.”
Example sentence:: “The toy's novelty made the children laugh.”

malleable (adjective)

Definition:: able to be changed, shaped, or influenced easily
Example from the episode:: “And so, what really excited me about the study of attention is how malleable it is and how we can live in what seems to be completely different realities simply based on our predilections, on our beliefs that focus our attention in different ways, which is why you can have two people who experience the same exact objective reality and come away with totally different subjective experiences.”
Example sentence:: “Young minds are malleable and learn fast.”

in a nutshell (idiom)

Definition:: used to say something in a very short and simple way
Example from the episode:: “And so that's technology in a nutshell, is just shortening the effort.”
Example sentence:: “In a nutshell, the test was easy.”

Angèle Christin

03/02/2026Episode 268Open companion page

co-construct (verb)

Definition:: to build or create something together with others
Example from the episode:: “And kind of, it's co-constructed with the audience in many ways.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher and students co-construct the class rules.”

tradeoff (noun)

Definition:: a situation where you give up one thing to get something else
Example from the episode:: “You can think about it as a tradeoff between the short term and the long term, right?”
Example sentence:: “Buying a fast car means a tradeoff with saving money.”

inflammatory (adjective)

Definition:: causing strong or angry feelings
Example from the episode:: “So in the short term, if you optimize for kind of metrics and you really push drama, conflict, inflammatory and extreme content, you're going to get spikes in the number of views and the kind of virality of your content.”
Example sentence:: “He avoided saying anything inflammatory during the meeting.”

thick skin (idiom)

Definition:: the ability to not be hurt by criticism or insults
Example from the episode:: “When you look at content creators and having spent six years talking with them and interviewing them, following them and kind of seeing how they work, they over time develop a very thick skin for getting harassed, bullied, insulted on social media.”
Example sentence:: “My brother has thick skin and laughs at jokes about him.”

Ethan Kross

02/23/2026Episode 266Open companion page

berate (verb)

Definition:: to scold or criticize someone angrily and strongly
Example from the episode:: “Another is, you just berate yourself incessantly.”
Example sentence:: “The coach berated the player for the error.”

rumination (noun)

Definition:: the repeated thinking about worries or problems that does not help
Example from the episode:: “Sometimes we call this worry, sometimes we call it rumination.”
Example sentence:: “His rumination made it hard to sleep.”

telltale (adjective)

Definition:: showing a clear sign that something is true or has happened
Example from the episode:: “Chatter refers to getting stuck in a negative thought loop, and there are really two kind of telltale signs that you are experiencing it.”
Example sentence:: “The wet shoes are a telltale sign it rained.”

pile on somebody (idiom)

Definition:: to criticize or blame someone a lot, or to add more problems to them
Example from the episode:: “And you just pile on yourself.”
Example sentence:: “The class piled on the student who forgot his lines.”

Jonathan Berek & Phil Polakoff

02/19/2026Episode 265Open companion page

level (verb)

Definition:: to make something flat, even, or equal in height or amount
Example from the episode:: “I guess the first thing I think of is the process of what some people call leveling, which is be sure that first of all, you know your audience.”
Example sentence:: “She tried to level her answer to match the question.”

trifecta (noun)

Definition:: a group of three important things that happen together or are connected
Example from the episode:: “I now have the trifecta of words. So it could be, what are the three most important things in one's life? It's relationships, it's service, and purpose.”
Example sentence:: “The movie has a trifecta of action, adventure, and comedy.”

affable (adjective)

Definition:: friendly and easy to talk to
Example from the episode:: “You're just both affable, super bright, and very articulate.”
Example sentence:: “She is affable and makes new friends quickly.”

tear at the heartstrings (idiom)

Definition:: to cause strong feelings of sadness or sympathy
Example from the episode:: “In my case, I do a lot of medical-related types of films, and I use patient stories, which tears at the heartstrings often.”
Example sentence:: “His speech about helping others tears at the heartstrings.”

Fareed Zakaria

02/16/2026Episode 264Open companion page

upend (verb)

Definition:: to turn something upside down or change it completely
Example from the episode:: “So if you look at the base of change, particularly along the kind of key drivers that have tended to produce this kind of sense of society being upended, they tend to be technology in the first instance.”
Example sentence:: “The new rule upended our plan.”

node (noun)

Definition:: a point where lines or connections meet, often in a network
Example from the episode:: “Today in a networked many-to-many broadcast system, there is no node to take over.”
Example sentence:: “The computer is a node in the network.”

contested (adjective)

Definition:: disputed or fought over because people disagree
Example from the episode:: “There's no hierarchy of information, and in that situation, you are going to see a much greater degree of contested facts, contested narratives, and things like that.”
Example sentence:: “The rule is still contested by experts.”

post-truth (idiom)

Definition:: a situation where facts matter less than emotions or beliefs when people form opinions
Example from the episode:: “It's very disconcerting because it does mean, as you're suggesting, a kind of post-fact or post-truth environment.”
Example sentence:: “In a post-truth time, stories spread fast.”

Nick Thompson

02/12/2026Episode 263Open companion page

itemize (verb)

Definition:: to write or say things one by one in a list
Example from the episode:: “So many people just list and itemize.”
Example sentence:: “Can you itemize what is inside the box?”

voice (noun)

Definition:: the special style a writer uses
Example from the episode:: “And you yourself, you write, how have you found your voice in all of this?”
Example sentence:: “I like the writer's voice in this book.”

brisk (adjective)

Definition:: quick and full of energy
Example from the episode:: “I try to add humor. I try to make it as brisk as possible.”
Example sentence:: “The meeting was brisk and short.”

a necessary evil (idiom)

Definition:: something unpleasant that you must accept because it helps or is needed
Example from the episode:: “I used to think editing was just a necessary evil, but in fact, I think the most creative things happen during editing.”
Example sentence:: “Doctor visits are a necessary evil to stay healthy.”

Patsy Rodenburg

02/09/2026Episode 262Open companion page

slump (verb)

Definition:: to fall into a lower position or to sit with your body bent forward and tired
Example from the episode:: “If we brace or slump, we reduce our breath and the energy gets stuck in the throat, which is when those wonderful ideas you have, they come out on a monotone.”
Example sentence:: “He slumped in his chair after the long day.”

craft (noun)

Definition:: a skill or job where someone makes things or does special work with their hands or training
Example from the episode:: “My work is about embodiment and it's about a craft that is returning people to their natural selves.”
Example sentence:: “She learned the craft of pottery at camp.”

inferior (adjective)

Definition:: not as good as someone or something else
Example from the episode:: “First circle people, by pulling back, they're not necessarily inferior, but they're signaling inferiority.”
Example sentence:: “He thought his work was inferior to hers.”

along the line (idiom)

Definition:: at some time during a process or at some point in the future or past
Example from the episode:: “The good news is the vast majority of people are born with amazing voices and somewhere along the line, they lose them.”
Example sentence:: “Problems can appear along the line.”

Rebecca Hinds

02/05/2026Episode 261Open companion page

elapse (verb)

Definition:: to pass or go by, usually about time
Example from the episode:: “And after those 48 hours have elapsed, employees are instructed to rebuild their calendar from scratch.”
Example sentence:: “Days elapse quickly when you are having fun.”

aura (noun)

Definition:: a feeling or atmosphere that seems to surround a person or place
Example from the episode:: “And because of this, there's this aura of negativity around meetings.”
Example sentence:: “The garden has a peaceful aura early in the morning.”

accustomed (adjective)

Definition:: used to something and comfortable with it
Example from the episode:: “And so, part of this is we're so accustomed to using a meeting as a communication tool, even when we have other things called Slack or Asana that often are much more efficient ways to communicate, we default to the meeting.”
Example sentence:: “I am accustomed to waking up early.”

knee-jerk reaction (idiom)

Definition:: a quick and automatic response without thinking carefully
Example from the episode:: “And yet, our knee-jerk reaction is to use them whenever we have a problem, whenever we need alignment, if we're unclear on next steps.”
Example sentence:: “When scared, his knee-jerk reaction is to run away.”

Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

02/02/2026Episode 260Open companion page

ideate (verb)

Definition:: to think of new ideate ideas or plans
Example from the episode:: “Because a lot of times, the social pressure of staying in their lane is so powerful that they can't even ideate about something different.”
Example sentence:: “We ideate ideas for our class project.”

tenet (noun)

Definition:: a basic belief or idea that people in a group follow
Example from the episode:: “In your book, Designing for Life, Dave, you leverage one of the tenets of design thinking when you advocate for prototyping conversations to gather data.”
Example sentence:: “The rule became a tenet for the team.”

user-centered (adjective)

Definition:: focused on the needs and wishes of the people who will use something
Example from the episode:: “Well, you know, we're user-centered designers.”
Example sentence:: “We made a user-centered website.”

wild card (idiom)

Definition:: an unexpected person or thing that can change a situation
Example from the episode:: “And then the wild card plan, the third plan is, what would you do if you had all the money and the resources that you needed, and no one would say, well, that's a stupid thing?”
Example sentence:: “He is a wild card in the game.”

Lerone Martin

01/19/2026Episode 257Open companion page

architect (verb)

Definition:: to plan and design something carefully so all the parts work together
Example from the episode:: “I actually find his Nobel Prize acceptance speech to be more rousing and better architected.”
Example sentence:: “They architect a plan for the class project.”

sermon (noun)

Definition:: a talk by a religious leader that teaches or gives advice about life or faith
Example from the episode:: “Do you have a favorite speech, sermon or writing of his, and if so, what is it and why?”
Example sentence:: “We listened to the sermon at church.”

oratorical (adjective)

Definition:: about public speaking and the way someone gives a speech
Example from the episode:: “You've highlighted some already, but he was excellent at using lots of different oratorical and rhetorical devices to really engage.”
Example sentence:: “His oratorical style was calm and clear.”

muscle memory (idiom)

Definition:: when your body remembers how to do something because you practiced it many times
Example from the episode:: “Thinking about Steph Curry and LeBron James and others, like they do what they do and sometimes it's impromptu, but that muscle memory right, enables them to do that.”
Example sentence:: “The pianist plays the song from muscle memory.”

Bonnie Hayden Cheng

01/15/2026Episode 256Open companion page

operationalize (verb)

Definition:: to put an idea or plan into action so it can be used in real life
Example from the episode:: “What does kindness actually look like when it's operationalized in organizations?”
Example sentence:: “The manager operationalized the new rules this month.”

betterment (noun)

Definition:: the act of making something better or improving it
Example from the episode:: “So I define kind leadership as taking intentional action in service to and for the betterment of the people under your care.”
Example sentence:: “Volunteers act for the betterment of animals.”

generalizable (adjective)

Definition:: able to be used or applied in many different places or situations
Example from the episode:: “So the RISE model really has quite generalizable applications, which I think makes it a lot more of a practical application.”
Example sentence:: “Her method is generalizable to new problems.”

red tape (idiom)

Definition:: official rules, paperwork, or procedures that make it slow or hard to get things done
Example from the episode:: “A lot of times people get stuck not because of capability issues, but it's more about resource or admin or red tape issues.”
Example sentence:: “Red tape made the permit take months.”

Adam Bryant

01/13/2026Episode 255Open companion page

demystify (verb)

Definition:: to make something easier to understand by explaining it clearly
Example from the episode:: “His work focuses on demystifying leadership, identifying the key qualities of successful leaders, and translating those insights into actionable advice for managers.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher will demystify the science topic today.”

synthesis (noun)

Definition:: the process of combining different ideas or information to make something new.
Example from the episode:: “When you look back at the synthesis you've done, the career journeys that you've seen, is there a particular mistake or two that leaders tend to make, especially when it comes to communicating around themselves or their companies that you've seen that we could learn from and try to avoid?”
Example sentence:: “The essay is a synthesis of three articles.”

shorthand (adjective)

Definition:: a quick, short way to say or write something
Example from the episode:: “And my shorthand version of his theory is the Einstein Theory of Communication.”
Example sentence:: “He wrote a shorthand note after the meeting.”

near and dear (idiom)

Definition:: very important or special to someone
Example from the episode:: “So the first one is the ability to simplify complexity, which I know is a topic that's near and dear to your heart.”
Example sentence:: “Family is near and dear to him.”

Wendy De La Rosa

01/06/2026Episode 254Open companion page

trigger (verb)

Definition:: to cause something to start or happen
Example from the episode:: “Can you give a specific example of how a leader or manager's communication framing of, let's say, a budget cut or some new financial policy can either trigger a scarcity mindset or inspire a problem-solving mindset?”
Example sentence:: “Touching the red button will trigger the toy to move.”

cue (noun)

Definition:: a sign or signal that tells someone to do something
Example from the episode:: “But it's a cue to say there's a meaningful change happening.”
Example sentence:: “The bell is a cue that class has ended.”

taboo (adjective)

Definition:: not allowed or not talked about in a group or culture
Example from the episode:: “I have found in my life with lots of topics that are taboo that just initiating the conversation opens up the opportunity for others to share.”
Example sentence:: “People said it was taboo to ask her age.”

give credit where credit is due (idiom)

Definition:: to say that someone deserves praise for something they did
Example from the episode:: “I want to give credit where credit is due.”
Example sentence:: “Always give credit where credit is due to your teammates.”

Top 10 2025

12/30/2025Episode 253Open companion page

convene (verb)

Definition:: to bring people together for a meeting or event.
Example from the episode:: “The ability to convene people and guide them towards important, meaningful goals, regardless of if they're personal or professional, is really challenging.”
Example sentence:: “The coach convened the team on the field.”

lubricant (noun)

Definition:: something that makes parts move more smoothly by reducing friction.
Example from the episode:: “The social lubricant that exists to create networks of people and communities of people comes from confidence when you feel good, when you feel like you have something to bring to the picnic.”
Example sentence:: “Oil is a common lubricant for tools.”

empathetic (adjective)

Definition:: showing that you understand and care about how someone feels.
Example from the episode:: “You need to be curious enough to think about what is important to your audience and empathetic enough to do something about it.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher was empathetic to the new student.”

set something in motion (idiom)

Definition:: to start a process or make something begin.
Example from the episode:: “For my future events, I now plan to set things in motion by thoughtfully planning an agenda.”
Example sentence:: “We set the fundraiser in motion last week.”

Kate Mason

12/23/2025Episode 251Open companion page

hedge (verb)

Definition:: to avoid giving a clear answer or to protect yourself from risk by being careful
Example from the episode:: “So what we do is we hedge when we're afraid that we are going to impose.”
Example sentence:: “She hedged when asked about her plans.”

listicle (noun)

Definition:: an online article that shows information as a list of short points
Example from the episode:: “And the process is so different for all of us that it's not about following a listicle or ‘Three steps to...’ It's nuanced and it requires some thought.”
Example sentence:: “I read a listicle about easy recipes.”

cognizant (adjective)

Definition:: aware of something and paying attention to it
Example from the episode:: “So we start self-surveilling and being very cognizant of every movement.”
Example sentence:: “He stayed cognizant of safety signs.”

in theory (idiom)

Definition:: according to an idea or plan, but not always true in real life
Example from the episode:: “It sounds good in theory, but like, how do I get there?”
Example sentence:: “In theory, the class should be easy.”

250th Episode

12/16/2025Episode 250Open companion page

survey (verb)

Definition:: to look carefully at an area or situation to learn about it
Example from the episode:: “Just like surveying the ground and weather is the first step for setting up our campsite, tuning into how we're feeling is the foundation for a healthy conflict.”
Example sentence:: “Please survey the room and tell me if it is clean.”

rupture (noun)

Definition:: a sudden break or split, often in something that was whole
Example from the episode:: “While our natural human instinct is to avoid conflict because of course we are hardwired for likability and we see conflict as a potential rupture in our relationship.”
Example sentence:: “They felt a rupture in their friendship after the fight.”

fastidious (adjective)

Definition:: very careful about small details and liking things to be neat or clean
Example from the episode:: “You see, my wife's a roller and I'm a squeezer, and nothing is more irritating to a fastidious roller than a smashed up randomly squeezed tube of toothpaste.”
Example sentence:: “She is fastidious and cleans her desk every day.”

put somebody in somebody’s shoes (idiom)

Definition:: to try to imagine how someone else feels or thinks
Example from the episode:: “Put yourself in their shoes just for a few minutes.”
Example sentence:: “Try to put yourself in her shoes before you judge.”

Molly Sands

12/09/2025Episode 248Open companion page

embed (verb)

Definition:: to put something firmly inside something else or include it as part of something
Example from the episode:: “And so we are doing some really interesting interventions right now with teams where we embed AI not just as an individual collaborator for everyone on the team, but also into some of these team processes and ways of working.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher embeds games into the lesson.”

onboarding (noun)

Definition:: the process of helping new people learn their job and join a group
Example from the episode:: “Yeah, we've had great success with onboarding with an AI buddy.”
Example sentence:: “Onboarding helps new students learn the rules.”

distributed (adjective)

Definition:: spread out across different places instead of all in one place
Example from the episode:: “Her work focuses on understanding how teams can collaborate more effectively in a distributed and hybrid work environment, especially in the world of AI.”
Example sentence:: “A distributed network has many separate computers.”

in the mix (idiom)

Definition:: actively involved with others or taking part in a situation
Example from the episode:: “And within Atlassian, we're really able to get in the mix with teams and change how they work and measure lots of different types of outcomes.”
Example sentence:: “The coach got in the mix to help.”

