In this engaging discussion, Alison Wood Brooks, an associate professor at Harvard Business School and author of "Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves," shares groundbreaking insights on workplace communication. She explains how to effectively plan conversations and the significance of the 'TALK' framework—Topics, Asking, Levity, and Kindness. Alison also highlights the art of apologies and the transformative power of curiosity through questioning, aiming to improve collaboration and understanding in any professional setting.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Conversational Compass
Consider others' conversational goals.
Use the "conversational compass" to organize goals along relational and informational axes.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
TALK Acronym
Use the TALK acronym to improve conversations.
TALK stands for Topics, Asking, Levity, and Kindness.
insights INSIGHT
Leaders and Conversation
Powerful leaders often readily embrace conversational skills.
They recognize these skills as key to their success.
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Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
Alison Wood Brooks
This book, written by Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks, delves into the complex and delicate task of conversation. It highlights how conversations can be a source of joy and connection, yet are often fraught with misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Brooks introduces the TALK Maxims—Topics, Asking, Levity, and Kindness—to help readers better understand, learn from, and delight each other in conversations. The book covers various aspects of conversation, including managing emotions, sparking creativity, navigating conflict, and being more inclusive, making it a thoughtful guide for improving relationships and leading a more purposeful life.
What can we learn about the way we speak by analysing thousands of everyday conversations? That’s a question that fascinates Alison Wood Brooks. Alison, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, and author of the forthcoming book, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves joins Isabel Berwick to discuss her research. She explains how to plan a conversation even when you don’t know who you’ll be speaking to, how we misunderstand apologies, and why there’s no such thing as too many questions.
Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.
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