All Episodes
Just Saying - The BRIEF Lab — 427 episodes
Ep. 403 – Answering tough questions
Ep. 402 – Close reading as the bridge to clear writing
Ep. 401 – AI and becoming the editor-in-chief
Ep. 400 – My “humanity first” AI philosophy
Ep. 399 – The Fear of Dumbing it Down
Ep. 398 – Changing the “R” in a BRIEF Map
Ep. 397 – The Point isn’t the Punchline
Ep. 396 – Six PowerPoint Presentation Pivots
Ep. 395 – Let people talk (stop finishing their sentences)
Ep. 394 – Be a gossip for good
Ep. 393 – Is your identity at risk with AI?
Ep. 392 – Say the most important thing first
Ep. 391 – How to make a boring topic interesting
Ep. 390 – Getting people to admit they have a problem
Ep. 389 – Why you need to avoid context camping
Ep. 388 – SPEAR: a new verbal method to sharpen your point
Ep. 387 – Reimagining your next offsite
Ep. 386 – The Power of Proactive Advocacy
Ep. 385 – It’s better to be interested than interesting
Ep. 384 – The Loneliness of Excellence
Ep. 383 – Jumpstarting Innovation in a Single Day
Ep. 382 – Pulling a U-turn in a Conversation
Ep. 381 – Having the meeting end(ing) in mind
Ep. 380 – The B.E.S.T. Meeting Method
Ep. 379 – Your boss doesn’t have time for you
Ep. 378 – Roles, recommendations, and re-caps
Ep. 377 – You’re speaking dolphin
Ep. 376 – What’s the cost of confusion?
Ep. 375 – Defining your communication preference (no more guessing)
Ep. 374 – BRIEF Team Builder: a new annual subscription service
Ep. 373 – What’s your signal-to-noise ratio?
Call Back Episode – 209 Tech Timeouts
Ep. 372 – You’re better left alone
Ep. 371 – Meeting participants (and potted plants)
Ep. 370 – Making key conversations count (the 6 T’s)
Ep. 369 – You’re all over the place
Ep. 368 – Sharing crucible stories
Ep. 367 – Becoming a thought leader (not a thoughtless one)
Ep. 366 – Working with AI slowly and quietly
Ep. 365 – An imperfect guide to generational communication differences
Ep. 364 – Botching your day-to-day conversations
Ep. 363 – Know-it-alls
Ep. 362 – Challenge: A Quiet Workday (once a month)
Ep. 361 – The Power of the Pause
Ep. 360 – Giving my audience a voice (is this our last season?)
Ep. 359 – My discovery of Quiet Selling
Ep. 358 – Why gratitude is so grounding
Ep. 357 – How I prepare for a podcast
Ep. 356 – Showing up late and unprepared
Ep. 355 – How to end a meeting like you meant it
Ep. 354 – Why it’s not all about books
Ep. 353 – When your mission changes, why doesn’t your message?
Ep. 352 – Q&A on the book “Quiet Works” (part 3)
Ep. 351 – Q&A on the Book “Quiet Works” (part 2)
Ep. 350 – Q&A on the Book “Quiet Works” (part 1)
Ep. 349 – Managing Expectations (Two Words When I Saw Plymouth Rock)
Ep. 348 – Three questions to improve your next one-on-one
Ep. 347 – Do you do deep work?
Ep. 346 – Defining your most pressing priority (MPP)
Ep. 345 – Why does BLUF frequently turn into BLAB?
Ep. 344 – How you might abuse a few minutes of free time
Ep. 343 – Three Lies about Collaboration
Ep. 342 – Giving Bad Advice
Ep. 341 – Adages, Aphorisms and Epigrams
Ep. 340 – I don’t believe you
Ep. 339 – Managing the clock like a pro
Ep. 338 – Five insights to run a tighter meeting
Ep. 337 – When your messengers can’t deliver
Ep. 336 – What happens when you’re confused
Ep. 335 – Flagging, Flagging, Flagging
Ep. 334 – Why Don’t You Make Any Sense? (When You Think You Do)
Ep. 333 – How to Survive an Awkward Silence
Ep. 332 – Three Ways to Communicate Like a Boss
Ep. 331 – Reframing a Message to Regain Focus
Ep. 330 – It Doesn’t Matter
Call Back Episode – Ep. 274 – The social media time warp
Ep. 329 – The Intersection of Interests
Ep. 328 – Getting Out of Time Sucks
Ep. 327 – Can you command attention?