Chat Matt

12/02/2025Episode 247Open companion page

hiccup (verb)

Definition:: to have a small, sudden problem that stops something from working for a short time
Example from the episode:: “The technology might hiccup, the responses might surprise you, and that's actually pretty normal when you're testing something new.”
Example sentence:: “My computer hiccuped and the screen froze.”

setup (noun)

Definition:: the arrangement or equipment needed to make something ready to use
Example from the episode:: “That is the longest setup I have done for any interview.”
Example sentence:: “We finished the tent setup before night.”

skeptical (adjective)

Definition:: not sure that something is true or will work
Example from the episode:: “I'm about to give a presentation to senior executives who seem skeptical about my proposal.”
Example sentence:: “Mom looked skeptical when I said I finished my homework.”

uncharted territory (idiom)

Definition:: a new or unknown situation that people have not experienced before
Example from the episode:: “You've built something impressive, but now you're stepping into uncharted territory to see how it performs.”
Example sentence:: “For him, living alone was uncharted territory.”

Sandy Pentland

11/27/2025Episode 246Open companion page

accent (verb)

Definition:: to emphasize something so people notice it
Example from the episode:: “What it is, is certain patterns of interaction, and those are accented by excitement or delay.”
Example sentence:: “The director accented the scene with music.”

bottleneck (noun)

Definition:: a place or problem that slows down progress or causes delay
Example from the episode:: “How can this data be used to identify communication bottlenecks in a company or help create more effective and efficient teams once you understand the network?”
Example sentence:: “The slow server is a bottleneck.”

frontier (adjective)

Definition:: near the edge of knowledge or technology; very new and not fully explored
Example from the episode:: “And you don't need the frontier model to do this at all. You can do this with any of the open source ones.”
Example sentence:: “This is a frontier area of research.”

on top of something (idiom)

Definition:: in addition to something else
Example from the episode:: “Language seems to be built on top of that, but we didn't get rid of it.”
Example sentence:: “On top of his homework, he had to wash the dishes.”

Dr. Deepak Chopra

11/25/2025Episode 245Open companion page

delineate (verb)

Definition:: to describe or show something in a clear and detailed way
Example from the episode:: “I appreciate how you delineated all the aspects of presence, and anybody listening knows that I love things that are memorable.”
Example sentence:: “He delineated the plan for the project.”

dogma (noun)

Definition:: a belief or set of beliefs that people accept as true without question
Example from the episode:: “We use conscious communication and we refrain from dogma and being right and all that.”
Example sentence:: “He followed the dogma without asking why.”

compassionate (adjective)

Definition:: showing care and concern for people who are hurting or in need
Example from the episode:: “That's inclusive, that's compassionate.”
Example sentence:: “A compassionate teacher helps every student.”

think outside the box (idiom)

Definition:: to think in a new or creative way that is different from usual ideas
Example from the episode:: “And what that has to do with cancer or any disease is people who don't know too much think outside the box.”
Example sentence:: “The team thought outside the box and won the contest.”

Gina Bianchini

11/20/2025Episode 244Open companion page

crystallize (verb)

Definition:: to become clear or to make an idea or plan definite
Example from the episode:: “And where this really became true for me and where it crystallized was, this was maybe a couple of decades ago, but I was just like stuck where I was physically.”
Example sentence:: “The plan crystallized in her mind.”

tribe (noun)

Definition:: a group of people who share the same culture, interests, or who support each other
Example from the episode:: “What advice do you have for finding your tribe, for finding your community?”
Example sentence:: “She joined a tribe of artists.”

niche (adjective)

Definition:: describing something that fits into a small, special, or focused area or group
Example from the episode:: “Prior to Mighty Networks, she was the CEO and co-founder of Ning, a global platform for creating niche social networks.”
Example sentence:: “He writes about a niche topic.”

set the scene (idiom)

Definition:: to prepare people by giving background information or creating the right mood or atmosphere
Example from the episode:: “And I had not thought of, as you rightly introduced, that a good host or facilitator is also the one who can maximize and leverage the technology, be it AI or other tools, to help, again, set the scene, set the table for the community building.”
Example sentence:: “The video set the scene for the lesson.”

Tech Tools Miniseries - Loom

11/13/2025Episode 242Open companion page

polish (verb)

Definition:: to make something smoother, cleaner, or better
Example from the episode:: “Loom utilizes AI to transcribe your video and auto draft a relevant title, summary, chapters, and action items, including helping you polish the video, removing filler words and silences, so you can communicate even more effectively.”
Example sentence:: “The editor helped polish the article.”

pivot (noun)

Definition:: a big change in a plan, idea, or direction
Example from the episode:: “But from November, 2015 when we started building to June of 2016, so nine months, we had a couple major pivots about how we would apply it and bring it to the workplace.”
Example sentence:: “The team made a pivot in their plan.”

latent (adjective)

Definition:: something that exists but is not yet seen or used
Example from the episode:: “By the time you were ready to actually share a link, it had already been 20, 25 minutes, and we felt like there was a ton of latent potential within this space to bring video recording and sharing to the workplace based off of the fact that consumer behavior tends to lead the enterprise.”
Example sentence:: “There is latent interest in the new game.”

side by side (idiom)

Definition:: next to each other so you can compare or work together
Example from the episode:: “And with a tool like yours, it allows you the opportunity to try slightly different variations and compare them literally side by side so you can see how that looks different.”
Example sentence:: “The pictures are shown side by side.”

Colin Fisher

11/11/2025Episode 241Open companion page

emerge (verb)

Definition:: to come out or appear from somewhere
Example from the episode:: “The kind of synergy that we talk about in group work really only emerges when we don't all think the same thing, when we don't all have the same knowledge and skills, and that we share them with one another.”
Example sentence:: “New ideas emerged during our class.”

peril (noun)

Definition:: something that is very dangerous or risky
Example from the episode:: “I used to teach classes on group communication and I always start by talking to my students about the benefits and perils of groups.”
Example sentence:: “The hikers were in peril on the snowy mountain.”

sticky (adjective)

Definition:: when something is hard to change or remove
Example from the episode:: “So group formation is such an important time in a group's life that the stuff that we do when we first get together tends to be really sticky.”
Example sentence:: “A sticky problem can be hard to fix.”

right off the bat (idiom)

Definition:: immediately, at the very beginning
Example from the episode:: “You got some of the really important ones right off the bat there.”
Example sentence:: “The team scored right off the bat.”

Muriel Wilkins

11/04/2025Episode 240Open companion page

caveat (verb)

Definition:: to add a small warning or extra explanation to what you say
Example from the episode:: “But, you know, let me caveat that by saying I think beliefs are very unique to the individual.”
Example sentence:: “I caveat my idea with a short warning.”

dissonance (noun)

Definition:: a feeling of disagreement or conflict between ideas or actions
Example from the episode:: “So with uncover, it's number one, understanding that there might be dissonance between the way that what you want to achieve and what you're actually achieving, right?”
Example sentence:: “There is dissonance between his words and actions.”

doable (adjective)

Definition:: possible to do or finish
Example from the episode:: “What is within my capabilities? Or my team's capabilities or the organization's capabilities and what is the time limit that I have, and then what's doable within that timeframe?”
Example sentence:: “The project is doable in one week.”

prone to (idiom)

Definition:: likely to do something or to have something happen
Example from the episode:: “I, myself is somebody who, for most of my life, have been very prone to take action as quickly as I can.”
Example sentence:: “He is prone to eat his lunch.”

Tech Tools Miniseries - Calendly

10/30/2025Episode 239Open companion page

route (verb)

Definition:: to send someone or something along a particular path or direct them to the right place
Example from the episode:: “They can even pay you depending on the service that you use, or they may be routed to the right person.”
Example sentence:: “The app will route your call to support.”

prospect (noun)

Definition:: a person who might become a customer, client, or partner
Example from the episode:: “And we all know when you're booking a meeting, a prospect, a candidate, a partner, an advisor, whoever it is, you don't wanna lose that momentum.”
Example sentence:: “We met a prospect at the fair.”

ripe (adjective)

Definition:: ready to be used, picked, or to succeed
Example from the episode:: “And it's certainly a ripe field, right?”
Example sentence:: “The market is ripe for new toys.”

piece of the puzzle (idiom)

Definition:: a part of a larger plan or problem that helps make the whole clear
Example from the episode:: “The next piece of the puzzle is very much the meeting itself.”
Example sentence:: “This clue is a piece of the puzzle.”

AMA Listen Up

10/28/2025Episode 238Open companion page

ace (verb)

Definition:: to do very well on a test or task and get a top score
Example from the episode:: “I want to introduce you to ways you can ace your listening.”
Example sentence:: “He aced the interview and got the job.”

predisposition (noun)

Definition:: a natural tendency to think, feel, or act in a certain way
Example from the episode:: “These are our predispositions, our concerns, our hesitations.”
Example sentence:: “He has a predisposition to be shy.”

ambient (adjective)

Definition:: relating to the sound, light, or feeling around something
Example from the episode:: “This has to do with just the physical ambient noise.”
Example sentence:: “The park's ambient sounds helped me relax.”

give someone grace (idiom)

Definition:: to treat someone with kindness and forgiveness when they make a mistake
Example from the episode:: “I'm going to give you an example where I failed to give myself some grace.”
Example sentence:: “We should give someone grace during hard times.”

Astro Teller

10/21/2025Episode 237Open companion page

destigmatize (verb)

Definition:: make people see that something, like failure or asking for help, is not shameful
Example from the episode:: “If we just agreed we're gonna spend ninety plus percent of our time learning, then we need to destigmatize failure so we can have our learning loops be as tight as possible.”
Example sentence:: “We need to destigmatize making mistakes.”

guardrail (noun)

Definition:: a barrier at the side of a road or a rule that helps keep people or ideas safe
Example from the episode:: “So that's one way to help put some intellectual guardrails around what we're about to go do.”
Example sentence:: “We set guardrails to keep the game safe.”

audacious (adjective)

Definition:: very bold and willing to try new or risky things
Example from the episode:: “So the goal is actually to come up with these audacious ideas and strivings and then to as quickly as possible negate them.”
Example sentence:: “She had an audacious plan to build a robot.”

institutional knowledge (idiom)

Definition:: the knowledge, habits, and ways of working that people in an organization learn over time
Example from the episode:: “The truth is, some of it is just institutional knowledge, and that's sort of a background radiation that's very real at X.”
Example sentence:: “We need to write down institutional knowledge for future workers.”

Tech Tools Miniseries - Superhuman

10/16/2025Episode 236Open companion page

lurk (verb)

Definition:: to hide or wait quietly so you are not seen
Example from the episode:: “Number one, if you've gone through everything in your inbox, you have no anxiety about what dangers or horrors might lurk beneath if you come across anything that's on fire or which is particularly important.”
Example sentence:: “I saw someone lurk near the gate.”

stream (noun)

Definition:: a steady flow of things like messages or work
Example from the episode:: “For example, our customers split their inbox into the streams of work that matter most, so they can immediately focus on what needs their attention.”
Example sentence:: “The stream of messages was long.”

nuts (adjective)

Definition:: very crazy, extreme, or surprising
Example from the episode:: “I actually get an email every six to 10 seconds. It's completely nuts.”
Example sentence:: “The traffic today was nuts.”

stay on top of something (idiom)

Definition:: to keep control of a task so it does not fall behind
Example from the episode:: “All you see are the list of things yet to do, and the end of the list is plainly in sight because you're staying on top of it.”
Example sentence:: “They stay on top of the team schedule.”

Chiney Ogwumike

10/14/2025Episode 235Open companion page

deflect (verb)

Definition:: to cause something to change direction
Example from the episode:: “One of the things that I learned from the greatest coach I've ever played for, iconic Tara VanDerveer, is she's very big on symbols because oftentimes there's so many things in this world that can be distractions, that can be things that can be used to sort of deflect what your goal is or what you're trying to achieve.”
Example sentence:: “A strong wind can deflect a paper airplane.”

huddle (noun)

Definition:: a small group of people who gather to talk and plan
Example from the episode:: “Unlike some sports that have time for in-game planning and communication, think of like a football huddle, basketball is incredibly fast paced.”
Example sentence:: “Our class gathered in a huddle to share ideas.”

over-conscious (adjective)

Definition:: feeling too aware or worried about your appearance or actions
Example from the episode:: “I would always tell people my hands didn't feel like my hands because I was over-conscious of what I looked like, what I felt like in that moment.”
Example sentence:: “I sometimes feel over-conscious when I sing in public.”

lost in the sauce (idiom)

Definition:: to become so distracted or confused that you lose focus on what you are doing
Example from the episode:: “Now, if you have a delusion of facts, then you might get lost in the sauce.”
Example sentence:: “They became lost in the sauce during the fun activity and missed the start of class.”

Stanley McChrystal

10/07/2025Episode 234Open companion page

affect (verb)

Definition:: to cause a change in something or someone.
Example from the episode:: “So it's really about people, process, and tools are the ways that you actually affect that change.”
Example sentence:: “A smile can affect someone's day.”

silo (noun)

Definition:: a part of an organization that keeps information to itself.
Example from the episode:: “The first thing about sharing information that I found later in my military career is we had natural silos vertically, and then we also had the hierarchy creates other boundaries for the flow of information.”
Example sentence:: “We try to share so no one works in a silo.”

omnipresent (adjective)

Definition:: present everywhere or very common.
Example from the episode:: “And so nowadays with information technology as omnipresent as it is, we can usually reach everybody almost at any time.”
Example sentence:: “Phones are omnipresent in the city.”

drop the bombshell (idiom)

Definition:: to say something surprising or shocking that changes a situation.
Example from the episode:: “Now, the other thing, though, occasionally a leader will do that and then want to walk out of the room, drop the bombshell and want to walk out of the room.”
Example sentence:: “She dropped the bombshell and everyone was quiet.”

Rethinks: Jenny & Matt

09/16/2025Episode 229Open companion page

reframe (verb)

Definition:: to think about or say something in a new or different way
Example from the episode:: “So I like to encourage people to reframe how they see mistakes.”
Example sentence:: “She reframed her mistake as a lesson.”

mediocrity (noun)

Definition:: the state of being average or not very good
Example from the episode:: “‘On the very first day of the strategic communication class I co-teach, I have the audacity to say to my students, “Maximize your mediocrity.”’”
Example sentence:: “He did not want a life of mediocrity.”

thrilled (adjective)

Definition:: very excited and happy
Example from the episode:: “I thank all of you for taking the time to learn from the book, and I am thrilled that so many people around the world are working to hone and develop their spontaneous speaking.”
Example sentence:: “I am thrilled to see you today.”

cold call (idiom)

Definition:: to ask someone to speak or answer a question without giving them time to prepare
Example from the episode:: “About a decade ago, the deans at the business school came to me with a problem, and the problem was that our incredibly bright students were panicking and choking in cold call situations.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher made a cold call in class.”

Ilana Golan

09/02/2025Episode 226Open companion page

maneuver (verb)

Definition:: to move or guide carefully, often around something
Example from the episode:: “I could probably have maneuvered anywhere if I only knew, right?”
Example sentence:: “He maneuvered the car through the narrow street.”

leap (noun)

Definition:: a big jump or a sudden change
Example from the episode:: “What should we be looking for when it's time for us to consider a pivot or a leap?”
Example sentence:: “The company made a leap to new technology.”

eclectic (adjective)

Definition:: made up of many different types or styles
Example from the episode:: “So you have quite an amazing and eclectic career, including being a corporate executive, an entrepreneur, an F-16 flight instructor, and more.”
Example sentence:: “He has an eclectic collection of books.”

in hindsight (idiom)

Definition:: understanding something better after it has happened
Example from the episode:: “But I think, you know, in hindsight, I wish more people would be more awake through their life.”
Example sentence:: “In hindsight, I should have studied more for the test.”

Laura Spinney

08/21/2025Episode 224Open companion page

implant (verb)

Definition:: to put an idea or feeling into someone's mind in a way that stays there
Example from the episode:: “You don't have to operate to implant an idea in their head.”
Example sentence:: “He wanted to implant hope in the children.”

thesis (noun)

Definition:: “the main idea or opinion that someone wants to explain or prove in a paper or speech”
Example from the episode:: “Would you mind summarizing your central thesis of that article and then explain why storytelling is so important and essential to being human?”
Example sentence:: “He explained his thesis clearly in class.”

blunt (adjective)

Definition:: using plain, direct words that may sometimes seem rude or not gentle
Example from the episode:: “And at the same time, it's a blunt instrument.”
Example sentence:: “His blunt answer surprised everyone.”

a mouthful (idiom)

Definition:: a phrase or sentence that is long or difficult to say
Example from the episode:: “That's a mouthful to say.”
Example sentence:: “’Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ is a mouthful.”

Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas

08/19/2025Episode 223Open companion page

uncover (verb)

Definition:: to find or discover something that was hidden or unknown
Example from the episode:: “Everything that someone gives you, they are giving you gold and follow-up questions are this magic way to uncover meaning and intention because we all attribute different meaning to what people are saying.”
Example sentence:: “The detective worked hard to uncover the truth.”

rhetoric (noun)

Definition:: language or talk that sounds good but may be used to persuade or explain something
Example from the episode:: “Something that I've realized, there's a lot of rhetoric you'll see on LinkedIn or among people that's like, well, don't ask this question, ask this question.”
Example sentence:: “Politicians often use rhetoric to get votes.”

evergreen (adjective)

Definition:: something that stays interesting or useful for a long time
Example from the episode:: “I think that just is an evergreen topic and skill that really resonates with people, both on the asking side.”
Example sentence:: “Certain songs are evergreen and always popular.”

nitty gritty (idiom)

Definition:: the most important and basic details of something
Example from the episode:: “Once you get past that top line advice of ask more, then you can get into the nitty gritty of what is a good question, in what circumstances, and what types of question asking should we avoid.”
Example sentence:: “The book covers the nitty gritty of cooking.”

