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What’s the best way to connect with others during a conversation — especially if you need to discuss a difficult subject, or the person you’re speaking with may disagree with you? A few simple changes to your approach can make a huge difference, says Matt Abrahams, Stanford lecturer, communications instructor, and host of the popular podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart. In the inaugural episode of the new podcast A Fine Mess, which is all about difficult conversations, Abrahams gave host and venture capitalist Sabrina Merage Naim some valuable tips on how to better handle any conversation, especially a difficult one. “The sheer amount of information noise in the world has increased,” he said. “Attention is the most precious commodity we have, and it’s important for communicators to find ways to get the attention they need to get their messages across.” Many of us, especially on social media, try to do this by saying things that are shocking or outrageous or both. But if you really want to communicate your point effectively, that’s the wrong approach, Abrahams explained. Instead, he laid out a simple three-step process you can use to improve any conversation. It’s particularly powerful if whatever you need to talk about might be difficult or controversial. 1. Slow down. It’s natural to want to jump in and say what’s on your mind, but you’re usually better off if you take a step back and focus your thoughts. It can help to take a few deep breaths, Abrahams says. And then, ask yourself a simple question: Is now the right time to have this conversation? The answer might be no. His father died recently, and Abrahams and his brother disagreed over some decisions that needed to be made. They put off their discussion multiple times, both because emotions were running high and also so they could gather some additional information. When they finally came together to talk things through, they brought a new perspective and were able to work out their differences. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing. I wake up earlier than my husband, and by the time he gets out of bed, I’ve usually thought of several things I need to discuss with him. I’ve many times made the mistake of peppering him with a bunch of questions or plans before he’s even had a cup of coffee. The results of that are often negative, though, so I’ve learned to temper my impatience and wait until a better time. 2. Put your focus on the other person. Most of us don’t do this, Abrahams explained. “We don’t listen very well. We listen only enough to get the gist of what somebody is saying. And then we begin rehearsing and preparing. So we absolutely need to be present and focused and listen to what is said, but also how it is said.” We need to pay attention not only to what the other person is saying, but how they’re saying it, including their body language. We need to consider the larger context, he explained. And we need to ask questions to make sure we understand the other person’s thinking, and also to let them know that we are taking in what they have to say. “I think curiosity is number one,” Abrahams said. “Number two is waiting and listening for the response. Giving the person space and time and your attention to respond can be wonderful. And it gives you an opportunity to look for those areas of connection, to see where there is similarity.” 3. Lean into empathy. The best way to get someone to listen to you and care about what you’re saying is to figure out what’s most important to them, Abrahams said. “We can do lots of whiz-bang, fancy things, being overly dramatic or extreme. But I don’t think that gets at the heart of what you’re trying to do.” The better and more authentic approach is to mentally put yourself in the other person’s place, he said. “Just finding, quite simply, what’s relevant to the person you’re speaking to. That means you have to think about who they are and how your ideas might impact them. That’s where we have to start.” In my book Career Self-Care: Find Your Happiness, Success, and Fulfillment at Work (New World Library, 2022), there’s a lot more information about how to start conversations, and how to build the relationships that can accelerate your success. Focusing on the other person, and looking at the issue through their eyes is one of the most powerful things you can do. By Minda Zetlin This article originally appeared on Fast Company‘s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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Caitlin Clark is Nike’s newest signature athlete, expanding the athletic wear company’s partnership with the WNBA star.Nike on Monday revealed a new logo of interlocking Cs to represent the Indiana Fever player. Clark’s first signature shoe and apparel collection will debut next year. Her logo collection will launch on Oct. 1, with a T-shirt in the Fever’s colors yellow and navy blue coming out a month earlier.“Nike’s signature roster features all-time greats, and I am incredibly proud to join some of the best athletes in the world,” Clark said in a statement. “I’m excited to share a first look at what we’ve started to create together.”Clark has missed 24 games during an injury-plagued second season, including the last 15 with a right groin strain. She has not played or practiced since July 15.She did, however, participate in Indiana’s pregame shootaround Sunday at Minnesota. Last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games.Clark has had a huge impact in women’s basketball ratings and attendance over the last few years, dating from her time setting the NCAA all-time scoring record at Iowa.In June, Nike released a pair of Kobe Bryant’s signature sneakers in the colors of the Fever. The shoes sold out nearly as soon as they were offered.Clark becomes the third WNBA player to get a signature deal with Nike, following A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. Wilson’s shoe and apparel are coming out this year. AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball Doug Feinberg, AP Basketball Writer