Ep. 326 – Clarity and Comedy are Related
Ep. 325 – Doing what’s difficult
Ep. 324 – Taking Fridays off (for quiet)
Ep. 323 – Letting other people speak
Ep. 322 – The Meeting Kickoff Sets the Tone
Ep. 321 – Good isn’t a headline (nice isn’t either!)
Call Back Episode – Ep 254 – How to frame a solid program overview
Ep. 320 – Talk to Someone Else
Ep. 319 – Real Value Depreciation in a Distracted World
Ep. 318 – Is the end anywhere in sight?
Ep. 317 – Presenting is like breathing
Ep. 316 – The sound of good writing
Ep. 315 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 2)
Ep. 314 – A Tale of Two Ideas (Part 1)
Ep. 313 – Chit-Chat Cheer (and a Happy New Year!)
Ep. 312 – 5 Costs of Interrupting Someone
Ep. 311 – 5 Costs of Interrupting Yourself
Ep. 310 – Setting Boundaries When Criticism Comes Calling
Ep. 309 – The Pros and Cons of Analogies
Call back Episode – Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefined
Call back Episode – Episode 214 Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude
Ep. 308 Highly Recommended (why these two words are priceless)
Ep. 307 – Collaboration chaos: making time in the office matter
Ep. 306 – Return-to-office mandates won’t work
Call Back Episode – Ep 268 – Running from time (not out of it)
Ep. 305 – Speaking to Different Audiences Simultaneously
Ep. 304 – The Beauty of the One-pager
Ep. 303 – Quiet Works for BRIEF Teams
Ep. 302 – Digital detoxes and collaboration toll cleanses
Ep. 301 – Let’s stop playing charades
Ep. 300 – Taking time to consider the future of work
Ep. 299 – That’s not news it’s noise!
Ep. 298 – Quiet Works for offsite meetings
Ep. 297 – Communicating on the fly – crash or soar?
Ep. 296 – Avoid “trouble” as a thinker, talker and doer
Ep. 295 – Getting instructors to talk less
Ep. 294 – Leave me alone, it can wait!
Ep. 293 – Seven words of wisdom on silence to savor
Ep. 292 – The fog of work
Ep. 291 – Why people avoid quiet (really, run from it!)
Call EP – Hoping vs. knowing your point got across?
Ep. 290 – Making time for people
Ep. 289 – Disagreeable gray communication
Ep. 288 – When to stop for questions and comments
Ep. 287 – When to call a meeting (and cancel one)
Ep. 286 – When to provide an update
Ep. 285 – The power of quiet query
Ep. 284 – A brief take on AI & communication (part 2)
Ep. 283 – A brief take on AI & communication (part 1)
Ep. 282 – Disclaimer on disclaimers
Ep. 281 – What happens when an expert you like holds court
Ep. 280 – Can you make room for silence?
Call Back Episode – Ep 230 – Permission to pause
Call back Episode – Ep 208 – Talk isn’t cheap
Ep. 279 – Writing [brief] meeting summaries
Ep. 278 – The real risks of remote working
Ep. 277 – The power (and peril) of the Elusive 600
Ep. 276 – 5 Mistakes when communicating to busy, burdened leaders
Ep. 275 – The discipline of doing nothing
Ep. 274 – The social media time warp
Ep. 273 – Words you know but don’t really know
Ep. 272 – Putting tools in your toolbelt
Ep. 271 – Communicating to someone who is clueless
Ep. 270 – Communicating to someone who is tired
Ep. 269 – Communicating to someone who is really smart
Ep. 268 – Running from time (not out of it)
Ep. 267 – A year in review and one ahead
Ep. 266 – Why am I waiting for an empowered conversation?
Ep. 265 – How do you know if you’re clear and concise?
Ep. 264 – Finding my quiet space
Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefined
Ep. 262 – The ABC’s of Acronyms
Call back Episode – Episode 214 Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude
Ep. 261 – Pardon the interruption
Ep. 260 – An unforgettable Oscar speech comes full circle
Ep. 259 – Speaking up (vs. saying nothing)
Ep. 258 – The disquiet of quiet quitters
Ep. 257 – When your bland point needs sharpening
Ep. 256 – BRIEF Map Basics
Ep. 255 – To text or not to text?
