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Ep. 402 – Close reading as the bridge to clear writing
A colleague of mine, Grace Foster, wrote an insightful article for Forbes magazine this summer about the value of English majors in an age of AI. Specifically, she shares the value of “close reading” as a skill that we all should have: slow down, be critical, and understand how to turn good writing into something great. In this episode, I share her perspectives and mine to make this one of your core communication skills.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gracefoster/2026/07/14/english-majors-can-teach-us-how-to-be-indispensable-in-the-age-of-ai/
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- Episode 25 – The BRIEF Lab Annual Report
December 28, 2017
10 min - Episode 24 – An argument against persuasion (and for civil discourse)December 18, 201715 min
- Episode 23 – Senseless note takingDecember 12, 201714 min
- Episode 22 – Conversation highjackingDecember 4, 201711 min
- Episode 21 – Is there power in repetition?November 27, 201713 min
- Episode 20 – Bite your tongueNovember 20, 201713 min
- Episode 19 – Avoiding an audience double standardNovember 13, 201711 min
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- Episode 17 – Quiet timeOctober 27, 201713 min
- Episode 16 – Getting some people to talk more (not less)October 23, 201713 min
- Episode 15 – Confident leaders don’t get itOctober 17, 201713 min
- Episode 14 – The uncomfortable allure of a crucible storyOctober 9, 201714 min
- Episode 13 – Leaders we all love deliver precise praiseOctober 2, 201712 min
- Episode 12 – Knowing if a meeting should’ve been an e-mailSeptember 25, 201711 min
- Episode 11 – Bearing the heavy burden of delivering bad newsSeptember 19, 201714 min
- Episode 10 – Signs your team is not on the same pageApril 11, 201715 min
- Episode 9 – Concise writers are ruthless redactorsApril 1, 201715 min
- Episode 8 – Great messages are as simple as 1-2-3March 28, 201715 min
- Episode 7 – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategyMarch 21, 201715 min
- Episode 6 – Owning a message that’s importantMarch 14, 201711 min
- Episode 5 – Why people struggle to get to the pointMarch 7, 201710 min
- Episode 4 – Hoping vs. knowing your point got across?February 28, 201710 min
- Episode 3 – Does a moment of anger make you rant and repeat?February 23, 201710 min
- Episode 2 – Pitching a bright ideaFebruary 16, 201710 min
- Episode 1 – Job interviews: no time for an interrogationFebruary 9, 201710 min
- Episode 70 – Meeting agenda designDecember 31, 201811 min
- Episode 69 – Hitting mute more often in your lifeDecember 17, 201817 min
- Episode 68 – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?December 10, 201814 min
- Episode 67 – Talking yourself through adversityDecember 3, 201813 min
- Episode 66 – What’s an insight and why do they matter?November 26, 201813 min
- Episode 65 – Sabotaging your organization from withinNovember 19, 201811 min
- Episode 64 – More like tennis, less like golfNovember 12, 201810 min
- Episode 63 – Asking much better questionsNovember 5, 201814 min
- Episode 62 – I couldn’t articulate the strategyOctober 29, 201812 min
- Episode 61 – The failure of open floor plansOctober 22, 201814 min
- Episode 60 – Time to say goodbyeOctober 15, 201810 min
- Episode 59 – It takes a hurricane to get people to talkOctober 8, 201811 min
- Episode 58 – Perception management: facts and feelingsOctober 1, 201814 min
- Episode 57 – Is “time posting” a word?September 24, 20189 min
- Episode 56 – Aim small, miss smallSeptember 17, 201811 min
- Episode 55 – What to do with my hands?September 3, 201810 min