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Shares in EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS) are entering the stratosphere this morning as the company’s stock price surges after the announcement of a significant deal with telecommunications giant AT&T. Currently, SATS shares are up more than 80% after AT&T agreed to pay the Sling TV and Dish Network $23 billion for some of its wireless spectrum licenses. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened? This morning, AT&T and EchoStar announced a definitive agreement that will see AT&T purchase wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar. The deal will see AT&T pay EchoStar $23 billion in cash. In return, AT&T will acquire approximately 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band wireless spectrum. That spectrum haul includes approximately 30 MHz of nationwide 3.45 GHz mid-band spectrum and approximately 20 MHz of nationwide 600 MHz low-band spectrum, according to AT&T. EchoStar is the parent company that owns several satellite, wireless, and internet subsidiaries, including satellite television provider Dish Network, wireless carrier Boost Mobile, and streaming television service Sling TV. The $23 billion EchoStar is set to receive is more valuable than the companys market cap of just over $15 billion (as of yesterday). The sale of some of its wireless spectrum licenses to AT&T stands to benefit both companies tremendously, but for very different reasons. What is a wireless spectrum license? A wireless spectrum license is a license granted by a government or a government agency that gives companies the right to access certain bands of radio frequencies for wireless communication services, such as those needed to facilitate phone calls or mobile internet, according to the Summit Ridge Group. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in charge of doling out these licenses. If a company cannot obtain a license, it cannot offer its wireless communication services on regulated radio frequencies. How does AT&T benefit from the deal? If a company wants to be able to expand its wireless communications coverage and service offerings to customers, it needs to acquire more rights to access regulated radio frequencies. And that is exactly what AT&T is getting for its $23 billion purchase from EchoStar. AT&T says it will use the approximately 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum it is acquiring by buying EchoStars wireless spectrum licenses to expand its 5G offerings to more locations across America. AT&T says that the licenses it is acquiring cover over 400 markets in total. New markets mean AT&T can reach new customers and thus bring in new, recurring revenue month after month. How does EchoStar benefit from the deal? EchoStar, on the other hand, gets three main benefits by offloading its wireless spectrum licenses to AT&T. The first is the most beneficial. The deal will allow EchoStar to get the FCC off its back. As noted by Reuters, throughout 2025, the FCC has been investigating EchoStars compliance regarding its obligations to use its licenses to provide 5G service across the U.S. By offloading its licenses, EchoStar helps mitigate some of that FCC scrutiny. As the company stated in its press release on the sale, This transaction is part of EchoStar’s ongoing efforts to resolve the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) inquiries. The second way EchoStar benefits from the sale ot AT&T is the huge infusion of cash it stands to get. The $23 billion windfall is nearly $8 billion more than the $15 billion the company was valued at yesterday. EchoStars CEO Hamid Akhavan says the company will use the transactions proceeds for, among other things, retiring certain debt obligations and funding EchoStar’s continued operations and growth initiatives. The third benefit for EchoStar is that the deal also includes a services agreement to let EchoStar operate its Boost Mobile mobile network as a hybrid mobile network operator (MNO) on AT&Ts airwaves. How have EchoStar and AT&T stock reacted? EchoStar stock has surged since the deal was announced shortly before market open this morning. As of the time of this writing, SATS shares are currently up over 80% to $54.24 each. That share price is an all-time high for the company, which first went public over 15 years ago. With todays share price jump, SATS shares are now up more than 130% year to date. Over the past twelve months, SATS shares are up 165%. But while STATS investors are loving the news, investors in AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) seem to be shrugging it off for the most part. As of the time of this writing, T shares are currently down about 1% to $28.47. This suggests that investors are taking a wait-and-see approach to how much the massive purchase by AT&T will actually benefit the company in the future. Year to date, AT&T shares have risen about 25%. Over the past twelve months, T shares have grown 44%. As for the companys deal with EchoStar, AT&T says it expects the agreement to be finalized in mid-2026, subject to regulatory and other approvals.
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