Ep. 254 – How to frame a solid program overview
Ep. 253 – So what do you do?
Ep. 252 – Why I do what I do
Ep. 251 – Writing quips & tips
Ep. 250 – Give me a sign (do not disturb)
Ep. 249 – One minute of quiet, please!
Ep. 248 – One vs many (things to think, say and do)
Ep. 247 – HBR article review: overcoming collaboration overkill
Ep. 246 – Should I or shouldn’t you?
Ep. 245 – When your answers aren’t good enough
Ep. 244 – Afraid of writing
Ep. 243 – When is more enough?
Ep. 242 – The minimum definition of success
Ep. 241 – Feeling obligated to always be available
Ep. 240 – Why people make bad decisions
Call back Episode – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day
Ep. 239 – Mental theft
Ep. 238 – Quiet Works: new mission and motto
Ep. 237 – Simple presentation practices
Ep. 236 – Six comments to avoid
Ep. 235 – Is brevity a better way to influence?
Ep. 234 – Noise management: No screens needed
Ep. 233 – Stuck in a bad conversation
Ep. 232 – What if your boss isn’t brief?
Ep. 231 – Making the most with offsite meetings
Ep. 230 – Permission to pause
Ep. 229 – Meeting attendee bill of rights
Ep. 228 – Resisting the temptation to check your smartphone
Ep. 227 – Clarity at work (in times of crisis, chaos and change)
Call back Episode – Providing senior leaders communication counsel
Call Back EP – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painful
Ep. 226 – Giving a good talk
Ep. 225 – How much thinking do you do?
Ep. 224 – Lessons in transition (part 3)
Ep. 223 – Lessons in transition (part 2)
Ep. 222 – Lessons in transition (part 1)
Ep. 221 – How does that feel?
Ep. 220 – Breaking bad teaching (part 2)
Ep. 219 – Breaking bad teaching (part 1)
Ep. 218 – Year in review
Ep. 217 – What’s in a name?
Ep. 216 – Entrepreneurial lessons
Ep. 215 – Silent meeting starts
Call Back Episode – Empty the trash
Ep. 214 – Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude
Ep. 213 – The Quiet Workplace (an essay)
Ep. 212 – Wrap it up
Ep. 211 – Interesting or essential?
Ep. 210 – Scattered
Ep. 209 – Tech timeouts
Ep. 208 – Talk isn’t cheap
Ep. 207 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 2
Ep. 206 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 1
Ep. 205 – Misunderstandings, pt. 3
Call Back EP – Take 5 Quiet Cards
Ep. 204 – Misunderstandings, pt. 2
Ep. 203 – Misunderstandings
Ep. 202 – Leaving the complaining club
Episode 201 – Creating a better, SMART BRIEF resolution
Episode 200 – A time to celebrate
Call Back Episode – Enduring a culture of long and confusing
Call Back Episode – Quiet Time: the sweetest sounds
Call Back Episode – Hitting mute more often in your life
Call Back Episode – Defining what “virtual” really means now
Call Back Episode – VTC’s and me: seeing is believing
Episode 199 – FAQ: How do I build the discipline of brevity on my own?
