COM 101 — Communication Essentials for Work and Life
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s): Matt Abrahams
Date(s): Sep 24—Nov 12
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $460
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Unit(s): 1
Status: Open
Quarter: Fall
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Sep 24—Nov 12
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $460
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Instructor(s): Matt Abrahams
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Being a great communicator opens doors to opportunities and empowers success in all aspects of life. Different situations, however, require different skills. The way you build rapport with a new colleague differs from how you persuade someone to see your point of view. Led by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at Stanford's GSB, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot, and host of the award-winning podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, this dynamic course is designed to enhance your communication skills across diverse situations. Each session features interactive lectures on themes like persuasion, storytelling, nonverbal presence, and reputation management, followed by Q&A sessions with the instructor and guest experts. Students will gain practical insights and actionable techniques for things like using body language effectively in high-stakes negotiations and handling difficult conversations with tact and confidence. Whether you're a seasoned professional refining your executive presence or a recent graduate strengthening your interpersonal skills, this course will equip you to excel in today's competitive and interconnected world. By honing your communication skills, you'll master the art of influence and connection and make a lasting impact on both your career and personal life.
Guest speakers include:
Carole Robin, Co-Founder, Leaders in Tech and Author
Carole Robin has been helping leaders grow for more than 35 years. Most recently, she served as the faculty director of the Interpersonal Dynamics for High-Performance Executives Program and Director of the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). She received the MBA Distinguished Teaching Award for her work in numerous courses, including “Interpersonal Dynamics,” the most popular elective course at the GSB for over 45 years. She is the co-founder of Leaders in Tech, which brings the content and processes of her courses to Silicon Valley executives. She is also the co-author of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.
Kim Scott, CEO Coach and Author
Kim Scott is the author of Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better and Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss. She has been a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. Scott was a faculty member at Apple University and, before that, led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. She is the co-founder of an executive education company and co-hosts the podcasts Radical Candor and Radical Respect.
Carmine Gallo, CEO Communication Coach and Author
Carmine Gallo is an instructor at Harvard, a CEO communication coach, and bestselling author of 10 books published in over 40 languages. A popular keynote speaker, he has addressed audiences and worked directly with brands across nearly every field, from high tech to health care, from global energy to AI and the cloud. His books and ideas transform leaders into extraordinary communicators.
Allison Kluger, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Allison Kluger is a lecturer of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she has taught since 2013 and teaches “Reputation Management,” “Strategic Communication,” “Personal Branding,” and “Strategic Pivoting for Your Next Chapter.” She received the Dorothy J. King Lecturer in Leadership (2017-2018) and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Stanford MsX class of 2024. She has also created seminars and workshops, including “Executive Presence for Women,” “Storytelling as Strategy,” “Personal and Business Branding,” and “Media Training.” She is a freelance writer, a media consultant, and an Emmy-nominated producer with over 25 years of experience in broadcast media and entertainment.
Jeff Cabili, Founder and Principal, How2Captivate
Jeff Cabili was the director of business development at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for 10 years. Before that, he spent more than 25 years in senior management positions for global companies, including HP, Memorex/Unisys, and Vicinity. He presently teaches Nonverbal Communication (Body Language and Voice) at Stanford Continuing Studies (since 2006) and coaches startups (Pitch Polishing) at several Accelerators and Innovation Centers. He delivers workshops in several languages across the United States, Europe, and Latin America. He received an MBA from Wharton and an MS from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble, France.
Carmen Simon, Cognitive Neuroscientist and Author
Carmen Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist and chief science officer at Corporate Visions. She is also the founder of Enhancive, an agency that helps organizations use neuroscience to create content that impacts customers’ memory and decisions. Her most popular books on customers’ attention and memory are called Impossible to Ignore and Made You Look.
Dan Klein, Advanced Lecturer, Stanford Department of Theater & Performance Studies, Graduate School of Business, and Stanford d.school
Daniel Klein travels the world as a corporate trainer and creative consultant, with clients including Sun, Cisco, Oracle, Kaiser, Visa, Clorox, and Charles Schwab. He was a founding member of the Stanford Improvisors (SImps) and is the former dean of the BATS (Bay Area Theater Sports) Improv School. He teaches improvisation in the Stanford Department of Theater & Performance Studies, “Acting with Power” for the GSB, and "Improv and Design" for the d.school. In 2009, Klein was named Stanford Teacher of the Year by the Students Association. He is the co-author of Obama’s BlackBerry, Weddings of the Times, and SkyMaul: Happy Crap You Can Buy from a Plane.
Melissa Jones Briggs, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Melissa Jones Briggs is a lecturer in organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she is a co-instructor of “Acting with Power.” She teaches in the flagship Stanford Executive Program, among others, and is an affiliate at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research. She is an associate fellow at the Oxford Character Project at the University of Oxford. She also works with executives and teams at some of the world’s major corporations, hyper-growth startups, NGOs, and national institutions. She specializes in topics such as power, presence, creativity, and inclusive leadership practices.