- Episode 54 – Tune into AM 101August 27, 201815 min
- Episode 53 – Motivational speeches might help the other teamAugust 20, 201816 min
- Episode 52 – Tune into FM 101August 13, 201814 min
- Episode 51 – Hating the gift of feedbackAugust 6, 201812 min
- Episode 50 – The Uber talk testJuly 30, 201813 min
- Episode 49 – Saying noJuly 23, 201814 min
- Episode 48 – Curbing a culture of meetingsJuly 16, 201815 min
- Episode 47 – Did that conversation ruin me?July 9, 201814 min
- Episode 46 – Working to get fired or hiredJune 25, 20189 min
- Episode 45 – My father’s three favorite phrasesJune 17, 20189 min
- Episode 44 – Unpacking your e-mailsJune 11, 201813 min
- Episode 43 – Smartphone bans comingJune 4, 201814 min
- Episode 42 – Not valuing a volunteerMay 29, 201814 min
- Episode 41 – A good story breaks a tieMay 21, 201814 min
- Episode 40 – Warning: explicit messagesMay 14, 201812 min
- Episode 39 – Pitfalls of progress reportsApril 30, 201814 min
- Episode 38 – Hey, listen to why it’s so difficultApril 23, 201813 min
- Episode 37 – The single most important thingApril 16, 201812 min
- Episode 36 – Ready, player oneApril 9, 201814 min
- Episode 35 – The dread of silenceApril 2, 201812 min
- Episode 34 – The minister for lonelinessMarch 20, 201813 min
- Episode 33 – Focus, people!March 13, 201812 min
- Episode 32 – When words become worthlessMarch 8, 201811 min
- Episode 31 – An info-junkie crack house (Brain Basics Part II)February 26, 201815 min
- Episode 30 – Penguins on an Iceberg (Brain Basics Part I)February 20, 201814 min
- Episode 29 – Go to sleepJanuary 30, 201815 min
- Episode 28 – Are smartphones addictive brain candy for kids?January 22, 201815 min
- Episode 27 – Training people to ignore a safety briefingJanuary 15, 201814 min
- Episode 26 – Stay tuned. Fans aren’t really.January 9, 201813 min
- Episode 122 – Be my guest: Microsoft’s Jim Lee with Charley ThorntonDecember 30, 201918 min
- Episode 121 – You need a nap, not another appDecember 23, 201912 min
- Episode 120 – Putting up with old people’s stories (ok, boomer!)December 16, 201913 min
- Episode 119 – Managing tough (and great) conversationsDecember 9, 201912 min
- Call Back Episode – Focus, people!December 2, 201915 min
- Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanksNovember 25, 201910 min
- Call Back Episode – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?November 18, 201914 min
- Episode 115 – Noise filters: media consumptionNovember 11, 201914 min
- Episode 114 – Talk-to-talk temptationNovember 4, 201914 min
- Episode 113 – Recommended Reading: The flood is comingOctober 28, 201912 min
- Episode 112 – Does that resonate with you?October 21, 201912 min
- Episode 111 – The basics of trimmingOctober 14, 201910 min
- Episode 110 – Interviews to transition to your next realityOctober 7, 201914 min
- Episode 109 – Is multitasking a mistake or management skill?September 30, 201911 min
- Episode 108 – Present listening and preaching to the choirSeptember 23, 20199 min
- Episode 107 – The connection between comedy and claritySeptember 16, 201915 min
- Episode 106 – Providing senior leaders communication counselSeptember 9, 201913 min
- Episode 105 – Quiet Time: the sweetest soundsSeptember 2, 201915 min
- Episode 104 – The rhythm of repetitionAugust 26, 201911 min
- Episode 103 – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painfulAugust 19, 201913 min
- Episode 102 – Building a better elevator speechAugust 12, 201912 min
- Sounding off on “NOISE”August 7, 201915 min
- Episode 100 – Questions & Answers (Q&A)July 29, 201913 min
- Episode 99 – Practical presentation principlesJuly 22, 201912 min
- Episode 98 – BatchingJuly 15, 201910 min