Episode 198– BRIEF Meeting Prep Cards
Episode 197 – By my guest: Cameron Cruse, R.Riveter Co-Founder
Episode 196 – Just three words
Episode 195 – FAQ: Sharing the BRIEF method
Episode 194 – I’ve Gotta Pee
Episode 193 – Be my guest: Hellene Garcia (Neat) on post-pandemic communication
Episode 192 – A primer on “Primer” (my new podcast)
Episode 191 – FAQ: Managing your mindset
Episode 190 – Speak up, or shut up
Episode 189 – Be My Guest – Malachy Walsh Interview
Episode 188 – DRAFT Cards
Episode 187 – FAQ: Understanding your audience
Episode 186 – A distorted view
Episode 185 – Be my guest: Dr. Hans Breiter, Professor of Psychiatry
Episode 184 – Getting to no faster
Episode 183 – FAQ: Being brief on the spot, away from work
Episode 182 – Stepping away for a minute (from digital devices)
Episode 181 – The big moment
Episode 180 – FAQ: Better headlines build a bridge
Episode 179 – Daily headlines: 1st and last thought of the day
Episode 178 – Be my guest: Aaron Weber, Comedian
Episode 177 – The morass of time management
Episode 176 – FAQ: Tackling the issue of quiet time
Episode 175– Phone calls
Episode 174 – Be my guest: Simon Bureau on culture and communications
Episode 173– The Daily Scan (Looking back and ahead)
Episode 172 – FAQ: How to discourage multitasking in meetings
Episode 171– The Lineup
Episode 170 – The uneasiness of great meeting facilitation
Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanks
Episode 169- Be my guest: John Borta, meeting facilitation expert
Episode 168– Losing trust forever
Episode 167– Take 5 Quiet Cards
Call Back Episode – Being deliberate
Episode 166– The critical role of tone
Episode 165– Creating momentum after a meeting
Call Back Episode – The Uber talk test
Episode 164– My Apple Watch surprise
Episode 163– Overcoming your fear of public speaking
Episode 162– WIFM (what’s in it for me?)
Episode 161– A significant emotional event
Episode 160– A better way to prepare
Call Back Episode – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategy
Episode 159– Crafting a clear problem statement
Call Back Episode – Talking yourself through adversity
Episode 158– Simple vs. complicated
Episode 157– Too busy for people?
Episode 156– Creating a culture of brevity
Episode 155 – Being afraid to communicate
Episode 154– Simply pointless
Episode 153 – Best of: Curbing a culture of meetings & Meeting agenda design
Episode 152 – Resisting the most common communication impulse
Call Back Episode – Saying no
Episode 150 – The struggle to find time to read
Episode 149 – Best of: Facts and feelings & Loss of civil discourse
Episode 148 – Is PowerPoint really to blame?
Episode 147 – New rules in a remote world
Episode 146 – Terrible writers need some help
Episode 145 – Admitting we were wrong
Episode 144 – Four false assumptions to avoid
Episode 143 – Defining what “virtual” really means now
Episode 142 – VTC’s and me: seeing is believing
Episode 141 – That was too brief
Episode 140 – Best of: Why is listening so hard & Asking better questions
Episode 139 – The essential qualities of great communicators
Episode 138 – Forcing the world to pause
Episode 137 – Saying no, not now
Episode 136 – Best of: Minister of loneliness & it takes a hurricane to get people to talk
Episode 135 – Unified messaging that heals fracture and division
Episode 134 – Best of: Limiting your media consumption & the promise of prognosticators
Episode 133 – Managing noise in a time of crisis
Episode 132 – That might be the wrong word
Episode 131 – Storytelling as a valuable tool for teaching
Episode 130 – Creating momentum before a meeting
Episode 129 – A semi-silent retreat debrief
Episode 128 – Giving into message fatigue
Episode 127 – Voicing a frustration
Episode 126 – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day
Call Back Episode – Quiet time
Call Back Episode – Tune into AM 101
Call Back Episode – Tune into FM 101
Episode 122 – Be my guest: Microsoft’s Jim Lee with Charley Thornton
Episode 121 – You need a nap, not another app
Episode 120 – Putting up with old people’s stories (ok, boomer!)
Episode 119 – Managing tough (and great) conversations
Call Back Episode – Focus, people!
Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanks
Call Back Episode – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?
Episode 115 – Noise filters: media consumption
Episode 114 – Talk-to-talk temptation
Episode 113 – Recommended Reading: The flood is coming
Episode 112 – Does that resonate with you?
Episode 111 – The basics of trimming
Episode 110 – Interviews to transition to your next reality
Episode 109 – Is multitasking a mistake or management skill?
Episode 108 – Present listening and preaching to the choir
Episode 107 – The connection between comedy and clarity
Episode 106 – Providing senior leaders communication counsel
Episode 105 – Quiet Time: the sweetest sounds
Episode 104 – The rhythm of repetition
Episode 103 – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painful
Episode 102 – Building a better elevator speech
Sounding off on “NOISE”
Episode 100 – Questions & Answers (Q&A)
Episode 99 – Practical presentation principles
Episode 98 – Batching
Episode 97 – Make a recommendation
Episode 96 – Irrelevant
Episode 95 – Forced to focus
Episode 94 – Enduring a culture of long and confusing
Episode 93 – The promise of prognosticators
Episode 92 – Has TED jumped the shark?