Guest speakers include:
Carole Robin, Co-Founder, Leaders in Tech and Author
Carole Robin has been helping leaders grow for more than 35 years. Most recently, she served as the faculty director of the Interpersonal Dynamics for High-Performance Executives Program and Director of the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). She received the MBA Distinguished Teaching Award for her work in numerous courses, including “Interpersonal Dynamics,” the most popular elective course at the GSB for over 45 years. She is the co-founder of Leaders in Tech, which brings the content and processes of her courses to Silicon Valley executives. She is also the co-author of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.
Kim Scott, CEO Coach and Author
Kim Scott is the author of Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better and Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss. She has been a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. Scott was a faculty member at Apple University and, before that, led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. She is the co-founder of an executive education company and co-hosts the podcasts Radical Candor and Radical Respect.
Carmine Gallo, CEO Communication Coach and Author
Carmine Gallo is an instructor at Harvard, a CEO communication coach, and bestselling author of 10 books published in over 40 languages. A popular keynote speaker, he has addressed audiences and worked directly with brands across nearly every field, from high tech to health care, from global energy to AI and the cloud. His books and ideas transform leaders into extraordinary communicators.
Allison Kluger, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Allison Kluger is a lecturer of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she has taught since 2013 and teaches “Reputation Management,” “Strategic Communication,” “Personal Branding,” and “Strategic Pivoting for Your Next Chapter.” She received the Dorothy J. King Lecturer in Leadership (2017-2018) and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Stanford MsX class of 2024. She has also created seminars and workshops, including “Executive Presence for Women,” “Storytelling as Strategy,” “Personal and Business Branding,” and “Media Training.” She is a freelance writer, a media consultant, and an Emmy-nominated producer with over 25 years of experience in broadcast media and entertainment.
Jeff Cabili, Founder and Principal, How2Captivate
Jeff Cabili was the director of business development at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for 10 years. Before that, he spent more than 25 years in senior management positions for global companies, including HP, Memorex/Unisys, and Vicinity. He presently teaches Nonverbal Communication (Body Language and Voice) at Stanford Continuing Studies (since 2006) and coaches startups (Pitch Polishing) at several Accelerators and Innovation Centers. He delivers workshops in several languages across the United States, Europe, and Latin America. He received an MBA from Wharton and an MS from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble, France.
Carmen Simon, Cognitive Neuroscientist and Author
Carmen Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist and chief science officer at Corporate Visions. She is also the founder of Enhancive, an agency that helps organizations use neuroscience to create content that impacts customers’ memory and decisions. Her most popular books on customers’ attention and memory are called Impossible to Ignore and Made You Look.
Dan Klein, Advanced Lecturer, Stanford Department of Theater & Performance Studies, Graduate School of Business, and Stanford d.school
Daniel Klein travels the world as a corporate trainer and creative consultant, with clients including Sun, Cisco, Oracle, Kaiser, Visa, Clorox, and Charles Schwab. He was a founding member of the Stanford Improvisors (SImps) and is the former dean of the BATS (Bay Area Theater Sports) Improv School. He teaches improvisation in the Stanford Department of Theater & Performance Studies, “Acting with Power” for the GSB, and "Improv and Design" for the d.school. In 2009, Klein was named Stanford Teacher of the Year by the Students Association. He is the co-author of Obama’s BlackBerry, Weddings of the Times, and SkyMaul: Happy Crap You Can Buy from a Plane.
Melissa Jones Briggs, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Melissa Jones Briggs is a lecturer in organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she is a co-instructor of “Acting with Power.” She teaches in the flagship Stanford Executive Program, among others, and is an affiliate at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research. She is an associate fellow at the Oxford Character Project at the University of Oxford. She also works with executives and teams at some of the world’s major corporations, hyper-growth startups, NGOs, and national institutions. She specializes in topics such as power, presence, creativity, and inclusive leadership practices.
MATT ABRAHAMS
Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Matt Abrahams is an educator and coach who has published research articles on cognitive planning, persuasion, and interpersonal communication. He is the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot and Speaking Up without Freaking Out. Abrahams is the host of the Stanford GSB podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart. He received an MA in communication studies from UC Davis. Textbooks for this course:
(Recommended) Deborah Gruenfeld , Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe (ISBN 978-1101903971)
(Recommended) David L. Bradford & Carole Robin , Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues (ISBN 978-0241986868)
(Recommended) Carmen Simon, Made You Look: How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others (ISBN 978-1265128654 )
(Recommended) Kim Scott, Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity (ISBN 978-1250103512)
(Recommended) Carmine Gallo, The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World's Greatest Salesman (ISBN 978-1250278333)
(Recommended) Matt Abrahams, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot (ISBN 978-1035024964)
(Recommended) David L. Bradford & Carole Robin , Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues (ISBN 978-0241986868)
(Recommended) Carmen Simon, Made You Look: How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others (ISBN 978-1265128654 )
(Recommended) Kim Scott, Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity (ISBN 978-1250103512)
(Recommended) Carmine Gallo, The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World's Greatest Salesman (ISBN 978-1250278333)
(Recommended) Matt Abrahams, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot (ISBN 978-1035024964)