- Episode 97 – Make a recommendationJuly 8, 201910 min
- Episode 96 – IrrelevantJuly 1, 201912 min
- Episode 95 – Forced to focusJune 24, 201914 min
- Episode 94 – Enduring a culture of long and confusingJune 17, 201912 min
- Episode 93 – The promise of prognosticatorsJune 10, 201913 min
- Episode 92 – Has TED jumped the shark?June 3, 201911 min
- Episode 91 – How to find your voiceMay 27, 201911 min
- Episode 90 – Do introverts have the advantage?May 20, 201912 min
- Episode 89 – When you just don’t careMay 13, 201911 min
- Episode 88 – Communicating when you’re on edgeMay 6, 201911 min
- Episode 87 – Nodding loops: real or imagined?April 29, 201912 min
- Episode 86 – How you show upApril 22, 201910 min
- Episode 85 – Micro-preparationApril 15, 201912 min
- Episode 84 – Napoleon DynamiteApril 8, 20199 min
- Episode 83 – More senseless note takingApril 1, 201912 min
- Episode 82 – Being deliberateMarch 25, 20199 min
- Episode 81 – Clarifying communication preferences, part 1March 18, 201911 min
- Episode 80 – The illusion of immediacyMarch 11, 201913 min
- Episode 79 – Empty the trashMarch 4, 20197 min
- Episode 78 – The single biggest writing mistakeFebruary 25, 201912 min
- Episode 77 – Many meanings of the word briefFebruary 18, 201911 min
- Episode 76 – Why performance reviews crush moraleFebruary 11, 201911 min
- Episode 75 – A lazy man’s loadFebruary 4, 201910 min
- Episode 74 – The loss of civil discourseJanuary 28, 201912 min
- Episode 73 – Why commander’s intent drives subordinates crazyJanuary 21, 201911 min
- Episode 72 – Preparing for chance conversationsJanuary 14, 201911 min
- Episode 71 – It’s a good time to say thanksJanuary 7, 201910 min
- Episode 173– The Daily Scan (Looking back and ahead)December 28, 202016 min
- Episode 172 – FAQ: How to discourage multitasking in meetingsDecember 22, 202013 min
- Episode 171– The LineupDecember 14, 202013 min
- Episode 170 – The uneasiness of great meeting facilitationDecember 7, 202015 min
- Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanksNovember 30, 202010 min
- Episode 169- Be my guest: John Borta, meeting facilitation expertNovember 23, 202033 min
- Episode 168– Losing trust foreverNovember 16, 202013 min
- Episode 167– Take 5 Quiet CardsNovember 9, 202014 min
- Call Back Episode – Being deliberateNovember 2, 20209 min
- Episode 166– The critical role of toneOctober 26, 202013 min
- Episode 165– Creating momentum after a meetingOctober 21, 202014 min
- Call Back Episode – The Uber talk testOctober 13, 202013 min
- Episode 164– My Apple Watch surpriseOctober 5, 202014 min
- Episode 163– Overcoming your fear of public speakingSeptember 28, 202014 min
- Episode 162– WIFM (what’s in it for me?)September 21, 202012 min
- Episode 161– A significant emotional eventSeptember 14, 202011 min
- Episode 160– A better way to prepareSeptember 7, 202012 min
- Call Back Episode – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategySeptember 1, 202015 min
- Episode 159– Crafting a clear problem statementAugust 24, 202014 min
- Call Back Episode – Talking yourself through adversityAugust 17, 202013 min
- Episode 158– Simple vs. complicatedAugust 10, 202014 min
- Episode 157– Too busy for people?August 3, 202014 min
- Episode 156– Creating a culture of brevityJuly 28, 202014 min
- Episode 155 – Being afraid to communicateJuly 20, 202014 min
- Episode 154– Simply pointlessJuly 13, 202013 min
- Episode 153 – Best of: Curbing a culture of meetings & Meeting agenda designJuly 6, 202028 min
- Episode 152 – Resisting the most common communication impulseJune 29, 202012 min
- Call Back Episode – Saying noJune 22, 202014 min
- Episode 150 – The struggle to find time to readJune 15, 202014 min