Episode 91 – How to find your voice
Episode 90 – Do introverts have the advantage?
Episode 89 – When you just don’t care
Episode 88 – Communicating when you’re on edge
Episode 87 – Nodding loops: real or imagined?
Episode 86 – How you show up
Episode 85 – Micro-preparation
Episode 84 – Napoleon Dynamite
Episode 83 – More senseless note taking
Episode 82 – Being deliberate
Episode 81 – Clarifying communication preferences, part 1
Episode 80 – The illusion of immediacy
Episode 79 – Empty the trash
Episode 78 – The single biggest writing mistake
Episode 77 – Many meanings of the word brief
Episode 76 – Why performance reviews crush morale
Episode 75 – A lazy man’s load
Episode 74 – The loss of civil discourse
Episode 73 – Why commander’s intent drives subordinates crazy
Episode 72 – Preparing for chance conversations
Episode 71 – It’s a good time to say thanks
Episode 70 – Meeting agenda design
Episode 69 – Hitting mute more often in your life
Episode 68 – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?
Episode 67 – Talking yourself through adversity
Episode 66 – What’s an insight and why do they matter?
Episode 65 – Sabotaging your organization from within
Episode 64 – More like tennis, less like golf
Episode 63 – Asking much better questions
Episode 62 – I couldn’t articulate the strategy
Episode 61 – The failure of open floor plans
Episode 60 – Time to say goodbye
Episode 59 – It takes a hurricane to get people to talk
Episode 58 – Perception management: facts and feelings
Episode 57 – Is “time posting” a word?
Episode 56 – Aim small, miss small
Episode 55 – What to do with my hands?
Episode 54 – Tune into AM 101
Episode 53 – Motivational speeches might help the other team
Episode 52 – Tune into FM 101
Episode 51 – Hating the gift of feedback
Episode 50 – The Uber talk test
Episode 49 – Saying no
Episode 48 – Curbing a culture of meetings
Episode 47 – Did that conversation ruin me?
Episode 46 – Working to get fired or hired
Episode 45 – My father’s three favorite phrases
Episode 44 – Unpacking your e-mails
Episode 42 – Not valuing a volunteer
Episode 41 – A good story breaks a tie
Episode 40 – Warning: explicit messages
Episode 39 – Pitfalls of progress reports
Episode 38 – Hey, listen to why it’s so difficult
Episode 37 – The single most important thing
Episode 36 – Ready, player one
Episode 35 – The dread of silence
Episode 34 – The minister for loneliness
Episode 33 – Focus, people!
Episode 32 – When words become worthless
Episode 31 – An info-junkie crack house (Brain Basics Part II)
Episode 30 – Penguins on an Iceberg (Brain Basics Part I)
Episode 29 – Go to sleep
Episode 28 – Are smartphones addictive brain candy for kids?
Episode 27 – Training people to ignore a safety briefing
Episode 26 – Stay tuned. Fans aren’t really.
Episode 25 – The BRIEF Lab Annual Report
Episode 24 – An argument against persuasion (and for civil discourse)
Episode 23 – Senseless note taking
Episode 22 – Conversation highjacking
Episode 21 – Is there power in repetition?
Episode 20 – Bite your tongue
Episode 19 – Avoiding an audience double standard
Episode 18 – Why is listening so hard?
Episode 17 – Quiet time
Episode 16 – Getting some people to talk more (not less)
Episode 15 – Confident leaders don’t get it
Episode 14 – The uncomfortable allure of a crucible story
Episode 13 – Leaders we all love deliver precise praise
Episode 12 – Knowing if a meeting should’ve been an e-mail
Episode 11 – Bearing the heavy burden of delivering bad news
Episode 10 – Signs your team is not on the same page
Episode 9 – Concise writers are ruthless redactors
Episode 8 – Great messages are as simple as 1-2-3
Episode 7 – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategy
Episode 6 – Owning a message that’s important
Episode 5 – Why people struggle to get to the point
Episode 4 – Hoping vs. knowing your point got across?
Episode 3 – Does a moment of anger make you rant and repeat?
Episode 2 – Pitching a bright idea
Episode 1 – Job interviews: no time for an interrogation