Jenn Wynn

08/12/2025Episode 222Open companion page

regulate (verb)

Definition:: to control or manage something in a proper way
Example from the episode:: “So if you can pause and regulate your nervous system, then you're going to be a better version of yourself at the time when you most need to be the best version of yourself.”
Example sentence:: “The government works to regulate traffic rules.”

synergy (noun)

Definition:: when two or more people or things work together to create a better outcome
Example from the episode:: “I've heard the quote: 'Dialogue is the birthplace of synergy.'”
Example sentence:: “Our teamwork showed great synergy during the game.”

idiosyncratic (adjective)

Definition:: having habits or ways of doing things that are unusual or unique to one person
Example from the episode:: “And it's so interesting because not only are people really unique, even idiosyncratic, it shows you that what makes a conversation difficult is much less the topic and much more the inner experience that each person is having.”
Example sentence:: “She has an idiosyncratic way of writing stories.”

a lump in somebody’s throat (idiom)

Definition:: a feeling in your throat that happens when you feel very emotional
Example from the episode:: “So for me, I get a lump in my throat or like a tightness in my chest.”
Example sentence:: “The singer got a lump in her throat before the concert.”

Giampaolo Bianchi

08/07/2025Episode 221Open companion page

anchor (verb)

Definition:: to hold something firmly in one place so it does not move
Example from the episode:: “You keep your back straight, try to anchor yourself to the ground, and that helps.”
Example sentence:: “She anchored the tent with strong ropes.”

delegate (noun)

Definition:: a person chosen to represent others at a meeting or event
Example from the episode:: “Given the delegates that are there, you know, sometimes you might even go so far as to look up the delegates online and see if there are already recorded speeches of them so that you can listen to them and sort of prepare by getting used to their accent.”
Example sentence:: “The delegate spoke for all the students.”

in-the-moment (adjective)

Definition:: happening right now and without planning ahead
Example from the episode:: “As part of our four-part miniseries on spontaneous speaking, we introduced you to a number of coaches whose jobs require successful, in-the-moment communication.”
Example sentence:: “The coach teaches in-the-moment thinking.”

lost in translation (idiom)

Definition:: when the real meaning is not understood because of language or other problems
Example from the episode:: “And we can all actively work to make sure our messages aren't lost in translation.”
Example sentence:: “My idea was lost in translation during the meeting.”

Peter Sagal

08/05/2025Episode 220Open companion page

perturb (verb)

Definition:: to make someone feel worried or upset
Example from the episode:: “The way I prepare to go on stage and be confident and in the moment and not perturbed by the stress is by doing it for 26 years.”
Example sentence:: “Don’t perturb your friend when she is studying.”

composure (noun)

Definition:: the state of being calm and in control of your feelings
Example from the episode:: “But with a little work, we can all find composure and clarity.”
Example sentence:: “She kept her composure during the test.”

delusional (adjective)

Definition:: believing in things that are not true or real
Example from the episode:: “And in a weird way, that's kind of delusional, but in other ways, it's absolutely necessary.”
Example sentence:: “It is delusional to think you can fly without wings.”

on the fly (idiom)

Definition:: to do something quickly without planning before
Example from the episode:: “I kind of had to learn it on the fly.”
Example sentence:: “I made the cake on the fly without a recipe.”

James Root

07/29/2025Episode 219Open companion page

allude (verb)

Definition:: to mention something in an indirect way without saying it clearly
Example from the episode:: “Clearly, work is changing. And one of those changes, as you alluded to, is that workers in terms of their age and generations are increasing in the workplace.”
Example sentence:: “The story alluded to a secret treasure.”

archetype (noun)

Definition:: a perfect example of a certain kind of person or thing
Example from the episode:: “His latest book is The Archetype Effect.”
Example sentence:: “Tigers are an archetype of wild animals.”

extraordinary (adjective)

Definition:: very special or unusual in a good way
Example from the episode:: “We did some work that said, I think about 115 million jobs are going to move to people who are over 55 years old by the end of this decade. It's an extraordinary number.”
Example sentence:: “The view from the mountain was extraordinary.”

a means to an end (idiom)

Definition:: something that you do to achieve a result or goal, not for its own sake
Example from the episode:: “It's a means to an end of something that happens outside work.”
Example sentence:: “Learning English is a means to an end for better opportunities.”

SEED Live Event from Africa

07/24/2025Episode 218Open companion page

discount (verb)

Definition:: to decide that something is not important or not true
Example from the episode:: “If the company was confessing something that was particularly surprising or might seem counter to what an individual's priors might be, they were discounted very heavily and believed to be not at all responsible with respect to corporate social responsibility.”
Example sentence:: “She discounted the rumors because they were false.”

greenwashing (noun)

Definition:: when a company says it is helping the environment but is not really doing much
Example from the episode:: “So, for example, in the environmental space, rather than putting out something that might resemble something on the spectrum of greenwashing, companies would put something out talking about how dirty their supply chains are.”
Example sentence:: “Some companies use greenwashing to seem eco-friendly.”

astute (adjective)

Definition:: very good at noticing and understanding things quickly
Example from the episode:: “And general public is very astute at picking up something that feels like it could be hypocritical or feels like it could be an empty statement that doesn't connect to their, general business and so on.”
Example sentence:: “The detective was astute and caught the thief.”

flesh out (idiom)

Definition:: to add more details to an idea or plan
Example from the episode:: “When you say that your business is the Uber of something else, what is it about Uber's business model that you are saying applies in your business, and so the article really tries to flesh those ideas out.”
Example sentence:: “The writer fleshed out the story with new details.”

Emily Falk

07/15/2025Episode 216Open companion page

prime (verb)

Definition:: to prepare someone or something to be ready for a particular action or situation
Example from the episode:: “So very helpful that there are things we can do in advance to prime others, but also things we have to do to ourselves to set ourselves up.”
Example sentence:: “The coach primed the team for the big game.”

catchall (noun)

Definition:: a word or phrase that is used to include many different things
Example from the episode:: “And I use social relevance as this kind of catchall for these thoughts about what other people are thinking and feeling, which also helps us predict what they're gonna do and how we might communicate successfully with them, or negotiate or win a game of chess.”
Example sentence:: “The word ‘transport’ is a catchall for cars, bikes, and buses.”

compatible (adjective)

Definition:: able to work well together or exist in harmony
Example from the episode:: “By extension, thinking about what are the ways that we can tap into those processes and think about making behaviors that we want to do or that are compatible with our long-term goals, feel identity congruent and socially valuable now.”
Example sentence:: “My phone is compatible with this charger.”

in sync (idiom)

Definition:: working or moving together in a smooth and timely way
Example from the episode:: “Whereas the strangers often spend a lot of the time in that kind of small talk space where they're trying to establish common ground and getting in sync.”
Example sentence:: “We worked in sync to clean the room quickly.”

Richard Edelman

07/10/2025Episode 215Open companion page

emanate (verb)

Definition:: to come out from a source or place
Example from the episode:: “The idea that somehow all concepts emanate from the 50 states is deeply fallacious.”
Example sentence:: “The sound seemed to emanate from the open window.”

quartile (noun)

Definition:: one of four equal parts in a set of data
Example from the episode:: “The mass class divide, the bottom quartile and the top quartile have fundamentally different views of the world.”
Example sentence:: “The lowest quartile of students needed extra help.”

obligatory (adjective)

Definition:: required by a rule or law
Example from the episode:: “I want to switch back to the obligatory AI question.”
Example sentence:: “It is obligatory to finish your homework before playing.”

devil’s advocate (idiom)

Definition:: someone who takes an opposing view just to test ideas
Example from the episode:: “And while it can be certainly frustrating at times, I have found that having a devil’s advocate makes the work better and makes me better.”
Example sentence:: “She played devil’s advocate to challenge the proposal.”

Greg Burke

07/08/2025Episode 214Open companion page

enlist (verb)

Definition:: to ask for help or support from someone
Example from the episode:: “I believe attention is our most precious commodity and if I can't get your attention, I can't engage you and enlist you.”
Example sentence:: “We need to enlist friends to clean the park.”

bootcamp (noun)

Definition:: a short, intensive training program to learn new skills
Example from the episode:: “We do a bootcamp, a public speaking bootcamp at the beginning of the MBA.”
Example sentence:: “I joined a coding bootcamp to learn computer skills.”

unassuming (adjective)

Definition:: not trying to attract attention; simple and quiet
Example from the episode:: “He was unassuming, he wasn't aggressive, and let them speak.”
Example sentence:: “The unassuming boy smiled quietly.”

get your facts straight (idiom)

Definition:: to make sure you understand the true information
Example from the episode:: “And I think the thing I learned there was get your facts straight.”
Example sentence:: “She told me to get your facts straight about the story.”

Whitney Johnson LinkedIn Live

06/26/2025Episode 212Open companion page

chart (verb)

Definition:: to make a picture or graph that shows information
Example from the episode:: “Together, these three episodes will help you chart your career path and find your job fit.”
Example sentence:: “He likes to chart his running distances.”

payoff (noun)

Definition:: the reward or result you get from doing something
Example from the episode:: “But the reason you do it, the payoff is that you believe that right now your life may be over one, up one, over one, up one, and it might be perfectly fine.”
Example sentence:: “His effort led to a clear payoff in his grades.”

neural (adjective)

Definition:: related to the nerves or the brain
Example from the episode:: “It's a decision where you've got these very thick neural pathways, these comfortable routines, these super highways of habit, and you are making the decision that you are going to rewire your brain.”
Example sentence:: “The brain uses neural messages to send information.”

pay somebody’s dues (idiom)

Definition:: to work hard and prove you deserve success
Example from the episode:: “When you hear a person saying things like, ‘I've paid my dues’, ‘I could do this in my sleep.’”
Example sentence:: “Every star performer paid their dues before shining.”

Andrew Brodsky

06/24/2025Episode 211Open companion page

relay (verb)

Definition:: to pass a message from one person to another
Example from the episode:: “For instance, if we're considering meetings versus email, are you relaying information?”
Example sentence:: “He relays my message to his dad.”

determinant (noun)

Definition:: a factor that decides the result of something
Example from the episode:: “So what I'm hearing you say is the biggest determinant of which channel you use is what you're trying to accomplish.”
Example sentence:: “Good practice is a determinant of success in sports.”

nonconforming (adjective)

Definition:: not following the usual rules or styles
Example from the episode:: “When we have a group of people staring at us, we're afraid often of saying something really nonconforming because they'll judge us.”
Example sentence:: “His art is nonconforming and very creative.”

back and forth (idiom)

Definition:: moving or talking from one side to the other repeatedly, like a conversation
Example from the episode:: “Do you want to have a back and forth?”
Example sentence:: “We had a friendly back and forth during the game.”

Alison Fragale

06/17/2025Episode 210Open companion page

emulate (verb)

Definition:: to copy someone’s behavior or actions because you admire them
Example from the episode:: “They have to be doing human things, and they started to learn from them and emulate them in ways that would serve them well in their own development.”
Example sentence:: “I want to emulate my teacher because she is very kind.”

consent (noun)

Definition:: permission or agreement to do something
Example from the episode:: “With status, it's a judgment in other people's minds. You can't steal it, you can't have it without their willing consent.”
Example sentence:: “You need your parents’ consent to go on the trip.”

pivotal (adjective)

Definition:: very important and affecting the way things develop
Example from the episode:: “For people who feel like they excel in conveying that perception to others, it's almost always they'll tell me they had a pivotal person in their life at a youngish age that showed up for them in that way, and they started to study that.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher played a pivotal role in my success.”

fall into place (idiom)

Definition:: when everything becomes clear or works out well
Example from the episode:: “Whereas if you pursue status before or at least alongside power, everything is going to fall into place, right?”
Example sentence:: “The plan may be hard now, but it will fall into place.”

Rob Siegel

06/10/2025Episode 208Open companion page

frame (verb)

Definition:: to create or give a clear idea or way of looking at something
Example from the episode:: “I need to make sure that I'm looking at things from multiple perspectives and points of view. That also helps me frame it for the people with whom I'm communicating.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher framed the story to make it interesting.”

dilemma (noun)

Definition:: a situation where you have to choose between two difficult options
Example from the episode:: “He teaches a variety of classes, including System Leadership, The Industrialist's Dilemma, and Corporations, Finance, and Governance.”
Example sentence:: “The boy had a dilemma choosing between ice cream and cake.”

nuanced (adjective)

Definition:: having small and important differences that are not easy to notice
Example from the episode:: “In fact, all hard issues are nuanced.”
Example sentence:: “She gave a nuanced answer that showed she understood well.”

dumb something down (idiom)

Definition:: to make something easier to understand by making it less detailed or complex
Example from the episode:: “How do you take something that's complex and make it more accessible without dumbing it down to the point that it gets challenging?”
Example sentence:: “Don’t dumb down the story; we want the full version.”

Joseph Grenny

06/03/2025Episode 207Open companion page

diminish (verb)

Definition:: to become smaller, less important, or weaker
Example from the episode:: “This notion of if I announce what I'm doing, does it diminish what I'm actually trying to do, as well as if in advance I were to tell you, how would that impact you?”
Example sentence:: “Don't let failure diminish your hope.”

compromise (noun)

Definition:: an agreement where each side gives up something to solve a problem
Example from the episode:: “You're likely to let me do that, because now you understand the intention and it's less subject to that kind of ethical compromise.”
Example sentence:: “We made a compromise to share the toys.”

coercive (adjective)

Definition:: using force or pressure to make someone do something
Example from the episode:: “How can we be more intentional about influencing others without coming across as manipulative or coercive?”
Example sentence:: “The boss should avoid coercive actions.”

cut to the chase (idiom)

Definition:: to skip the details and get to the main point quickly
Example from the episode:: “If I announce in advance that, Hey Matt, you know, I'm going to give you three compliments and then I'm going to pitch an idea to you, you'd probably say, ‘Just cut to the chase, Joseph,’ right?”
Example sentence:: “The teacher asked us to cut to the chase in our presentations.”

Martin Reeves

05/29/2025Episode 206Open companion page

mobilize (verb)

Definition:: to organize people or resources to work together for a common goal
Example from the episode:: “How can leaders craft compelling strategic stories that not only inform, but also inspire and mobilize their organizations?”
Example sentence:: “The teacher mobilized her class to clean the classroom.”

inquiry (noun)

Definition:: a process of asking questions to get more information
Example from the episode:: “So they can be part of an inquiry.”
Example sentence:: “The librarian answered our inquiry about the library books.”

improbable (adjective)

Definition:: not likely to happen or be true
Example from the episode:: “It sounds improbable, right?”
Example sentence:: “The idea of a snow day in summer seems improbable.”

take liberty (idiom)

Definition:: to act without asking for permission first
Example from the episode:: “And then I took a little liberty here, but this notion of contaminate, in other words, spread the information around, codify as step five, so that you actually can make these repeatable and then finally continue the effort.”
Example sentence:: “She took liberty to change the design of her homework.”

SxSW

05/27/2025Episode 205Open companion page

jumpstart (verb)

Definition:: to make something start quickly or start again with energy
Example from the episode:: “So that's the thing that kind of jumpstarted everything.”
Example sentence:: “Drinking coffee helps me jumpstart my morning.”

catharsis (noun)

Definition:: a feeling of cleaning out strong emotions to feel better
Example from the episode:: “When it comes to AI, catharsis catalyzes change.”
Example sentence:: “Crying after a sad movie helped him feel catharsis.”

emerging (adjective)

Definition:: starting to appear or become known
Example from the episode:: “And at the time, David and I had been, because we're in charge of figuring out emerging tech, we had been talking to Jeremy about a whole other thing.”
Example sentence:: “Emerging technology helps people work faster.”

slam dunk (idiom)

Definition:: a sure success or something that is very easy to do
Example from the episode:: “And I have to say, it was a slam dunk for AI best practices and learnings we all can implement.”
Example sentence:: “Passing the test was a slam dunk because I studied.”

Sheila Heen

05/20/2025Episode 204Open companion page

fester (verb)

Definition:: to become worse or more painful because a problem or feeling is not dealt with
Example from the episode:: “The other half of the ledger is what are the potential costs of avoiding it and letting it fester.”
Example sentence:: “The problem began to fester because no one tried to fix it.”

tactic (noun)

Definition:: a way or method to do something or solve a problem
Example from the episode:: “What tactics can we use to stay calm and focused as emotions escalate, and how can we reflect on those emotions in advance?”
Example sentence:: “The teacher showed a new tactic to solve the math problem.”

underlying (adjective)

Definition:: something hidden or not obvious that is the real cause or reason
Example from the episode:: “In your book Difficult Conversations, you emphasize the importance of understanding the underlying emotions and assumptions in tough conversations.”
Example sentence:: “We need to find the underlying reason for her sadness.”

get one’s way (idiom)

Definition:: to do what you want, even if others do not agree
Example from the episode:: “Because you never listen, because you always think you're right and need to get your way.”
Example sentence:: “She wants to get her way when choosing a game to play.”

Lorraine Lee

05/13/2025Episode 202Open companion page

catapult (verb)

Definition:: to quickly move or throw someone or something forward or to a higher level
Example from the episode:: “Her latest book is Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career.”
Example sentence:: “The new idea catapulted the company to success.”

booster (noun)

Definition:: something that helps increase or improve confidence, strength, or success
Example from the episode:: “So it really can be a confidence booster.”
Example sentence:: “Music is a booster when I study.”

personable (adjective)

Definition:: friendly and easy to talk to
Example from the episode:: “And that's a huge benefit because there's been research that shows that when you use your hands on camera, you appear warmer, more personable, more energetic, all of these really positive things.”
Example sentence:: “The nurse was personable and kind.”

put something into place (idiom)

Definition:: to set up or start something so it works well
Example from the episode:: “I'm really curious, what are some things that you have put into place, I know you've made it your own, that you really want to get your students to take away?”
Example sentence:: “We put a plan into place for the project.”