- Episode 149 – Best of: Facts and feelings & Loss of civil discourseJune 13, 202029 min
- Episode 148 – Is PowerPoint really to blame?June 8, 202015 min
- Episode 147 – New rules in a remote worldJune 1, 202013 min
- Episode 146 – Terrible writers need some helpMay 25, 202010 min
- Episode 145 – Admitting we were wrongMay 18, 202010 min
- Episode 144 – Four false assumptions to avoidMay 11, 202013 min
- Episode 143 – Defining what “virtual” really means nowMay 4, 202012 min
- Episode 142 – VTC’s and me: seeing is believingApril 27, 202014 min
- Episode 141 – That was too briefApril 20, 202012 min
- Episode 140 – Best of: Why is listening so hard & Asking better questionsApril 18, 202030 min
- Episode 139 – The essential qualities of great communicatorsApril 13, 202014 min
- Episode 138 – Forcing the world to pauseApril 6, 202012 min
- Episode 137 – Saying no, not nowMarch 30, 202011 min
- Episode 136 – Best of: Minister of loneliness & it takes a hurricane to get people to talkMarch 28, 202025 min
- Episode 135 – Unified messaging that heals fracture and divisionMarch 23, 202018 min
- Episode 134 – Best of: Limiting your media consumption & the promise of prognosticatorsMarch 21, 202029 min
- Episode 133 – Managing noise in a time of crisisMarch 18, 202013 min
- Episode 132 – That might be the wrong wordMarch 9, 202010 min
- Episode 131 – Storytelling as a valuable tool for teachingMarch 2, 202013 min
- Episode 130 – Creating momentum before a meetingFebruary 24, 202014 min
- Episode 129 – A semi-silent retreat debriefFebruary 17, 202012 min
- Episode 128 – Giving into message fatigueFebruary 13, 202011 min
- Episode 127 – Voicing a frustrationFebruary 3, 202014 min
- Episode 126 – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the dayJanuary 27, 202012 min
- Call Back Episode – Quiet timeJanuary 20, 202013 min
- Call Back Episode – Tune into AM 101January 13, 202015 min
- Call Back Episode – Tune into FM 101January 6, 202014 min
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- Ep. 217 – What’s in a name?December 20, 202114 min
- Ep. 216 – Entrepreneurial lessonsDecember 13, 202114 min
- Ep. 215 – Silent meeting startsDecember 6, 202113 min
- Call Back Episode – Empty the trashNovember 29, 20217 min
- Ep. 214 – Thanksgiving: notes of gratitudeNovember 22, 202114 min
- Ep. 213 – The Quiet Workplace (an essay)November 14, 202115 min
- Ep. 212 – Wrap it upNovember 8, 202112 min
- Ep. 211 – Interesting or essential?November 1, 202114 min
- Ep. 210 – ScatteredOctober 25, 202114 min
- Ep. 209 – Tech timeoutsOctober 18, 202114 min
- Ep. 208 – Talk isn’t cheapOctober 11, 202113 min
- Ep. 207 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 2October 5, 202111 min
- Ep. 206 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 1September 27, 202114 min
- Ep. 205 – Misunderstandings, pt. 3September 20, 202115 min
- Call Back EP – Take 5 Quiet CardsSeptember 13, 202115 min
- Ep. 204 – Misunderstandings, pt. 2September 8, 202113 min
- Ep. 203 – MisunderstandingsAugust 30, 202113 min
- Ep. 202 – Leaving the complaining clubAugust 23, 202113 min
- Episode 201 – Creating a better, SMART BRIEF resolutionAugust 16, 202114 min
- Episode 200 – A time to celebrateAugust 10, 202114 min
- Call Back Episode – Enduring a culture of long and confusingAugust 2, 202112 min
- Call Back Episode – Quiet Time: the sweetest soundsJuly 27, 202115 min
- Call Back Episode – Hitting mute more often in your lifeJuly 19, 202117 min
- Call Back Episode – Defining what “virtual” really means nowJuly 12, 202112 min
- Call Back Episode – VTC’s and me: seeing is believingJuly 5, 202114 min
- Episode 199 – FAQ: How do I build the discipline of brevity on my own?June 28, 202113 min
