The Science of Better Conversations with Alison Wood Brooks

Send us Fan MailThe FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!In this episode, Joe welcomes Harvard professor and author Alison Wood Brooks to discuss her groundbreaking book, Talk: The Science and Art of Being Ourselves. Together, they explore the science behind conversations and how they shape our personal and professional lives.Alison introduces her TALK framework—Topics, Asking, Levity, Kindness—providing actionable strategies to improve communication. She shares why talking can feel so cognitively demanding, the myth of natural charisma, and how intentional choices can lead to deeper, more meaningful connections.Joe and Alison discuss practical tools like navigating the "topic pyramid," creating psychological safety in group settings, and the surprising power of levity. They also highlight the art of mastering conversations in both everyday life and professional environments.Whether you’re a leader, a friend, or simply someone wanting to communicate better, this episode offers invaluable insights for connecting with others and being authentically yourself.Dr. Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School, where she created and teaches a course called TALK. As a behavioral scientist, she is a leading expert on the science of conversation. Her award-winning research has been published in top academic journals and is regularly cited in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and NPR. Her research was referenced in two of the top ten most-viewed TED talks of all time and depicted in Pixar’s Inside Out 2. In 2021, she was named a Best 40 Under 40 Business School Professor by Poets & Quants. "TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves" is her first book.A special thanks to this week's sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Exray a veteran-owned apparel brand elevating the custom gear experience. Exray provides free design services and creates dedicated web stores for units.Onebrief, the transformative software platform redefining operational planning and military staff workflows