Alex Rodriguez

05/06/2025Episode 201Open companion page

falter (verb)

Definition:: to start to lose strength or confidence and stop being stead
Example from the episode:: “That way, if, if you falter or if you struggle, you can always lean back and try again, edit, cut, and then move forward.”
Example sentence:: “His voice began to falter when he was nervous.”

prowess (noun)

Definition:: great skill or ability in doing something
Example from the episode:: “It's interesting, some people will be fired unexpectedly, but if you're a professional athlete, you know that sooner or later, the athletic prowess will wane and you'll have to do something else.”
Example sentence:: “The scientist’s prowess was clear in her discoveries.”

intimidated (adjective)

Definition:: feeling afraid or less confident because someone or something seems powerful or scary
Example from the episode:: “I'm very excited. A little intimidated by both of you.”
Example sentence:: “I felt intimidated by the big dog.”

work around the clock (idiom)

Definition:: to work all day and all night without stopping
Example from the episode:: “I was working around the clock.”
Example sentence:: “The firefighters worked around the clock during the fire.”

Spontaneous Speaking 2

04/17/2025Episode 198Open companion page

derail (verb)

Definition:: to cause something to not work as planned
Example from the episode:: “And what that means is at any moment, any one of those people could derail what I'm out to do, right?”
Example sentence:: “The heavy rain can derail our picnic plans.”

enunciation (noun)

Definition:: speaking words clearly
Example from the episode:: “If English is their second or third language, enunciation makes such a world of difference to them.”
Example sentence:: “The actor worked on his enunciation for the play.”

sharp (adjective)

Definition:: very quick to notice or understand things
Example from the episode:: “And as you're about to hear, he knows a thing or two about staying sharp in the moment.”
Example sentence:: “A sharp mind helps in difficult tests.”

take a beat (idiom)

Definition:: to pause briefly to think before acting
Example from the episode:: “If you need a moment to think, just take a beat.”
Example sentence:: “I took a beat before answering the question.”

Spontaneous Speaking 1

04/15/2025Episode 197Open companion page

despise (verb)

Definition:: to strongly dislike someone or something
Example from the episode:: “And I've been asked so many times, well, why do you like doing this thing, this thing that most people absolutely despise?”
Example sentence:: “The teacher despises poor behavior.”

acronym (noun)

Definition:: a word formed from the first letters of other words
Example from the episode:: “Every second that you spend thinking about, oh, what does that acronym mean, is a second that you're not spending on understanding what is being said and interpreting it.”
Example sentence:: “NASA is an acronym for a space agency.”

diplomatic (adjective)

Definition:: being careful and kind with words to avoid conflict
Example from the episode:: “But what if your job came with the pressure of one wrong word sparking diplomatic disaster?”
Example sentence:: “She gave a diplomatic answer when asked a hard question.”

pull the trigger (idiom)

Definition:: to take immediate action without overthinking
Example from the episode:: “You know, the overthinkers make mistakes at the same rate as the people that are quick to pull the trigger.”
Example sentence:: “When the chance came, he pulled the trigger on his idea.”

Spontaneous Speaking 3

04/15/2025Episode 199Open companion page

dwell (verb)

Definition:: to keep thinking about something for a long time, especially something sad or bad
Example from the episode:: “You can't allow yourself to dwell in what happened in the past because that's going to cloud what's happening in the future.”
Example sentence:: “He dwells too much on problems instead of finding solutions.”

mishap (noun)

Definition:: a small accident or mistake that causes some trouble
Example from the episode:: “So in this episode, our coaches will cover their most important lessons for how to deal with and manage the challenges that come from mishaps.”
Example sentence:: “We learned from the mishap and tried harder next time.”

integral (adjective)

Definition:: very important and needed to make something complete or work well
Example from the episode:: “Our talented team of coaches is made up of people for whom talking on the spot is integral to what they do for a living.”
Example sentence:: “Reading is an integral part of learning English.”

bring the room down (idiom)

Definition:: to make everyone in a group feel sad or unhappy
Example from the episode:: “Let's say somebody says something that is just the wrong tone, and it brings the room down.”
Example sentence:: “The bad news brought the room down quickly.”

LinkedIn Live 200th Episode

04/15/2025Episode 200Open companion page

bombard (verb)

Definition:: to send many things, like questions or messages, to someone quickly
Example from the episode:: “Many of us are constantly being bombarded with information, requests for our time.”
Example sentence:: “They bombard the teacher with questions.”

milestone (noun)

Definition:: an important event or time in a person’s life or project
Example from the episode:: “It's so exciting to have hit this milestone.”
Example sentence:: “Graduating is a big milestone for students.”

panicked (adjective)

Definition:: feeling very scared or worried suddenly
Example from the episode:: “If I don't know it, I'm panicked.”
Example sentence:: “She was panicked when she lost her keys.”

bottom line (idiom)

Definition:: the most important idea or fact
Example from the episode:: “You want to test them with others and ultimately make sure that your bottom line is up front.”
Example sentence:: “The bottom line is we need to finish today.”

Lindsay McMahon

04/08/2025Episode 196Open companion page

encapsulate (verb)

Definition:: to express an idea completely in a few words
Example from the episode:: “And this also encapsulates culture too, right?”
Example sentence:: “He tried to encapsulate his thoughts in the summary.”

nuance (noun)

Definition:: a subtle difference in meaning, tone, or expression
Example from the episode:: “I'd like to ask a little bit about idioms and nuance, and I wanna share a story with you and have you, perhaps, augment this.”
Example sentence:: “He noticed a nuance in the two similar words.”

well-versed (adjective)

Definition:: having a lot of knowledge or experience in a specific area
Example from the episode:: “Her All Ears English Podcast is wildly successful and incredibly helpful to anyone wishing to improve their English as a non-native speaker or someone who is well-versed in English.”
Example sentence:: “He became well-versed in computer skills over the years.”

catch 22 (idiom)

Definition:: a difficult situation where the conditions make it impossible to win
Example from the episode:: “So it's a bit of a catch 22, and that's why what we do on our show and just broadly, I think is a really good idea, is to shift the focus to something a little bit deeper rather than just ourselves and our confidence levels.”
Example sentence:: “Looking for a job without experience is a catch 22.”

Me2We 2025 - Episode 2

04/03/2025Episode 195Open companion page

pivot (verb)

Definition:: to change direction or focus in a new way
Example from the episode:: “She also teaches classes on pivoting and reputation management.”
Example sentence:: “Our team had to pivot when the plan did not work.”

pluralism (noun)

Definition:: a system that values many different ideas and groups
Example from the episode:: “And one thing I've learned is that our teams are great in creating a culture of pluralism.”
Example sentence:: “Our school celebrates pluralism by welcoming diverse voices.”

esteemed (adjective)

Definition:: considered to be highly respected or valued
Example from the episode:: “We have four esteemed panelists here, Allison, Christian, Nir, and Naomi.”
Example sentence:: “The artist was esteemed for her creative work.”

without further ado (idiom)

Definition:: used to start something immediately without delay
Example from the episode:: “Without further ado, welcome to our live version of Think Fast, Talk Smart.”
Example sentence:: “Without further ado, let’s begin our class.”

Me2We 2025 - Episode 1

04/01/2025Episode 194Open companion page

differentiate (verb)

Definition:: to show how things are different from each other
Example from the episode:: “I want to kind of focus on reputation or maybe perception and how you can help to differentiate when it's you or the room you're in.”
Example sentence:: “The scientist can differentiate many types of plants.”

caricature (noun)

Definition:: a drawing or description that exaggerates a person's features to make them look funny
Example from the episode:: “I feel like it's so easy for many of us, it is for me, to, in my mind, hold caricatures of the other side, whatever that side may be.”
Example sentence:: “In the newspaper, there was a funny caricature of a politician.”

receptive (adjective)

Definition:: open and willing to listen to new ideas
Example from the episode:: “This type of receptive dialogue makes people more receptive to us as well.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher was very receptive to our suggestions.”

at play (idiom)

Definition:: describing something that is actively influencing a situation
Example from the episode:: “So how can we embrace that discomfort and perhaps be a bridge to others while there's discomfort at play?”
Example sentence:: “Many ideas were at play in the creative workshop.”

Ada Aka

03/18/2025Episode 191Open companion page

mimic (verb)

Definition:: to copy or imitate someone or something
Example from the episode:: “That being said, if we look at more constrained, very high internal validity or lab environments with words and word lists, the memory dynamics actually mimic how people remember in everyday life as well.”
Example sentence:: “He tries to mimic his favorite singer’s voice.”

slogan (noun)

Definition:: a short phrase used to advertise or represent a brand or idea
Example from the episode:: “There we find that alignment and fit between a brand's personality and values, perhaps, as well as the message that this little multi-phrase or a singular sentence slogan gives and how those two fit with one another seems to be one of the more important factors.”
Example sentence:: “Our club has a fun slogan that we love.”

complex (adjective)

Definition:: made up of many parts or difficult to understand
Example from the episode:: “And then methodologically, I'm a researcher, so one of the advantages of words and word lists is that over the years, what we have found is everyday experiences and memories are quite complex.”
Example sentence:: “The instructions for the game are complex.”

building block (idiom)

Definition:: a basic part that helps create something larger or more important
Example from the episode:: “We can say that words are the building blocks of how we perceive the environment that's around us.”
Example sentence:: “Small ideas can be the building blocks of a big plan.”

Dan Heath

03/11/2025Episode 190Open companion page

simulate (verb)

Definition:: to copy or imitate a process or behavior
Example from the episode:: “You tell a story of some customer who got an extraordinary service experience as another employee hearing that story, you're able to simulate: ‘What if it had been me doing that?’”
Example sentence:: “The computer program can simulate a weather system.”

inertia (noun)

Definition:: the tendency to keep doing what you're already doing, even if you need to change
Example from the episode:: “You talk about how we can break free from the inertia that keeps us doing the same things we've always done.”
Example sentence:: “Habits can have inertia, making it hard for us to change them.”

disproportionate (adjective)

Definition:: not matching in size, amount, or degree
Example from the episode:: “Leverage points are an absolute core theme of the book, and they are defined as places where a little bit of effort yields a disproportionate return.”
Example sentence:: “The price of the snack was disproportionate to its small size.”

shift the curve (idiom)

Definition:: to change a situation or trend in a significant and positive way
Example from the episode:: “If we can get to the bottom of what makes them so satisfied, so purposeful, maybe we'll learn things that would help shift the curve for everyone.”
Example sentence:: “Exercising regularly can shift the curve of your health.”

Miro Kazakof

03/04/2025Episode 189Open companion page

numb (verb)

Definition:: to feel unable to react or feel emotions due to shock or distress
Example from the episode:: “When it comes to communication and persuasion, numbers can be your friend, but you don't want to use numbers in a way that numb your audience.”
Example sentence:: “The team was numb after losing the championship game.”

magnitude (noun)

Definition:: a measure of how big or powerful something is
Example from the episode:: “That context for that data helped me appreciate the magnitude.”
Example sentence:: “The science project measured the magnitude of sound.”

neat (adjective)

Definition:: clever, impressive, or well-executed
Example from the episode:: “And what's neat is it can basically be anyone.”
Example sentence:: “She came up with a neat solution to the problem.”

pet peeves (idiom)

Definition:: things that particularly irritate or annoy someone
Example from the episode:: “So I assume you're like me and you have some pet peeves or concerns.”
Example sentence:: “One of her pet peeves is people chewing loudly.”

Matt Lieberman

02/25/2025Episode 188Open companion page

assert (verb)

Definition:: to state something confidently and firmly
Example from the episode:: “In your work, you assert that our brains are fundamentally social.”
Example sentence:: “She asserted her opinion during the meeting.”

pioneer (noun)

Definition:: someone who is one of the first to explore or develop something new
Example from the episode:: “He is a pioneer in the study of how the human brain processes social information, particularly in understanding how people think about others and themselves.”
Example sentence:: “She is a pioneer in computer technology.”

innate (adjective)

Definition:: something you are born with, not learned or acquired
Example from the episode:: “So while it's innate to being human, the ability to actually take somebody else's perspective, we actually have to really work to make sure that we're doing that, and we have to ask questions and interact.”
Example sentence:: “Animals have an innate ability to find food.”

get out of somebody’s head (idiom)

Definition:: to stop thinking about someone or something
Example from the episode:: “Getting out of our own head, literally, makes a big difference for effective communication.”
Example sentence:: “I can't seem to get that song out of my head.”

Dorie Clark

02/20/2025Episode 187Open companion page

harness (verb)

Definition:: to use something available for a particular purpose
Example from the episode:: “But you've just helped give me, because I suffer from this significantly in my life, you can actually harness that.”
Example sentence:: “We can harness the wind's power to generate electricity.”

reputation (noun)

Definition:: what others think or say about a person, a company, or a thing based on their past actions or qualities
Example from the episode:: “That's really all it is, because having a good reputation generally is a useful thing in business and in life.”
Example sentence:: “His rude behavior damaged his reputation.”

mindful (adjective)

Definition:: paying careful attention to something or thinking about others and their feelings
Example from the episode:: “And to your point, Matt, about leverage, one of the things that I always like to be mindful of is it's hard out there.”
Example sentence:: “She's mindful about spending her savings wisely.”

boil down (idiom)

Definition:: to simplify something to its most basic parts
Example from the episode:: “And I like to actually just kind of boil it down and make it simple.”
Example sentence:: “Their argument boils down to a simple misunderstanding.”

Chris Lipp

02/18/2025Episode 186Open companion page

deliberate (verb)

Definition:: to think about or discuss something very carefully before making a decision
Example from the episode:: “But one of the studies conducted at Stanford, they took two people, one person deliberating on making a decision, like, should we do this, pluses and minuses?”
Example sentence:: “The committee will deliberate and decide next week.”

antithesis (noun)

Definition:: the complete opposite of something or someone
Example from the episode:: “One of the things that, and this is the very first thing I talk about in my book, The Science of Personal Power, is the blame is the antithesis of personal power.”
Example sentence:: “The new policy is the antithesis of our previous goals.”

abstract (adjective)

Definition:: not concrete or definite, often related to ideas or concepts that are complex
Example from the episode:: “So research suggests that abstract language is actually more powerful.”
Example sentence:: “The concept of time can be abstract.”

dodge the bullet (idiom)

Definition:: to narrowly avoid a difficult or dangerous situation
Example from the episode:: “If we do the opposite, let's say we try to dodge the bullet, something bad happens, you know, in work, they say, associate yourself with wins and distance yourself from failures.”
Example sentence:: “I dodged the bullet by catching the mistake before it was too late.”

Guy Kawasaki

02/11/2025Episode 185Open companion page

flunk (verb)

Definition:: to fail a test or a school subject
Example from the episode:: “But you will flunk the glance test because if there's four images, like dolphin, there's a picture of a seagull, there's a picture of Steve Jobs, and there's a picture of the sunset. Oh, what were you saying again?”
Example sentence:: “She was worried she would flunk the course.”

buildup (noun)

Definition:: the preparation or development leading up to something
Example from the episode:: “A lot of people take a long time. There's a lot of buildup and I think that's really important.”
Example sentence:: “The movie had a slow buildup to an exciting ending.”

viable (adjective)

Definition:: possible or capable of being done successfully
Example from the episode:: “And I would make the case that if you think you need more than 10 slides to convince someone you have a viable business, that means you don't have a viable business.”
Example sentence:: “We need to find a viable solution to this problem.”

switch gear (idiom)

Definition:: to change direction or approach in your thinking or actions
Example from the episode:: “I want to switch our gears here and talk about a form of storytelling, which is pitching”
Example sentence:: “After lunch, they switched gears and started brainstorming ideas.”

Kelly McGonigal

02/04/2025Episode 183Open companion page

tame (verb)

Definition:: to bring something under control or to make it less intense
Example from the episode:: “Yet, there are things we can do to tame and reframe our anxiety.”
Example sentence:: “She had to tame her fears before the big presentation.”

willpower (noun)

Definition:: the strength to control your actions and resist temptations
Example from the episode:: “She is also the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct, The Upside of Stress, and her latest book is The Joy of Movement: How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage.”
Example sentence:: “He needed willpower to study instead of watching TV.”

compelling (adjective)

Definition:: very interesting or convincing, making you want to pay attention or believe it
Example from the episode:: “We're opening up our archive to bring you a best-of episode where I speak with Kelly McGonigal, who not only provides actionable ways to feel more calm and confident in our communication, but she shares insights into how backward mapping can help craft compelling content.”
Example sentence:: “The movie had a compelling story that kept us interested.”

at stake (idiom)

Definition:: something important is at risk or could be lost
Example from the episode:: “I have anxiety in moments that matter where I recognize that something is at stake and I want to contribute or I want to do my best.”
Example sentence:: “His reputation is at stake if the project fails.”

Cassie Holmes

01/28/2025Episode 181Open companion page

clarify (verb)

Definition:: to make something clear or easier to understand
Example from the episode:: “And it is so helpful because what it does is it clarifies where you should be investing your efforts.”
Example sentence:: “She tried to clarify the rules.”

barrage (noun)

Definition:: a large and fast amount of something
Example from the episode:: “Then you can use that as that filter of, you know, the barrage of incoming requests.”
Example sentence:: “He received a barrage of emails today.”

lofty (adjective)

Definition:: grand or impressive
Example from the episode:: “It's an interesting thing to ask about because it sounds so lofty of like, what is your ultimate goal in life?”
Example sentence:: “She has lofty goals for her career.”

take something on (idiom)

Definition:: to accept a responsibility, challenge, or task
Example from the episode:: “Can you do this? Can you show up for this? Will you take this on?”
Example sentence:: “I will take on the project next week.”