- Episode 198– BRIEF Meeting Prep CardsJune 21, 202114 min
- Episode 197 – By my guest: Cameron Cruse, R.Riveter Co-FounderJune 14, 202117 min
- Episode 196 – Just three wordsJune 7, 202112 min
- Episode 195 – FAQ: Sharing the BRIEF methodMay 31, 202118 min
- Episode 194 – I’ve Gotta PeeMay 24, 202113 min
- Episode 193 – Be my guest: Hellene Garcia (Neat) on post-pandemic communicationMay 17, 202126 min
- Episode 192 – A primer on “Primer” (my new podcast)May 10, 20218 min
- Episode 191 – FAQ: Managing your mindsetMay 3, 202120 min
- Episode 190 – Speak up, or shut upApril 26, 202111 min
- Episode 189 – Be My Guest – Malachy Walsh InterviewApril 19, 202148 min
- Episode 188 – DRAFT CardsApril 12, 202115 min
- Episode 187 – FAQ: Understanding your audienceApril 5, 202115 min
- Episode 186 – A distorted viewMarch 29, 202112 min
- Episode 185 – Be my guest: Dr. Hans Breiter, Professor of PsychiatryMarch 22, 202130 min
- Episode 184 – Getting to no fasterMarch 15, 202111 min
- Episode 183 – FAQ: Being brief on the spot, away from workMarch 8, 202114 min
- Episode 182 – Stepping away for a minute (from digital devices)March 1, 202114 min
- Episode 181 – The big momentFebruary 22, 202113 min
- Episode 180 – FAQ: Better headlines build a bridgeFebruary 15, 202116 min
- Episode 179 – Daily headlines: 1st and last thought of the dayFebruary 8, 202113 min
- Episode 178 – Be my guest: Aaron Weber, ComedianFebruary 1, 202127 min
- Episode 177 – The morass of time managementJanuary 25, 202112 min
- Episode 176 – FAQ: Tackling the issue of quiet timeJanuary 18, 202121 min
- Episode 175– Phone callsJanuary 11, 202112 min
- Episode 174 – Be my guest: Simon Bureau on culture and communicationsJanuary 4, 202123 min
- Call back Episode – Ep 208 – Talk isn’t cheapApril 3, 202313 min
- Ep. 267 – A year in review and one aheadJanuary 2, 202311 min
- Ep. 266 – Why am I waiting for an empowered conversation?December 26, 202214 min
- Ep. 265 – How do you know if you’re clear and concise?December 19, 202215 min
- Ep. 264 – Finding my quiet spaceDecember 12, 202214 min
- Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefinedDecember 5, 202215 min
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- Ep. 257 – When your bland point needs sharpeningOctober 17, 202214 min
- Ep. 256 – BRIEF Map BasicsOctober 10, 202215 min
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- Ep. 251 – Writing quips & tipsSeptember 5, 202215 min
- Ep. 250 – Give me a sign (do not disturb)August 29, 202214 min
- Ep. 249 – One minute of quiet, please!August 22, 202215 min
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- Ep. 239 – Mental theftJune 6, 202215 min
- Ep. 238 – Quiet Works: new mission and mottoMay 29, 202215 min
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- Ep. 234 – Noise management: No screens neededMay 2, 202215 min
- Ep. 233 – Stuck in a bad conversationApril 25, 202213 min
- Ep. 232 – What if your boss isn’t brief?April 18, 202215 min
- Ep. 231 – Making the most with offsite meetingsApril 11, 202215 min
- Ep. 230 – Permission to pauseApril 4, 202215 min
- Ep. 229 – Meeting attendee bill of rightsMarch 28, 202212 min
- Ep. 228 – Resisting the temptation to check your smartphoneMarch 21, 202215 min
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- Ep. 224 – Lessons in transition (part 3)February 7, 202212 min
- Ep. 223 – Lessons in transition (part 2)January 31, 202215 min
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- Ep. 220 – Breaking bad teaching (part 2)January 10, 202213 min
- Ep. 219 – Breaking bad teaching (part 1)January 3, 202215 min
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