Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques29 Touko 2025

206. Crafting Narratives That Motivate: What’s Your Strategy Story?

Great strategy starts with a question—and a story worth believing in.

A good strategy isn’t just built—it’s told. For Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and author of The Imagination Machine and Like: The Button That Changed the World, strategy and imagination are both deeply communicative processes, rooted in storytelling, curiosity, and the courage to reframe assumptions.

“A strategy is really just a special kind of story,” Reeves explains. “It begins with the present and aspires to a different future—it’s fiction made actionable.” To bring that fiction to life, leaders must involve their teams in a co-creative journey and use thoughtful questions to shape not just ideas, but belief and action.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reeves joins Matt Abrahams to explore how communication fuels strategic thinking, innovation, and organizational reinvention. He outlines his six-step framework for imagination—from embracing anomalies to codifying and continuing ideas—and underscores the role of reframing, deep listening, and even levity in solving complex problems. Together, they unpack how a single “like” button changed our digital behaviors—and what it teaches us about influence and attention today.

Episode Reference Links:

Martin Reeves
Martin’s Books: Like / The Imagination Machine
Ep.71 Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

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Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(00:57) - Using Story in Strategy
(03:38) - Questions as a Communication Technology
(04:53) - The Six Steps to Harnessing Imagination
(09:14) - The “7 Cs” of Imagination and Communication
(10:46) - Reframing as a Creative Tool
(12:49) - The Like Button: Origin and Evolution
(14:52) - Brain Chemistry Behind Digital Liking
(16:50) - The Final Three Questions
(21:37) - Conclusion

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327. The Human Reset: Reclaiming Authenticity in the Age of AI

“Our imperfections reveal that we’re human.”As AI makes it easier to polish our words, how do we prove that our communication is actually our own? For Matt Abrahams, the answer isn’t to avoid AI, but ...

28 Syys 25min

326. Rethinks: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI

“Most teams leave the vast majority of their innovation potential on the table.”If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll likely be disappointed. But treat it like a teammate, and Je...

24 Syys 25min

325. Message Market Fit: Turning Great Ideas Into Communication That Lands

“No one cares about us, our company, our products. We have to make them care, and for that, we need the right words.”Great work doesn’t always speak for itself. For communication strategist and author...

21 Syys 19min

324. Rethinks: Defining Where We Want AI To Take Us

“If you're worried that a ChatGPT type tool can replace you, you need to [ask]: Why am I communicating? What am I trying to say? Am I being authentic?”Artificial intelligence can now do a lot of thing...

17 Syys 23min

323. Turn Up the Heat: Make Conflict More Constructive

“I’m not saying necessarily fight more, I’m saying fight better.”Conflict doesn’t have to mean avoidance or escalation. Priya Parker, expert facilitator, strategic advisor and author of The Art of Fig...

14 Syys 24min

322. Talk Back: Why Arguing With Yourself Can Help You Flourish

“What you think is not gospel.”Can arguing with yourself make you happier? Martin Seligman, positive psychology pioneer and author of Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress, says our nega...

10 Syys 21min

321. The Respect Effect: What Stereotype Threat Teaches Us About Communication

“Everybody you interact with needs that signal of respect.”Feeling seen and respected can shape how we communicate and connect with others. For Stanford social psychologist and author of Churn: The Te...

7 Syys 20min

320. Quick Thinks: How to Prepare, Stand Out, and Ace Your Interview

“The ability to handle yourself in interviews and other high-pressure situations can make the difference in getting the job and achieving your goals.”A successful interview is more than answering ques...

3 Syys 17min