Hal Hershfield

01/21/2025Episode 179Open companion page

inflict (verb)

Definition:: to cause something unpleasant or painful to happen to someone or something
Example from the episode:: “Would I inflict pain on a loved one?”
Example sentence:: “The storm can inflict damage on houses.”

procrastination (noun)

Definition:: when you delay or put off doing something that you should do, often choosing to do something less important instead
Example from the episode:: “Procrastination is a great example of thinking about the future, but doing it at a very surface level.”
Example sentence:: “She struggles with procrastination every time she studies.”

empirical (adjective)

Definition:: based on observation or experience rather than just ideas or theories
Example from the episode:: “I have not examined that in an empirical way.”
Example sentence:: “The study is based on empirical evidence.”

grease the wheels (idiom)

Definition:: to make things run more smoothly or efficiently, often by helping or giving support where it's needed
Example from the episode:: “So I'll have them write a letter to themselves 10 years ago to almost grease the wheels, because it's a weird thing to do this, and I fully recognize, you know, this is slightly uncomfortable.”
Example sentence:: “Good communication can grease the wheels in a team.”

Anthony Fauci

01/14/2025Episode 178Open companion page

alienate (verb)

Definition:: to make someone feel alone or unwanted, often by being unfriendly or distant
Example from the episode:: “How do you effectively address misinformation without amplifying it or alienating those who espouse it?”
Example sentence:: “They worked hard to not alienate their customers.”

caveat (noun)

Definition:: a warning or a condition that you should keep in mind before doing something
Example from the episode:: “Right, so give a caveat up front that what you're saying is based on the best knowledge of the moment, but things will change.”
Example sentence:: “She gave a caveat about the possible risks.”

crisp (adjective)

Definition:: clear, sharp, and well-defined
Example from the episode:: “The best way to navigate the most challenging communication situations we face is to be crisp, concise, and clear on the needs of our audience.”
Example sentence:: “He gave a crisp answer to the question.”

bake into (idiom)

Definition:: to include something as a basic part of a plan or idea, making it an important or necessary element
Example from the episode:: “So if you know what your audience is, I mean, there are two issues that are, I think, baked into your question.”
Example sentence:: “Let’s bake our ideas into the final plan.”

10 Lessons From 2024

01/07/2025Episode 177Open companion page

solidify (verb)

Definition:: to make something become more definite and clear
Example from the episode:: “I hope this helps you to solidify your learnings and practice so you can evolve your communication skills and approach.”
Example sentence:: “Her speech helped to solidify our team's goals.”

ritual (noun)

Definition:: a set of actions or ceremonies that are done in a specific way
Example from the episode:: “And so right as you walk in, there's a series of tiny little lockers, and there's a ritual where everyone takes out their phone, opens up the locker. Inside the locker is a plug so you can charge it.”
Example sentence:: “She has a bedtime ritual to help her sleep.”

contextual (adjective)

Definition:: related to or depending on the surrounding situation or background
Example from the episode:: “I loved Bob Cialdini's notion of pre-suasion, which refers to subtly directing people's attention to contextual cues, like website images or Zoom backgrounds, that prime people in the direction of our persuasive goal.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher provided contextual examples for better learning.”

get a hold of something (idiom)

Definition:: to understand or grasp a situation, idea, or object
Example from the episode:: “People are thinking like, what the hell does that mean? I don't know what it is. How do I get a hold of it?”
Example sentence:: “It took him a while to get a hold of the concept.”

Bob McCann

12/31/2024Episode 176Open companion page

exaggerate (verb)

Definition:: to make something seem bigger, better, or worse than it really is
Example from the episode:: “And I think sometimes we exaggerate or over emphasize the similarities and or differences in a generation.”
Example sentence:: “Can you stop exaggerating about your achievements?”

initiative (noun)

Definition:: a specific plan or project intended to address a problem or improve a situation
Example from the episode:: “And I think these type of initiatives are really useful, and they don't really cost much money in many cases, right?”
Example sentence:: “The school launched a new initiative for recycling.”

accommodative (adjective)

Definition:: being helpful and willing to adjust to the needs or wishes of others
Example from the episode:: “So for example, you may be over accommodative, you may be under accommodative.”
Example sentence:: “The manager was very accommodative to our requests.”

bucket out (idiom)

Definition:: to remove or clear something from a container or place, like taking water out of a bucket
Example from the episode:: “Years ago, I started looking at age discrimination cases, and we started to bucket out different types of language that we found utilized in age discrimination cases.”
Example sentence:: “She decided to bucket out the old leaves from the garden.”

Toasts

12/20/2024Episode 175Open companion page

tantalize (verb)

Definition:: to excite someone’s curiosity or interest
Example from the episode:: “I'd like to share the audio chapter from my latest book, Think Faster Talk Smarter, where I provide guidance on how to deliver toasts that tantalize and tributes that treat our honorees well.”
Example sentence:: “The promise of a promotion tantalized him to work harder.”

tribute (noun)

Definition:: something given or done to show respect, honor, or admiration for someone or something
Example from the episode:: “We must avoid giving tributes that put us and our honorees in a bad light.”
Example sentence:: “They made a tribute to honor their beloved teacher.”

tangible (adjective)

Definition:: can be seen, touched, or physically measured
Example from the episode:: “We can think of toasts, tributes and introductions as gifts we bestow on our audience and the people or groups we are acknowledging just as we consider what kinds of tangible gifts people might like, want or need.”
Example sentence:: “They need tangible evidence to support their claims.”

Priya Parker

12/17/2024Episode 174Open companion page

democratize (verb)

Definition:: to make something available to everyone and give them a say in how it works
Example from the episode:: “And facilitators and communication experts and sociologists have thought about questions like this for years, but what the pandemic did is it democratized these questions and made everyone have to actually ask, how do we coordinate so that we can be efficient?”
Example sentence:: “This project will help democratize information.”

intent (noun)

Definition:: a purpose or goal behind what someone wants to do
Example from the episode:: “So intentionality is the first step to actually pause and ask and to look what is happening here, and what is my intent, and how do we begin to make something anew?”
Example sentence:: “They showed clear intent to finish the project.”

vague (adjective)

Definition:: not clear or easy to understand
Example from the episode:: “Just the social contract between a meeting, which is sort of a vague term, versus a workshop, right?”
Example sentence:: “She gave a vague answer to my question.”

roll somebody’s sleeves up (idiom)

Definition:: to get ready to work hard or tackle a task
Example from the episode:: “You're already gonna roll your sleeves up.”
Example sentence:: “When the deadline approached, everyone rolled their sleeves up.”

Rethink

12/10/2024Episode 173Open companion page

simmer (verb)

Definition:: to keep feelings or ideas hidden under the surface, building up slowly without bubbling over
Example from the episode:: “And often many of these conflicts, especially when it comes to family and friends, are things that have been simmering and existing for a long while.”
Example sentence:: “Her anger began to simmer beneath the surface.”

autopilot (noun)

Definition:: doing things automatically without thinking much about them
Example from the episode:: “You can't just be on autopilot.”
Example sentence:: “She worked on autopilot while listening to music.”

frustrated (adjective)

Definition:: feeling upset or annoyed because something is not going the way you want it to
Example from the episode:: “Sometimes we're so frustrated we just want change, but we're not sure what that change is.”
Example sentence:: “She felt frustrated when her computer crashed.”

ring true (idiom)

Definition:: something sounds correct or feels real and believable
Example from the episode:: “In this “Rethinks: Best of” episode, we revisit advice from 2021 that still rings true today.”
Example sentence:: “His story didn't ring true; it seemed too exaggerated.”

Marshall Goldsmith

12/03/2024Episode 172Open companion page

conflate (verb)

Definition:: to combine two or more things into one, often confusing them together.
Example from the episode:: “We conflate the two and what I hear you saying is it leads us down a path that will never get us to that goal of happiness.”
Example sentence:: “Try not to conflate personal feelings with professional decisions.”

ethos (noun)

Definition:: the set of beliefs or values that guide a person, group, or culture
Example from the episode:: “The entire Western ethos is you will be happy when you may have seen this art form.”
Example sentence:: “The school’s ethos promotes inclusivity and respect.”

linear (adjective)

Definition:: following a straight path or a clear, logical sequence, like a line
Example from the episode:: “Have a clear linear thought pattern that people can follow and if you have about 20 different things to cover, do it in two different meetings.”
Example sentence:: “Learning isn't always a linear process.”

fall victim to (idiom)

Definition:: to be hurt, damaged, or affected by something bad, like catching a cold
Example from the episode:: “So perspective shifting is important and it means that we have to think about what's important for us and not necessarily just fall victim to what we think is what we're supposed to be doing.”
Example sentence:: “She didn't want to fall victim to scams.”

Hilary Price

12/03/2024Open companion page

incite (verb)

Definition:: to encourage or stir up someone to take action, often in a strong or dangerous way
Example from the episode:: “Many of us have to title our presentations, our meetings, our stories, and think of a title that builds curiosity and incites somebody to want to learn more, and perhaps a title that shares what's to come.”
Example sentence:: “His goal was to incite change and inspire the community to act.”

stake (noun)

Definition:: something valuable or important that is at risk or being affected, like your chances of winning a game
Example from the episode:: “There has to be change, and there has to be surprise, and there also has to be stakes.”
Example sentence:: “She felt a personal stake in the outcome of the election.”

overt (adjective)

Definition:: open and clear, not hidden or secret
Example from the episode:: “I think what's fascinating is we finally found something that AI can't do well, and what humans need to do well, which is to bring in all the implied information that isn't just overt.”
Example sentence:: “The team showed overt enthusiasm during the game.”

start with the end in mind (idiom)

Definition:: to think about your goal or what you want to achieve before you begin a task or project
Example from the episode:: “So it sounds like you start with the end in mind—the result you want: the gag.”
Example sentence:: “It's helpful to start with the end in mind when organizing a project.”

Storytelling Pt. 1

11/26/2024Episode 170Open companion page

spoonfeed (verb)

Definition:: to provide information or help in a very simple and easy way, so someone doesn't have to think much for themselves
Example from the episode:: “And also not spoonfeed your reader because the joy of a cartoon, it's interactive.”
Example sentence:: “Teachers should not spoonfeed students all the answers.”

narrative (noun)

Definition:: a story or account of events, whether real or imagined
Example from the episode:: “So you have a legal case that you build into that narrative.”
Example sentence:: “It's important to build emotions into the narrative for impact.”

disjointed (adjective)

Definition:: not connected or easy to understand
Example from the episode:: “So when people hear the evidence, they get a context to associate with these disjointed facts they're hearing in the course of a trial.”
Example sentence:: “His speech was disjointed and hard to follow.”

fall flat (idiom)

Definition:: to fail completely or to not have the desired effect, especially when trying to be impressive or funny
Example from the episode:: “A story will fall flat if it doesn't have a targeted audience.”
Example sentence:: “His joke fell flat and no one laughed.”

Matt Abrahams

11/19/2024Episode 169Open companion page

revert (verb)

Definition:: to go back to a previous state or condition
Example from the episode:: “It's topics that you could talk about with anyone, which is why we all revert to talking about the weather or ‘How are you?’”
Example sentence:: “He will revert to his old habits.”

pyramid (noun)

Definition:: a shape with a flat base and triangular sides that meet at a point on top
Example from the episode:: “It can be helpful to think about a topic pyramid, and at the bottom of this pyramid is where small talk lives.”
Example sentence:: “We used a pyramid structure for our presentation.”

mundane (adjective)

Definition:: ordinary or just everyday, not special or exciting
Example from the episode:: “I think it's this trodden ground that can be very mundane, but you have to do it.”
Example sentence:: “She found her daily routine quite mundane.”

on the tip of somebody’s tongue (idiom)

Definition:: a person knows something but can't quite remember it at the moment
Example from the episode:: “So that when you are together, it's right on the tip of your tongue to say, like, ‘Oh, how's your dad doing these days?’”
Example sentence:: “Her name is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember it.”

Matt Dicks

11/12/2024Episode 168Open companion page

embody (verb)

Definition:: to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form
Example from the episode:: “You know, I think the first thing people really have to sort of understand and embody is the idea that no one ever wants to hear anything you have to say or show them, unless you give them a reason to do so.”
Example sentence:: “She aims to embody kindness in her actions.”

relentlessness (noun)

Definition:: the quality of being very determined and not giving up, even in difficult situations
Example from the episode:: “And so we identified the theme meaning or message. The theme was consistency, relentlessness, attention to detail, that kind of a thing.”
Example sentence:: “His relentlessness in training led to great success.”

pertinent (adjective)

Definition:: relevant or important to the matter being discussed
Example from the episode:: “All those things are pertinent if you want to tell a great story.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher provided pertinent examples to help us understand.”

on the edge of someone’s seat (idiom)

Definition:: feeling very excited or nervous about what will happen next, usually because of a story or event
Example from the episode:: “You have all the clues the murderer is about to be revealed, and you're absolutely as close to the edge of your seat as possible.”
Example sentence:: “The thrilling movie kept me on the edge of my seat.”

Jeff Small

11/05/2024Episode 167Open companion page

smell (verb)

Definition:: to notice something unusual or suspicious
Example from the episode:: “If there's no connection, the audience can smell it, but there's got to be some reason that it's personal to you.”
Example sentence:: “She smelled trouble when she heard the loud argument.”

practitioner (noun)

Definition:: a person who works in a specific field or profession, especially in areas like medicine, law, or education
Example from the episode:: “Think about the really impressive practitioners that you come across in your life.”
Example sentence:: “She is a yoga practitioner who teaches classes every week.”

congruent (adjective)

Definition:: being in agreement
Example from the episode:: “I really like the advice of reflecting on the value and importance to you, to help you focus, to help bring the right emotion that's congruent with the message.”
Example sentence:: “Their opinions on the project were congruent, which made it easy to work together.”

drive something home (idiom)

Definition:: to make a point very clear or to emphasize an important idea so that others understand it well
Example from the episode:: “I think it's really important. I do try to drive this home.”
Example sentence:: “He wanted to drive the point home that hard work pays off.”

Andrew Luck

10/29/2024Episode 166Open companion page

internalize (verb)

Definition:: to make something a part of your own thoughts or beliefs by understanding and accepting it
Example from the episode:: “You internalize that very early on when you play team sports.”
Example sentence:: “The training helped him internalize new skills quickly.”

camaraderie (noun)

Definition:: a feeling of friendship and trust among a group of people
Example from the episode:: “Many of them are not going to go beyond high school sports, just the way it works, and to learn those skills, camaraderie, timeliness, how to communicate, how to have conflict productively, how to collaborate, how to have a relationship with another person in a meaningful way.”
Example sentence:: “They built a strong camaraderie while serving together.”

profound (adjective)

Definition:: very deep or intense
Example from the episode:: “So that had a profound impact on me.”
Example sentence:: “His words were filled with profound wisdom.”

rise to the occasion (idiom)

Definition:: to handle a difficult situation well or to perform your best when it really matters
Example from the episode:: “You know that you rise to the occasion, you rise to these great moments, but I think you settle to the level of your training.”
Example sentence:: “The team managed to rise to the occasion during the final game.”

Seth Godin

10/22/2024Episode 165Open companion page

propagate (verb)

Definition:: to spread or share something, like a plant spreading its seeds or an idea being shared with others
Example from the episode:: “Can you dive a little deeper into the role of storytelling, and in your perspective, what makes for an effective story beyond the fact that it helps people find value that they can then propagate?”
Example sentence:: “Scientists propagate new ideas every day.”

ruckus (noun)

Definition:: a lot of loud noise
Example from the episode:: “Keep making a ruckus.”
Example sentence:: “Let’s not cause a ruckus in the library.”

visceral (adjective)

Definition:: relating to deep feelings or strong emotions, instead of just thoughts
Example from the episode:: “And yet again, you remind us that a story has visceral components as well, and they have to all be congruent to reinforce what it is you're trying to get across.”
Example sentence:: “The painting evoked a visceral response from viewers.”

make amends (idiom)

Definition:: to apologize and fix things when you’ve done something wrong
Example from the episode:: “But the first rule of Alcoholics Anonymous is you always talk about Alcoholics Anonymous, that principle number nine of making amends means you're going over to people you've interacted with and explaining to them why you're an Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Example sentence:: “It's important to make amends when you hurt someone.”

Best of Cialdini

10/15/2024Episode 164Open companion page

undermine (verb)

Definition:: to weaken or hurt something slowly, often without being noticed
Example from the episode:: “If even one person steals from the forest, it undermines the integrity of the park.”
Example sentence:: “They plotted to undermine the project’s success.”

intricacy (noun)

Definition:: a small, detailed part of something that is complex or complicated
Example from the episode:: “Today, we will dive deeply into the intricacies of influence.”
Example sentence:: “The story’s intricacy kept readers engaged until the end.”

salient (adjective)

Definition:: very noticeable or important
Example from the episode:: “So whichever motivator of behavior, in this case, quality or price was made salient, was was brought to consciousness before they ever encountered the request to choose one or another of the kinds of sofas.”
Example sentence:: “The salient features of the artwork drew much attention.”

move up the ladder (idiom)

Definition:: to advance or get promoted in a job or career
Example from the episode:: “Let’s say you have an idea that you would like to move up the ladder in your organization, because you think it’s a terrific initiative that would help all concerned.”
Example sentence:: “She worked hard to move up the ladder in her career.”

Alan Alda

10/08/2024Episode 163Open companion page

probe (verb)

Definition:: to ask questions or search carefully to find more information about something
Example from the episode:: “I've been told by several people who were actually in the room that they argued for hours to neuroscientists and nanoscientists about the meaning of one word, the word probe.”
Example sentence:: “They decided to probe into the mystery of the missing keys.”

clarity (noun)

Definition:: being clear and easy to understand, whether in thoughts, communication, or appearance
Example from the episode:: “Vividness is very important, and I certainly see how vividness and clarity together can really help someone absorb the information that you're communicating.”
Example sentence:: “The instructions need more clarity to avoid confusion.”

landmark (adjective)

Definition:: very important or significant, often marking a turning point or a key moment in history or an event
Example from the episode:: “You know, there was a landmark meeting of nanoscientists and neuroscientists when President Obama brought together a group to work on the brain.”
Example sentence:: “The landmark event changed the course of history.”

read the room (idiom)

Definition:: to pay attention to the feelings and reactions of the people around you in a situation, so you can understand the mood and respond appropriately
Example from the episode:: “I would love for you then to share with us perhaps a specific experience that you help these scientists work through so that they can learn that, how to read the room.”
Example sentence:: “She knew to avoid jokes after reading the room's tense atmosphere.”

Maggie Baird

10/01/2024Episode 162Open companion page

contemplate (verb)

Definition:: to think about something deeply and carefully, often for a long time
Example from the episode:: “Looking back on the various changes in your career, do you have any insight and guidance for our listeners who might be contemplating making changes in their careers?”
Example sentence:: “It’s good to contemplate before making big decisions.”

equity (noun)

Definition:: fairness or being fair in how things are shared or treated, often referring to everyone having equal access to opportunities and resources
Example from the episode:: “To begin, like, we have an organization, Support & Feed, and we do address food equity and the climate crisis by providing nourishing, healthy, plant-based meals to community orgs who are doing amazing work.”
Example sentence:: “She fought for equity in education for all students.”

kinesthetic (adjective)

Definition:: learning or doing things through movement and physical activities, like using your body to understand or remember something
Example from the episode:: “And so I have a very strong kinesthetic experience of what are the things that helped me and what are the things that made it possible for me to do it.”
Example sentence:: “The kinesthetic approach helps students understand better.”

drop the ball (idiom)

Definition:: to make a mistake or fail to do something that you were supposed to take care of
Example from the episode:: “If you're not trying to address the climate crisis, then you're dropping the ball.”
Example sentence:: “He really dropped the ball by missing the deadline.”

Jen Psaki

09/24/2024Open companion page

tailor (verb)

Definition:: to make or adjust something to fit someone's needs or preferences, like changing a piece of clothing to fit better
Example from the episode:: “And then what I really heard you say is you have to tailor your message to the person or people that you're speaking to so you can get them engaged.”
Example sentence:: “He decided to tailor his resume for the job application.”

agility (noun)

Definition:: the ability to move quickly and easily, especially when changing direction
Example from the episode:: “You need to be present in the moment, and that's what gives you the agility to be flexible in the moment and be able to more effectively communicate.”
Example sentence:: “His agility allowed him to dodge the ball easily.”

informed (adjective)

Definition:: having knowledge or information about a particular subject, so you understand it well
Example from the episode:: “As an informed participant, you know, anyone who is doing an interview or the White House press secretary, you don't just go on television and just start a show, right?”
Example sentence:: “It’s important to stay informed about current events.”

tune something out (idiom)

Definition:: to stop paying attention to it or to ignore it, like when you have background noise but focus on something else
Example from the episode:: “She doesn't know the vernacular of Washington, so when people start talking like that, she kind of tunes it out.”
Example sentence:: “She learned to tune out negative comments from others.”

Russ Altman

08/27/2024Episode 157Open companion page

craft (verb)

Definition:: to carefully create or plan something
Example from the episode:: “Do I know what is important to say and how can I craft it in a way to be helpful?”
Example sentence:: “They will craft a new strategy for the project.”

avenue (noun)

Definition:: a way or method to achieve something
Example from the episode:: “That’s important for all of us to do what the people we work with and the people we socialize with is provide them avenues to explain their passion.”
Example sentence:: “She found an avenue for her creativity in painting.”

robust (adjective)

Definition:: strong, sturdy, or able to last a long time without breaking
Example from the episode:: “I think that this very well stories of what people remember, stories of what people like, it’s actually frustrating because part of my work is statistics and statistics is really much more robust than a story.”
Example sentence:: “They built a robust foundation for their project.”

make the case (idiom)

Definition:: to provide reasons or arguments to support an idea or opinion
Example from the episode:: “Then you have to make the case that there’s an opportunity that you and maybe others, but certainly you have.”
Example sentence:: “She made the case for recycling in her speech.”

Scott Doorley

08/20/2024Episode 156Open companion page

manipulate (verb)

Definition:: to skillfully handle or manage something or someone to achieve a good or helpful outcome
Example from the episode:: “It’s to not manipulate it, right?”
Example sentence:: “She knows how to manipulate data effectively for her research.”

prototype (noun)

Definition:: an early model or sample of something that is created to test and show how it works before making the final version
Example from the episode:: “So that might be looking at how people use things presently, talking to people who are struggling with an issue, creating something which we call prototype to test out and see if it works, if your assumptions are right, where you have breakdowns, and then getting feedback about everything you do.”
Example sentence:: “They tested the prototype before final production.”

thriving (adjective)

Definition:: doing very well, growing strong, or being successful and healthy
Example from the episode:: “Along with Carissa Carter, he wrote the recently released book, Assembling Tomorrow, A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future.”
Example sentence:: “The city has a thriving art scene.”

raise our voices (idiom)

Definition:: to speak out or express our opinions loudly
Example from the episode:: “So, what I’m hearing is that we need to, one, recognize and acknowledge this is happening, and then two, raise our voices and express our concern about it.”
Example sentence:: “It’s important to raise your voice if you see injustice.”

Susan Rice

08/13/2024Episode 155Open companion page

reinforce (verb)

Definition:: to make something stronger or give extra support, like adding more bricks to a wall
Example from the episode:: “I shoot straight, and if somebody is doing particularly well I wanna reinforce that and encourage it, especially if there’s been real progress.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher uses games to reinforce learning.”

grace (noun)

Definition:: the quality of being kind, gentle, and elegant in the way you act
Example from the episode:: “And that’s the same way that I tried to lead my teams and give everybody on the team that same grace.”
Example sentence:: “She handled the situation with grace.”

candid (adjective)

Definition:: being very honest and telling the truth, even if it might be hard to hear
Example from the episode:: “Being direct and candid can help us in the most challenging of communication situations.”
Example sentence:: “I appreciate your candid feedback.”

what you see is what you get (idiom)

Definition:: something or someone is exactly as they appear, with no hidden surprises
Example from the episode:: “I’m very direct, and I think the folks I work with expect that what they hear from me is, what they see is what they get.”
Example sentence:: “With him, what you see is what you get.”

Tara VanDerveer

07/30/2024Episode 154Open companion page

huddle (verb)

Definition:: to come very close together in a small group to stay warm or talk quietly
Example from the episode:: “We huddle up in a circle and I talk to them about, these are our goals today.”
Example sentence:: “The family huddle in the living room to chat.”

routine (noun)

Definition:: something you do the same way every time, like brushing your teeth before bed
Example from the episode:: “Talk to me about the value of routine and how you see that play out in your own life and perhaps how others could benefit from routine.”
Example sentence:: “My morning routine includes coffee.”

succinct (adjective)

Definition:: using only a few words to say something clearly
Example from the episode:: “And it sounds like also you’re thinking about the duration of time you have, and then you adjust the number of items that you talk about in that amount of time, and many of us, in the moment, we feel such pressure that we just start talking, and it comes out in a garbled way that might not be really succinct.”
Example sentence:: “Please be succinct with your answers.”

off the cuff (idiom)

Definition:: speaking or acting without planning ahead
Example from the episode:: “I’ve done a lot of work recently on how to speak clearly and concisely in the moment, off the cuff, and it seems to me that as a coach during the game, you have to be a master of this, be it talking to your team during a brief timeout during a really important moment or making your case to a referee.”
Example sentence:: “The best ideas often come off the cuff.”

Fixable Swap

07/23/2024Episode 152Open companion page

resuscitate (verb)

Definition:: to bring something back to life or make it active again, like reviving an old hobby
Example from the episode:: “So James Joyce called it after wit, which is an old English word that I think we need to resuscitate.”
Example sentence:: “They worked hard to resuscitate the old tradition.”

continuum (noun)

Definition:: something that changes gradually without clear dividing points, like the colors blending in a rainbow
Example from the episode:: “Although you and I, I think, represent opposite ends of that continuum.”
Example sentence:: “Their relationship shifted along the continuum over the years.”

reluctant (adjective)

Definition:: not wanting to do something or feeling unsure about it
Example from the episode:: “And then I would go all the way over to your end where you’ll do it if you have to, but you’re a very reluctant on-the-spotter.”
Example sentence:: “They were reluctant to make a decision.”

get in our own way (idiom)

Definition:: to stop ourselves from making progress or achieving something by our own actions or attitudes
Example from the episode:: “Now we tend to get in our own way and think it’s about us but it’s really about them.”
Example sentence:: “Don’t let fear make you get in your own way.”

Andrew Seamen

07/16/2024Episode 151Open companion page

curate (verb)

Definition:: to carefully select and organize items, like picking the best songs for a playlist
Example from the episode:: “I think that’s really important to think about curating your profile and social presence based on the fact that people might be looking at that way before they meet you.”
Example sentence:: “They curate content for the online magazine.”

blueprint (noun)

Definition:: a detailed plan or guide for building something, like a map for making a house
Example from the episode:: “So it’s almost like you are showing them the blueprint for answering the question.”
Example sentence:: “The teacher provided a blueprint for the science experiment.”

rounded (adjective)

Definition:: being well-balanced and having a variety of skills and interests
Example from the episode:: “And that way when people see you and see your profile, they know, okay, this person is a rounded individual, that they have their instructional knowledge where they’re a professor or maybe they’re an engineer or something.”
Example sentence:: “He is a rounded professional with experience in various fields.”

a deer in headlights (idiom)

Definition:: someone who is very surprised or scared and doesn’t know what to do
Example from the episode:: “So I wanted to ask you about interview presence because I know a lot of people, they go into an interview and they show up and they’re the deer in headlights.”
Example sentence:: “When asked a tough question, he looked like a deer in headlights.”

150th episode

07/09/2024Episode 150Open companion page

amplify (verb)

Definition:: to make something louder or stronger.
Example from the episode:: “So we have to think, will this material simplify, amplify, or clarify something that I’m communicating?”
Example sentence:: “Can you amplify your argument?”

anecdote (noun)

Definition:: a short and funny or interesting story about something that happened
Example from the episode:: “So you might share an anecdote that reveals one point, and then in that same story introduce a new idea to your audience.”
Example sentence:: “I love hearing his travel anecdotes.”

impromptu (adjective)

Definition:: done without any planning or preparation
Example from the episode:: “However, they’re very easy and they’re very helpful for impromptu speeches or a quick Q&A.”
Example sentence:: “Her impromptu performance was amazing.”

beg, borrow and steal (idiom)

Definition:: doing whatever it takes to get something you need or want, often by using different methods or resources, even if they are not ideal
Example from the episode:: “They beg, borrow and steal all the slides they can find.”
Example sentence:: “She had to beg, borrow, and steal to pay for college.”

Dan Pink

07/02/2024Episode 149Open companion page

galvanize (verb)

Definition:: to inspire or motivate people to take action or become excited about something
Example from the episode:: “The purpose of the speech is to galvanize action.”
Example sentence:: “The coach’s speech helped galvanize the team.”

realm (noun)

Definition:: an area or domain, often used to describe a field of interest or activity
Example from the episode:: “However, I do think that there are some principles of that realm that we can extract for other realms.”
Example sentence:: “In the realm of science, new discoveries are made daily.”

performative (adjective)

Definition:: involving actions or behavior that are intended to impress others rather than being sincere or genuine
Example from the episode:: “And so I think that the more we just forget the performative side of saying, oh, this is how official language is.”
Example sentence:: “His apology seemed very performative.”

make it right (idiom)

Definition:: to fix a mistake or correct a situation to make it better
Example from the episode:: “What can I do to make it right?”
Example sentence:: “She worked hard to make it right after the mistake.”

Irv Grousbeck

06/25/2024Episode 148Open companion page

punctuate (verb)

Definition:: to make something you are saying very clear and important
Example from the episode:: “But in hearing how you said it, I actually see how it punctuates the point.”
Example sentence:: “Her dramatic pause helped punctuate the point effectively.”

adage (noun)

Definition:: a short and wise saying that people have used for a long time to share important advice or truth
Example from the episode:: “So there’s an old adage that we like to remind students about, which is when great management meets a bad business, the business always wins.”
Example sentence:: “The timeless adage, “Honesty is the best policy,” guided his decisions.”

bombastic (adjective)

Definition:: using fancy or big words to sound important, but often without much meaning.
Example from the episode:: “They’re bombastic and they are attracted to risk and they’re egotistical.”
Example sentence:: “The politician’s bombastic language did not convince the voters.”

blind side (idiom)

Definition:: to surprise or catch someone off guard, often in a way that is negative or unexpected
Example from the episode:: “Well, I’m surprised that you see this as a blind side.”
Example sentence:: “The scandal caught the administration on a blind side.”

Whitney Johnson

06/18/2024Episode 147Open companion page

slingshot (verb)

Definition:: to move or launch something quickly and forcefully
Example from the episode:: “And it’s a decision that you make to step back from who you are to slingshot into who you can be.”
Example sentence:: “The new technology could slingshot the company to the top of the market.”

disruption (noun)

Definition:: when something interrupts or stops the normal flow or activity
Example from the episode:: “So just like disruption isn’t just about products, it’s about people.”
Example sentence:: “The pandemic led to significant disruption in daily life.”

deliberate (adjective)

Definition:: done on purpose and after careful thought
Example from the episode:: “Well, it’s a process of deliberate self-innovation.”
Example sentence:: “They made a deliberate choice to move forward.”

have a blast (idiom)

Definition:: have a lot of fun
Example from the episode:: “I loved your conversation with Lindsay on All Ears English, and I had a blast when I was on your show.”
Example sentence:: “The kids had a blast at the amusement park.”

Jenny Taitz

06/11/2024Episode 146Open companion page

compound (verb)

Definition:: to combine two or more things together
Example from the episode:: “So this just compounds our stress.”
Example sentence:: “Poor communication can often compound misunderstandings.”

spiral (noun)

Definition:: a situation or pattern of behavior where one’s thoughts or emotions continuously become more negative or intense
Example from the episode:: “I look forward to learning ways that we can exit that spiral to help ourselves be a little less nervous and perhaps even a little more confident.”
Example sentence:: “He tried to break out of the negative spiral of thoughts.”

speculative (adjective)

Definition:: making guesses about something without having all the facts
Example from the episode:: “So you mentioned the sense of agency and so we can spend hours and hours on the why, but what we really need to know is what we could do to start to problem solve why is just speculative, right?”
Example sentence:: “The novel is a speculative look at a future without water.”

on the cusp (idiom)

Definition:: about to happen or very close to happening
Example from the episode:: “At the same time, this is going to help and I’m somehow on the cusp of a breakthrough.”
Example sentence:: “This technology is on the cusp of changing the world.”

Maggie Neale

06/04/2024Episode 145Open companion page

chunk (verb)

Definition:: to break something into smaller, manageable pieces
Example from the episode:: “Well, there’s two different ways to think about chunking.”
Example sentence:: “They chunked the project into manageable tasks.”

concession (noun)

Definition:: something given up or allowed in order to reach an agreement or compromise
Example from the episode:: “I’m quite willing to concede on an issue that’s important to you, especially if it’s not that important to me, in order to get a concession on an issue that’s important to me.”
Example sentence:: “The company agreed to a concession on prices.”

inaugural (adjective)

Definition:: marking the beginning of something, especially the first event in a series
Example from the episode:: “And it even goes back to his inaugural speech, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Example sentence:: “He attended the inaugural event at the new museum.”

in an uphill climb (idiom)

Definition:: facing a difficult challenge or struggle that requires a lot of effort to overcome
Example from the episode:: “And if that’s how you think about negotiation, you’re already in an uphill climb.”
Example sentence:: “Starting a new business felt like being in an uphill climb.”

Amy Gallo

05/28/2024Episode 144Open companion page

hardwire (verb)

Definition:: to be naturally programmed or designed to think, feel, or act in a specific way
Example from the episode:: “I am a big believer that while our natural human instinct is to avoid conflict, because of course we are hardwired for likability and we see conflict as a potential rupture in our relationship or possibly damaging to our reputation.”
Example sentence:: “We are hardwired to avoid harm.”

friction (noun)

Definition:: disagreement between people
Example from the episode:: “I’m often brought in because there’s not enough disagreement happening, there’s not enough feedback, not enough tension or friction.”
Example sentence:: “To avoid friction, they decided not to discuss politics.”

dismissive (adjective)

Definition:: not thinking something is important or worth paying attention to
Example from the episode:: “So I’m sure you’ve been in this situation where you’re in a team meeting and someone disagrees with someone, or maybe is slightly dismissive or just something starts to happen and the whole room just gets tense, right?”
Example sentence:: “Don’t be dismissive of their efforts.”

smooth something over (idiom)

Definition:: to fix a problem or make a situation better so people are not upset anymore
Example from the episode:: “And some people may immediately try to smooth it over.”
Example sentence:: “After the argument, he tried to smooth things over with an apology.”

Ilya Strebulaev

05/21/2024Episode 143Open companion page

permeate (verb)

Definition:: to spread or soak through something completely
Example from the episode:: “What advice do you have for people in the way that they describe the things that they’re passionate about? It just permeates from you.”
Example sentence:: “The excitement seemed to permeate the whole crowd.”

outlier (noun)

Definition:: something that is very different from all the others in a group
Example from the episode:: “It’s going for outliers because at the end of the day, it is outliers if successful that are going to determine our future and will make leaders very successful.”
Example sentence:: “That one tall building is an outlier in this neighborhood of small homes.”

hostile (adjective)

Definition:: unfriendly or harmful
Example from the episode:: “I realized that for many, many decades they’ve been facing very, I would say hostile environment where they face a lot of failures, they face a lot of uncertainty, and they developed in order to survive and succeed, a very different mental model, very different mindset of how they make decisions.”
Example sentence:: “Her tone was hostile during the argument.”

swing for the fences (idiom)

Definition:: trying very hard to succeed, even in a difficult situation
Example from the episode:: “I think it’s what I call swinging for the fences. It’s trying something unusual.”
Example sentence:: “He decided to swing for the fences and apply for the manager position.”

Me2We 2024

05/14/2024Episode 142Open companion page

signal (verb)

Definition:: to send a message or give a sign that tells someone something
Example from the episode:: “It’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to signaling power or status is the simple idea of taking space, taking more space.”
Example sentence:: “Owning a yacht signals strong wealth.”

counterpart (noun)

Definition:: someone or something that is very similar or has the same role as someone or something else
Example from the episode:: “And so it’s really about minding our metaphors and even creating a shared metaphor with our counterparts.”
Example sentence:: “They exchanged ideas with their counterparts from other schools.”

firm (adjective)

Definition:: strong in your decisions or beliefs and do not easily change your mind
Example from the episode:: “We need to really be firm on our own interests and our priorities.”
Example sentence:: “My boss is very firm about meeting deadlines.”

leave something on the table (idiom)

Definition:: not taking or using everything that is available to you
Example from the episode:: “So what’s fascinating is that negotiation happens all the time, but many of us leave a lot of value on the table.”
Example sentence:: “She didn’t discuss salary during her interview and left some potential earnings on the table.”

Linda Hill

05/07/2024Episode 141Open companion page

iterate (verb)

Definition:: to do something over and over again, making small changes each time
Example from the episode:: “Second, it requires that we actually know how to experiment and learn together, that we can iterate and go through that whole process where there are going to be in fact missteps and mistakes, failures in fact.”
Example sentence:: “They iterate the experiment to fine-tune their hypothesis.”

imperative (noun)

Definition:: something that is crucial or necessary to do
Example from the episode:: “Linda is also the author of three important and popular books – Becoming a Manager, Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation, and Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader.”
Example sentence:: “Following safety protocols is an absolute imperative.”

exhilarating (adjective)

Definition:: making you feel very excited and happy
Example from the episode:: “And the final thing is that it turns out that innovation can be fun and exhilarating, but mostly it’s emotionally and intellectually very challenging.”
Example sentence:: “The view from the mountaintop was exhilarating.”

cut somebody off (idiom)

Definition:: to stop someone from talking or to suddenly stop letting them be part of a conversation or activity
Example from the episode:: “You’re going to cut somebody off.”
Example sentence:: “Please don’t cut me off while I’m speaking.”

Burt Alper

04/30/2024Episode 140Open companion page

strike (verb)

Definition:: to give someone a sudden idea or feeling
Example from the episode:: “It strikes me that in preparing for these kinds of interactions, having a stockpile of specific statistics are specific approaches to expand and extend a point would be really helpful to be ready with this different information.”
Example sentence:: “It strikes me that you’ve grown taller since last year.”

pitfall (noun)

Definition:: a hidden or unexpected problem or danger
Example from the episode:: “But the experience of defending your ideas and proposals is hard, and fraught with potential pitfalls.”
Example sentence:: “She warned him about the pitfalls of borrowing money.”

contentious (adjective)

Definition:: causing a lot of arguments or disagreements
Example from the episode:: “If you’re dealing with any kind of information that has a contentious element, or maybe even an unfamiliar element, thinking ahead of time about how that’s going to land with your audience where you might receive the pushback, and making a strategy ahead of time.”
Example sentence:: “He avoided contentious topics during dinner conversations.”

build a bridge (idiom)

Definition:: to create a connection or find a way to overcome a problem or difference between people
Example from the episode:: “And if you can build a bridge right out of the gate, you’re starting off on the right foot.”
Example sentence:: “To improve communication, we should build a bridge with our neighbors.”

David Melnikoff

04/23/2024Episode 139Open companion page

exert (verb)

Definition:: to put effort or energy into doing something
Example from the episode:: “You don’t need to exert effort and self-control to keep going.”
Example sentence:: “The coach urged the team to exert all their remaining energy.”

flow (noun)

Definition:: a state of intense focus and enjoyment in an activity where one loses track of time
Example from the episode:: “He investigates how people pursue and achieve their goals, especially with a focus on flow.”
Example sentence:: “He is in a state of flow while coding”

trance-like (adjective)

Definition:: being in a state where you seem lost in thought or not aware of your surroundings, almost like you’re dreaming
Example from the episode:: “People will be in an almost trance-like state, engaging in this activity that is nowhere near any sort of goldilock zone of challenge.”
Example sentence:: “The repetitive sound of the waves led him into a trance-like state.”

off track (idiom)

Definition:: to be away from the correct path or direction
Example from the episode:: “I think people can get off track by setting goals that are so easy, so attainable that there’s no uncertainty about whether to what extent it will be achieved.”
Example sentence:: “The construction project is off track due to delays in material delivery.”

Graham Weaver

04/16/2024Episode 138Open companion page

assemble (verb)

Definition:: to put things together
Example from the episode:: “But the first one and the most important job of a leader is to assemble a world class team.”
Example sentence:: “After buying the new computer, you’ll need to assemble it.”

plateau (noun)

Definition:: a time when something stops increasing or improving after a period of development
Example from the episode:: “The reason that’s on there is that the thing that is keeping you where you are from your next plateau is something that you either don’t want to do or you fear.”
Example sentence:: “The company’s sales reached a plateau after a rapid growth period.”

tactical (adjective)

Definition:: planned carefully to achieve a goal
Example from the episode:: “So I’ll start off with some things that are a little bit more tactical that may or may not be obvious.”
Example sentence:: “He made a tactical decision to invest in real estate.”

an act of faith (idiom)

Definition:: doing something because you strongly believe in it, even though you are not sure of the outcome
Example from the episode:: “And for me, it took, it was like an act of faith.”
Example sentence:: “Moving to a different country was an act of faith for her.”

Dana Carney

04/09/2024Episode 137Open companion page

land (verb)

Definition:: to successfully get or achieve something you want
Example from the episode:: “That I think really will help us think about how can I best land whatever it is that I am trying to land.”
Example sentence:: “She couldn’t believe she landed the lead role in the play.”

attribute (noun)

Definition:: a quality or feature that something or someone has
Example from the episode:: “What are the behaviors that we can use as tools to express or land a particular attribute?”
Example sentence:: “She had many good attributes, like kindness and patience.”

colloquial (adjective)

Definition:: using everyday, informal language that people use when they are speaking casually
Example from the episode:: “Use colloquial tone of voice with a lot of vocal variability that might be associated with having a good time.”
Example sentence:: “The book was filled with colloquial expressions that were hard to translate”

on sabbatical (idiom)

Definition:: taking a break from work, often for studying or traveling
Example from the episode:: “This year she’s on sabbatical from Berkeley and is spending time with us here in the management group at the GSB.”
Example sentence:: “She couldn’t join our meeting because she’s on sabbatical.”

Julia Minson

04/02/2024Episode 136Open companion page

navigate (verb)

Definition:: to manage or handle something
Example from the episode:: “In fact, since my undergraduate days I wanted to understand how people work together, specifically how they make decisions together, how they navigate disagreement, and when people have different opinions.”
Example sentence:: “Can you navigate through this difficult situation?”

bias (noun)

Definition:: an unfair preference or dislike for something or someone
Example from the episode:: “She explores how people engage with opinions, judgments and decisions that are different from their own and investigates the psychological biases that hinder maximizing the benefits of collaboration.”
Example sentence:: “The news channel was accused of showing bias in its reporting.”

averse (adjective)

Definition:: not liking or wanting to avoid something
Example from the episode:: “I personally am very conflict averse and I try to avoid conflict as best I can.”
Example sentence:: “My cat is averse to taking baths.”

two sides of the same coin (idiom)

Definition:: two different things that are connected or closely related in some way
Example from the episode:: “And it often then leads to conflict and negative emotions, these two sides of the coin, this idea that on one hand it’s good for you, on the other hand people avoided like the plague is kind of gotten me thinking about, well, what can we do to disagree better?”
Example sentence:: “Risk and reward are often two sides of the same coin in business.”

Celine Teoh

03/26/2024Episode 135Open companion page

introspect (verb)

Definition:: to think deeply about your own thoughts and feelings
Example from the episode:: “To truly hone and develop your communication, you have to introspect, reflect, seek feedback and integrate all of that information to improve.”
Example sentence:: “As an introvert, I often prefer to introspect rather than socialize.”

agency (noun)

Definition:: the ability to make your own choices and actions
Example from the episode:: “Now I can pick and choose from, and I have agency.”
Example sentence:: “Maria feels that moving out gives her more agency.”

notorious (adjective)

Definition:: famous for something bad or negative
Example from the episode:: “Well, one example I can bring to you is when I was a student, an MBA at the GSB, one exercise that we ran in “Touchy Feely” is notorious.”
Example sentence:: “She is notorious for being late to every meeting.”

hard done by (idiom)

Definition:: feeling unfairly treated or that something is not fair to you
Example from the episode:: “I felt disappointed in myself. I felt hard done by, resentful.”
Example sentence:: “Despite all her hard work, she felt hard done by because she didn’t receive a promotion.”

Jeremy and Kian

03/19/2024Episode 134Open companion page

entail (verb)

Definition:: to involve or require something as a necessary part
Example from the episode:: “And that usually entails human ideation and prioritization.”
Example sentence:: “Studying in a new country can entail facing many challenges.”

sentiment (noun)

Definition:: what you feel or think about something
Example from the episode:: “Did it have a differential impact on participants’ sentiment?”
Example sentence:: “He expressed his sentiment in a heartfelt letter.”

tremendous (adjective)

Definition:: very big, great, or a lot
Example from the episode:: “The promise of AI is tremendous, yet most of us, if we’re using it at all, are using it incorrectly.”
Example sentence:: “The storm caused tremendous damage to our city.”

bring something into the mix (idiom)

Definition:: to add something new or different to a situation or group
Example from the episode:: “And I wanted to see if we can bring a new technology tool into the mix to get better ideas.”
Example sentence:: “Adding Sarah to our team will bring more creativity into the mix.”

Charles Duhigg

03/12/2024Episode 133Open companion page

align (verb)

Definition:: to make things match
Example from the episode:: “The ability to connect and to align our goals to others is a real superpower.”
Example sentence:: “Her beliefs do not align with mine.”

byproduct (noun)

Definition:: something that is made when you create something else
Example from the episode:: “Yeah, there are people who argue that communication is really just a byproduct of shared empathy.”
Example sentence:: “Smoke is a byproduct of fire.”

engaging (adjective)

Definition:: very interesting or fun that it keeps your attention for a long time
Example from the episode:: “So we actually take a step back, and we say what it’s really about is engaging.”
Example sentence:: “I found the book very engaging.”

take someone’s side (idiom)

Definition:: to support or agree with what a person is saying or doing
Example from the episode:: “I would say, like, why aren’t you taking my side?”
Example sentence:: “She feels alone because no one will take her side.”

Amy Edmondson

03/05/2024Episode 132Open companion page

enact (verb)

Definition:: to put into action
Example from the episode:: “It’s more something that is enacted day by day.”
Example sentence:: “We need to enact measures to protect the environment.”

accountability (noun)

Definition:: taking responsibility for your actions and decisions
Example from the episode:: “This is a really important distinction because psychological safety’s been getting a lot of attention in the last few years and often it’s being misunderstood to mean comfortable or not having high standards or not feeling a sense of accountability to excellence.”
Example sentence:: “Her accountability for her actions gained everyone’s respect.”

dissenting (adjective)

Definition:: disagreeing or not going along with a common belief or idea
Example from the episode:: “It’s hard for someone to offer a dissenting view or it’s hard for someone to ask for help or to let you know the project is not going well.”
Example sentence:: “She voiced her dissenting view during the meeting.”

bite someone’s head off (idiom)

Definition:: to angrily scold or yell at someone
Example from the episode:: “If every time you hear bad news, you bite someone’s head off, that does not encourage psychological safety.”
Example sentence:: “There’s no need to bite someone’s head off over a small mistake.”

Bob Sutton

02/27/2024Episode 131Open companion page

scale (verb)

Definition:: to make something bigger or grow, like a business or project
Example from the episode:: “You have done a lot of research, teaching, and writing about best practices for how companies can best scale.”
Example sentence:: “She hired more staff to scale her bakery business.”

revelation (noun)

Definition:: discovering or learning something new or surprising
Example from the episode:: “Now, there’s also another aspect of scaling, which for us was a revelation.”
Example sentence:: “She had a revelation about her career path during the meeting.”

meta (adjective)

Definition:: when something refers to itself; for example, a story about a story, or a film about making films
Example from the episode:: “I’m going to ask you to get meta for a moment.”
Example sentence:: “In the film, the main character made a meta statement about being in a movie.”

strike a chord (idiom)

Definition:: to cause a strong emotional response
Example from the episode:: “A lot of the difficulty I have with the way corporate leaders communicate their mindset is they tend to use very abstract language that doesn’t strike a chord, or at worst, it’s confusing.”
Example sentence:: “Her book did not strike a chord with most readers.”

Jeff Pfeffer

02/20/2024Episode 130Open companion page

employ (verb)

Definition:: to use
Example from the episode:: “So are there specific nonverbal behaviors or body language, if you will, that we can employ to be seen as more powerful and having higher status?”
Example sentence:: “I decided to employ a new strategy to solve the problem.”

remorse (noun)

Definition:: the feeling of being very sorry for something wrong you have done
Example from the episode:: “Anger is a much stronger emotion than sadness or than any kind of remorse or hesitation or whatever.”
Example sentence:: “He was filled with remorse after forgetting his best friend’s birthday.”

vivid (adjective)

Definition:: clear and detailed
Example from the episode:: “You want to use simple language, forceful language, vivid language, vivid words, and keep it simple and direct.”
Example sentence:: “Her vivid descriptions made me feel as if I were there.”

sneak peek (idiom)

Definition:: a quick early look at something before it’s completely ready or revealed
Example from the episode:: “You were very kind to give me a sneak peek at your upcoming book, and I’m very excited for that to come out.”
Example sentence:: “Can I have a sneak peek at your new project?”

David Brooks

02/13/2024Episode 129Open companion page

foster (verb)

Definition:: to help something grow and develop
Example from the episode:: “I’m curious what drives your interest in this topic, and what role does communication play in fostering the connection you write about?”
Example sentence:: “Their work helped to foster positive change in the society.”

crossroads (noun)

Definition:: a point in your life when you have to make an important decision
Example from the episode:: “So what crossroads are you at right now?”
Example sentence:: “Sophia is at a crossroads, trying to decide whether to start her own company or keep working for someone else.”

aloof (adjective)

Definition:: not friendly or not involved with others
Example from the episode:: “And so I grew up kind of an aloof personality type.”
Example sentence:: “Despite being in a crowded room, she felt aloof.”

imposter syndrome (idiom)

Definition:: when you feel like you’re not as smart or good as others think you are and you worry about being found out
Example from the episode:: “Maybe you have imposter syndrome.”
Example sentence:: “She didn’t share her ideas in the meeting because of her imposter syndrome.”

TSFS LivePart 2

02/08/2024Episode 128Open companion page

hijack (verb)

Definition:: to take control of something without permission
Example from the episode:: “But Amal is asking about an audience hijacking a pitch or a presentation.”
Example sentence:: “He was arrested for attempting to hijack a car.”

boundary (noun)

Definition:: a line or limit that separates two things or areas
Example from the episode:: “First and foremost, in those circumstances, I highly recommend setting some boundaries and expectations at the start.”
Example sentence:: “You should respect the boundaries that others set.”

overarching (adjective)

Definition:: something that includes or influences everything
Example from the episode:: “So let people know you want a few minutes to just get the overarching idea across.”
Example sentence:: “Love is an overarching theme in her books.”

tone deaf (idiom)

Definition:: someone is ignoring or not understanding people’s feelings or reactions about something
Example from the episode:: “If we ignore it, we seem tone deaf, and everybody else sees that because we hear that emotion.”
Example sentence:: “Mike upset everyone with his tone deaf comments about the tragic news.”

TSFS LivePart 1

02/06/2024Episode 127Open companion page

deploy (verb)

Definition:: to start using something
Example from the episode:: “For each one, I’m going to introduce the concept, explain it, then I’ll give an example, and ultimately we’ll talk about how to deploy these to help you be more focused.”
Example sentence:: “The company will deploy new policies starting next month.”

antidote (noun)

Definition:: a medicine that helps to stop the harmful effects of a poison
Example from the episode:: “The only antidote to the curse of knowledge and the curse of passion is empathy.”
Example sentence:: “The scientist is working on an antidote for the virus.”

dumbfounded (adjective)

Definition:: being so surprised that you cannot speak
Example from the episode:: “And many of our students were dumbfounded.”
Example sentence:: “The magician’s trick left me completely dumbfounded.”

hit it out of the park (idiom)

Definition:: to do something really well or perfectly
Example from the episode:: “Here in the United States, we use lots of sports analogies: Hit it out of the park; push it across the goal line; it’s a slam dunk.”
Example sentence:: “If you study hard for your test, you’ll hit it out of the park.”

Elise Keith

01/23/2024Episode 125Open companion page

channel (verb)

Definition:: to direct something, like thoughts, energy or resources, towards a particular goal or outcome
Example from the episode:: “Everything in an organization’s communication architecture is really designed to channel three things, right?”
Example sentence:: “You need to channel your anger into something positive.”

resolution (noun)

Definition:: a firm decision someone makes to do or not do something
Example from the episode:: “Three people take the first one, three people take the second one, three people take the third one, and they work on them in parallel at the same time coming to a suggested resolution.”
Example sentence:: “Her resolution was to read a book every month.”

wishy-washy (adjective)

Definition:: unclear or not firm in decision or behavior
Example from the episode:: “Because when things are wishy-washy and messy, being in the room so that we can interrupt each other and overlap and read that body language really, really well helps.”
Example sentence:: “Her wishy-washy response did not help us make a decision.”

crack the code (idiom)

Definition:: figuring out a solution to a challenging problem
Example from the episode:: “I’m excited to have you help us crack the code on effective meetings, Elise.”
Example sentence:: “After studying for hours, Tom finally managed to crack the code of the complex mathematical equation.”

Joe Allen & Karin Reed

01/16/2024Episode 124Open companion page

validate (verb)

Definition:: to recognize or value something as important or correct
Example from the episode:: “The first one is validating all forms of participation.”
Example sentence:: “Society should validate all cultures and traditions.”

ally (noun)

Definition:: a friend or someone who supports and helps you
Example from the episode:: “And even doing things like creating in-room allies where, okay, Bob, you be the in-room ally for Joe because Joe is attending virtually today.”
Example sentence:: “The superhero found an unexpected ally in his fight against crime.”

perpetuating (adjective)

Definition:: continuing something or making it last longer
Example from the episode:: “And so it becomes this perpetuating cycle of, I don’t like meetings, you don’t like meetings, let’s go grab a beer and talk about how horrible and awful our meetings are.”
Example sentence:: “The media plays a major role in perpetuating these stereotypes.”

have the floor (idiom)

Definition:: it’s your turn to speak in a group or meeting
Example from the episode:: “And then suddenly they have the floor.”
Example sentence:: “Does anyone else want to have the floor before we end the meeting?”

Jacob Morgan

12/26/2023Episode 121Open companion page

cement (verb)

Definition:: to make something stronger
Example from the episode:: “And then I also heard you say we have to think about the stories that we tell ourselves and the stories that we tell others. to really help cement our intention for what it is we’re striving to achieve.”
Example sentence:: “He wants to cement his place in the team with excellent performances.”

competence (noun)

Definition:: being good at something or having the skills to do it well
Example from the episode:: “In the class I teach, we talk a lot about warmth and competence and how you have to balance those out.”
Example sentence:: “Sarah showed her competence by finishing the project early.”

implicit (adjective)

Definition:: understood but not directly said or explained
Example from the episode:: “And in the second scenario, the relationship is implicit.”
Example sentence:: “The rules were not stated, but they were implicit.”

level the playing field (idiom)

Definition:: to make a situation fair for everyone
Example from the episode:: “And one of the visuals that I have in the book is this idea of leveling the playing field.”
Example sentence:: “Free education aims to level the playing field for every child.”

Alia Crum

12/12/2023Episode 119Open companion page

thrive (verb)

Definition:: to grow, develop, or be successful
Example from the episode:: “How do we help people thrive and function under stress?”
Example sentence:: “Business can thrive in a healthy economy.”

upbringing (noun)

Definition:: the way your parents or guardians raise you from when you’re a baby to when you become an adult
Example from the episode:: “I just mentioned that a lot of what I employ in my life to be a good communicator, be as high functioning as I can, comes from my upbringing and learning from him around centering and working with energy and connecting to one’s highest purpose.”
Example sentence:: “The sisters had a very traditional upbringing.”

debilitating (adjective)

Definition:: making someone very weak or sick
Example from the episode:: “That’s what we’ve been focused on. And what we’ve found is that if you kind of go back into those core assumptions, what you realize is that most people have the mindset that stressful situations are inherently debilitating.”
Example sentence:: “The flu was so debilitating that I couldn’t leave my bed.”

loom large (idiom)

Definition:: something appears big, important, or threatening, especially regarding a future event or situation
Example from the episode:: “When it comes to communication, stress and anxiety loom really large.”
Example sentence:: “Global warming continues to loom large over our environmental concerns.”

Dorie Clark

12/05/2023Episode 118Open companion page

harness (verb)

Definition:: to use something available for a particular purpose
Example from the episode:: “But you’ve just helped give me, because I suffer from this significantly in my life, you can actually harness that.”
Example sentence:: “We can harness the wind’s power to generate electricity.”

reputation (noun)

Definition:: what others think or say about a person, a company, or a thing based on their past actions or qualities
Example from the episode:: “That’s really all it is, because having a good reputation generally is a useful thing in business and in life.”
Example sentence:: “His rude behavior damaged his reputation.”

mindful (adjective)

Definition:: paying careful attention to something or thinking about others and their feelings
Example from the episode:: “And to your point, Matt, about leverage, one of the things that I always like to be mindful of is it’s hard out there.”
Example sentence:: “She’s mindful about spending her savings wisely.”

boil down (idiom)

Definition:: to simplify something to its most basic parts
Example from the episode:: “And I like to actually just kind of boil it down and make it simple.”
Example sentence:: “Their argument boils down to a simple misunderstanding.”

Shane O’Mara

11/28/2023Episode 117Open companion page

augment (verb)

Definition:: to make something bigger or better
Example from the episode:: “But you have to suppress your own tendency to want to augment the question.”
Example sentence:: “He used a microphone to augment his voice during the presentation.”

rapport (noun)

Definition:: a friendly connection or relationship where people understand and communicate well with each other
Example from the episode:: “And a whole variety of data now show that if you’re able to establish a condition of rapport with another individual, that is, you engage in active, respectful listening.”
Example sentence:: “He has a strong rapport with his mentor.”

evocative (adjective)

Definition:: able to bring strong images, feelings, or memories to mind
Example from the episode:: “And allowing people through the use of evocative language to journey backwards, to re-center in the present, and then imagine that the future is going to be better than the present is I think something that the great orators kind of intuit already.”
Example sentence:: “The evocative smell of freshly baked bread reminded her of her grandmother’s kitchen.”

get a bad rap (idiom)

Definition:: being judged or criticized unfairly
Example from the episode:: “I think gossip gets a bad rap.”
Example sentence:: “Snakes get a bad rap, but most are not dangerous.”

Matt Abrahams

11/21/2023Episode 116Open companion page

leverage (verb)

Definition:: to use something you have to help you do something more easily
Example from the episode:: “One of the best ways to be concise and clear is to leverage structure.”
Example sentence:: “They aim to leverage social media for marketing.”

misnomer (noun)

Definition:: a name that doesn’t properly fit what it describes
Example from the episode:: “Small talk, I think, is actually a misnomer.”
Example sentence:: “Naming that peaceful dog ‘Killer’ is a complete misnomer.”

reflexive (adjective)

Definition:: automatic or without thought
Example from the episode:: “These are simple, reflexive ways to get started, but they actually don’t take you very far.”
Example sentence:: “He nodded his head without thinking, like a reflexive ‘yes’ during the talk.”

run its course (idiom)

Definition:: when something has finished or ended naturally
Example from the episode:: “As you’re drawing near to the end of the conversation, either because you need to leave, you want to leave or the conversation has sort of run its course.”
Example sentence:: “The meeting ran its course in just 30 minutes.”

Szu-chi Huang

11/14/2023Episode 115Open companion page

embark (verb)

Definition:: to begin something, often a journey or trip
Example from the episode:: “And when I get really excited with friends and others, and we’re going to go embark on this if it’s doing some kind of exercise or losing weight, and after I’ve been doing it a little while, I do get that insecurity, like, can I keep this up?”
Example sentence:: “She’s excited to embark on her new project.”

guts (noun)

Definition:: being brave, especially when something is scary or difficult
Example from the episode:: “And you teach a class, and I love the name, it’s called ‘The Brains and Guts of Decision-Making’.”
Example sentence:: “You need guts to speak in front of a large crowd.”

counterintuitive (adjective)

Definition:: something that doesn’t seem right or make sense at first, but is actually true or correct
Example from the episode:: “Oh, I love counterintuitive things.”
Example sentence:: “For some, being kind to those who hurt you may sound counterintuitive.”

zero-sum game (idiom)

Definition:: when someone’s win is someone else’s loss, like sharing a cake – if you get more, others get less
Example from the episode:: “So I have worked more directly look at actual competitions, zero-sum games, where there is an incentive or reward and you have to beat others to get it.”
Example sentence:: “War is a zero-sum game; one country’s victory often means another’s defeat.”

Julian Treasure

11/07/2023Episode 114Open companion page

hone (verb)

Definition:: to make something better or sharper
Example from the episode:: “And in particular, you give guidance on how to nurture and hone our voice.”
Example sentence:: “By practicing daily, you can hone your cooking abilities.”

listing (noun)

Definition:: items written down one after another in a list
Example from the episode:: “Ask what’s the listing.”
Example sentence:: “Please check the listing for all the items you need.”

majestic (adjective)

Definition:: very big, beautiful, and impressive
Example from the episode:: “But I think Ken, because he combines humor, often very self-effacing humor, and storytelling in such a majestic way.”
Example sentence:: “She wore a majestic crown on her birthday.”

slippery slope (idiom)

Definition:: when one small action or decision could lead to a bigger problem or situation
Example from the episode:: “And the absence of listening, the absence of conscious listening, tends to put us on a slippery slope, which is enormously accelerated, I think, by the current technology that surrounds us.”
Example sentence:: “Once you start telling lies, it can become a slippery slope.”

Patrick McGinnis

10/31/2023Episode 113Open companion page

outsource (verb)

Definition:: to ask someone outside of your group, like another company, to do some work for you
Example from the episode:: “I just go with what they say, and so the more that you do that, you outsource simple decision-making in your life, you actually build up a muscle around decision-making and FOMO that is very powerful.”
Example sentence:: “Mary suggested that we outsource some tasks to be more productive.”

aspiration (noun)

Definition:: a big dream or goal that you really want to achieve in the future
Example from the episode:: “It’s great, in a sense, because it means that we want more and we have aspirations.”
Example sentence:: “Jane has a strong aspiration to learn the piano.”

inadequate (adjective)

Definition:: not good enough or not enough of something
Example from the episode:: “We don’t know if we would like to go to this place or do that thing, but we create a best case scenario, just like we put filters on social media, and then we compare our present condition to those things and we feel inadequate.”
Example sentence:: “His performance was inadequate for the team.”

in jest (idiom)

Definition:: joking or not being serious
Example from the episode:: “Yeah, FOMO is, it’s a word that we use in jest a lot.”
Example sentence:: “He made the comment in jest, not meaning to upset anyone.”

Matt Abrahams

10/24/2023Episode 112Open companion page

envision (verb)

Definition:: to imagine or see something in your mind, like a picture or dream
Example from the episode:: “I find it helpful to envision mistakes as missed takes in the making of a film.”
Example sentence:: “She couldn’t envision herself as a doctor.”

oomph (noun)

Definition:: the power and energy that makes things exciting and fun
Example from the episode:: “My punches might have looked good, but they lacked enough oomph.”
Example sentence:: “The coffee gave me the oomph I needed to start the day.”

elegant (adjective)

Definition:: beautiful and graceful in a simple way
Example from the episode:: “He doesn’t worry about presenting his every idea in a pre-planned way that his audience will perceive as elegant or perfect.”
Example sentence:: “The hotel had an elegant lobby.”

hit a wall (idiom)

Definition:: you’ve reached a point where you can’t keep going or improve because something is too hard
Example from the episode:: “I once went through a period when I hit a wall – metaphorically, not physically – and didn’t know what to do.”
Example sentence:: “If you hit a wall in your painting project, take a rest and try again later.”

Todd Rogers

10/10/2023Episode 110Open companion page

accommodate (verb)

Definition:: to help someone by adjusting to their needs
Example from the episode:: “So we need to write in a way that reflects and accommodates the reality that people are skimming what we write.”
Example sentence:: “Can you accommodate my request for vegetarian meals?”

gist (noun)

Definition:: the main point or key idea of something you read, hear, or see
Example from the episode:: “And so when we watch with eye tracking, we see the people dart around and they try to get the gist of what we’re saying without reading it closely.”
Example sentence:: “I missed the lecture. Could you give me the gist of it?”

incoherent (adjective)

Definition:: not clear or is hard to understand
Example from the episode:: “People read them both and thought it was incoherent in the shorter one because we just arbitrarily deleted paragraphs.”
Example sentence:: “The book’s plot was incoherent. I could not follow it.”

the jury is still out (idiom)

Definition:: people have not made a decision or final opinion about something yet
Example from the episode:: “I think the jury is still out literally and figuratively, so thank you.”
Example sentence:: “The jury is still out on whether technology improves learning in the classroom.”

Frances Frei

10/03/2023Episode 109Open companion page

incentivize (verb)

Definition:: to encourage someone to do something by offering a reward
Example from the episode:: “It needs to be motivational and incentivize people to want to strive for it.”
Example sentence:: “John’s mom tried to incentivize him with ice cream to do his homework.”

analogy (noun)

Definition:: a way of explaining something by comparing it to something else
Example from the episode:: “I love a good analogy.”
Example sentence:: “In his speech, James often used sports as an analogy for life challenges.”

redundant (adjective)

Definition:: extra or not needed because you already have one
Example from the episode:: “The problem is the more difference we have, the less common we have, and everything that you and I have in common is a little redundant.”
Example sentence:: “Having two similar machines in the factory is redundant.”

common ground (idiom)

Definition:: something that two or more people agree on or share together.
Example from the episode:: “We look for the common ground, and that sounds so good.”
Example sentence:: “The common ground among us is our love for art.”

Dan Klein & Adam Tobin

09/26/2023Episode 108Open companion page

convey (verb)

Definition:: to pass or give something from one person to another
Example from the episode:: “So Dan looked inquisitive and Patricia looked knowing and through our bodies and voices, we’re conveying lots of information.”
Example sentence:: “She conveyed her message clearly.”

takeaway (noun)

Definition:: the main point or lesson you get from a story or situation
Example from the episode:: “So Dan, what was the takeaway you had from our last conversation so long ago?”
Example sentence:: “The takeaway from this experience was to never give up.”

spontaneous (adjective)

Definition:: doing something suddenly without planning it
Example from the episode:: “And one of the things that I think people find really ironic or confusing is you can actually prepare to be spontaneous.”
Example sentence:: “They decided to take a spontaneous trip to the beach.”

a leap of faith (idiom)

Definition:: deciding to believe in or do something, even though you’re not sure what will happen next
Example from the episode:: “For many people listening, that can sound really daunting to take that leap of faith that you’ll get there.”
Example sentence:: “I took a leap of faith when I started a business.”

Jenny Luna

09/19/2023Episode 107Open companion page

strive (verb)

Definition:: to work hard to reach a goal
Example from the episode:: “When we strive to be great, when we strive to be right or perfect in our communication, it actually prevents us from doing it well at all.”
Example sentence:: “She strives to learn a new word every day.”

gratitude (noun)

Definition:: being thankful for the things you have
Example from the episode:: “The first word that comes to mind is gratitude.”
Example sentence:: “I expressed my gratitude to my teacher for helping me.”

mediocre (adjective)

Definition:: just okay, not bad but not really good either
Example from the episode:: “These students have never been told to be mediocre.”
Example sentence:: “The food at this restaurant is mediocre.”

in the hot seat (idiom)

Definition:: being in a situation where you are asked many tough questions or face a lot of pressure
Example from the episode:: “’I’m in the hot seat.”
Example sentence:: “Since Linda came late, she was in the hot seat at today’s meeting.”

Matt's favorite ELL podcasts

Episode vocabulary

2027

negotiate (verb)

tenacity (noun)

sustained (adjective)

get down to something (idiom)

2026

morph (verb)

sucker (noun)

ephemeral (adjective)

solar plexus (idiom)

ground (verb)

nemesis (noun)

ingrained (adjective)

dial down (idiom)

haunt (verb)

bases (noun)

affective (adjective)

someone's heart is in (idiom)

map (verb)

hierarchy (noun)

on-point (adjective)

in action (idiom)

congregate (verb)

gathering (noun)

hybrid (adjective)

band-aid (idiom)

languish (verb)

goodwill (noun)

cardinal (adjective)

off script (idiom)

resolve (verb)

moonshot (noun)

testable (adjective)

a glimmer of hope (idiom)

deepen (verb)

arena (noun)

manipulative (adjective)

play offense (idiom)

lob (verb)

dispute (noun)

snide (adjective)

flare up (idiom)

bridge (verb)

extremism (noun)

divisive (adjective)

tear someone apart (idiom)

modality (noun)

sustain (verb)

precious (adjective)

charged up (idiom)

grill (verb)

authenticity (noun)

timely (adjective)

on the spot (idiom)

coach (verb)

metric (noun)

spectacular (adjective)

pain point (idiom)

strategize (verb)

lifespan (noun)

icky (adjective)

in parallel (idiom)

shove (verb)

thrill (noun)

reticent (adjective)

stand in for (idiom)

oscillate (verb)

banter (noun)

perpetual (adjective)

hit home (idiom)

optimize (verb)

monologue (noun)

contemplative (adjective)

up to the challenge (idiom)

necessitate (verb)

churn (noun)

vigilant (adjective)

chain of events (idiom)