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Alison Wood Brooks

Alison Wood Brooks

O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration

O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration

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Alison Wood Brooks is the O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School. She teaches a cutting-edge course in the MBA elective curriculum called "How to talk gooder in business and life," an experiential course designed to help students hone four core conversational skills through practice (TALK): Topic selection, Asking questions, Levity, and Kindness. She has also taught FIELD Foundations in the MBA required curriculum (RC), Negotiation in the MBA elective curriculum (EC), Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior in the PhD curriculum, and is affiliated with the Behavioral Insights Group at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.

In her research, Professor Brooks studies the psychology of conversation--why we say things we shouldn't and don't say things we should--and how emotions how we think and interact with others, particularly in the workplace. Her research has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Psychological Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Economic Times, Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Scientific American.

Professor Brooks holds a Ph.D. in Decision Processes from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Finance from Princeton University.

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Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
+1 (617) 495-6670
 
Alison Wood Brooks
Unit
Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
Contact Information
(617) 495-6670
Featured Work Publications Research Summary Teaching

Books
Books

  • Brooks, Alison Wood. Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves. Crown, 2025. View Details

Journal Articles
Journal Articles

  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Michael Yeomans. "Boomerasking: Answering Your Own Questions." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 154, no. 3 (March 2025): 864–893. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Katelynn Boland, Hanne K. Collins, Nicole Abi-Esber, and Alison Wood Brooks. "A Practical Guide to Conversation Research: How to Study What People Say to Each Other." Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science 6, no. 4 (October–December 2023). View Details
  • Collins, Hanne, Julia A. Minson, Ariella S. Kristal, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Conveying and Detecting Listening in Live Conversation." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 153, no. 2 (February 2024): 473–494. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Jimin Nam, Maya Balakrishnan, and Julian De Freitas. "Research: Speed Matters When Companies Respond to Social Issues." Harvard Business Review (website) (July 1, 2024). View Details
  • Nam, Jimin, Maya Balakrishnan, Julian De Freitas, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Speedy Activists: Firm Response Time to Sociopolitical Events Influences Consumer Behavior." Special Issue on Consumer Insights from Text Analysis edited by Grant Packard, Sarah G. Moore, and Jonah Berger. Journal of Consumer Psychology 33, no. 4 (October 2023): 632–644. View Details
  • Collins, Hanne K., Serena F. Hagerty, Jordi Quoidbach, Michael I. Norton, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Relational Diversity in Social Portfolios Predicts Well-Being." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119, no. 43 (October 17, 2022). View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Maurice E. Schweitzer, and Alison Wood Brooks. "The Conversational Circumplex: Identifying, Prioritizing, and Pursuing Informational and Relational Motives in Conversation." Current Opinion in Psychology 44 (April 2022): 293–302. View Details
  • Fernandes, Catarina R., Siyu Yu, Taeya M. Howell, Alison Wood Brooks, Gavin J. Kilduff, and Nathan C. Pettit. "What Is Your Status Portfolio? Higher Status Variance across Groups Increases Interpersonal Helping but Decreases Intrapersonal Well-being." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 165 (July 2021): 56–75. View Details
  • Yip, Jeremy A., Emma E. Levine, Alison Wood Brooks, and Maurice E. Schweitzer. "Worry at Work: How Organizational Culture Promotes Anxiety." Art. 100124. Research in Organizational Behavior 40 (2020). View Details
  • Bitterly, Brad, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Sarcasm, Self-Deprecation, and Inside Jokes: A User's Guide to Humor at Work." Harvard Business Review 98, no. 4 (July–August 2020): 96–103. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Alison Wood Brooks, Karen Huang, Julia A. Minson, and Francesca Gino. "It Helps to Ask: The Cumulative Benefits of Asking Follow-up Questions." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 117, no. 6 (December 2019): 1139–1144. View Details
  • Cooney, Gus, Adam M. Mastroianni, Nicole Abi-Esber, and Alison Wood Brooks. "The Many Minds Problem: Disclosure in Dyadic vs. Group Conversation." Special Issue on Privacy and Disclosure, Online and in Social Interactions edited by L. John, D. Tamir, M. Slepian. Current Opinion in Psychology 31 (February 2020): 22–27. View Details
  • Blunden, Hayley, Jennifer M. Logg, Alison Wood Brooks, Leslie John, and Francesca Gino. "Seeker Beware: The Interpersonal Costs of Ignoring Advice." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 150 (January 2019): 83–100. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Karen Huang, Nicole Abi-Esber, Ryan W. Buell, Laura Huang, and Brian Hall. "Mitigating Malicious Envy: Why Successful Individuals Should Reveal Their Failures." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148, no. 4 (April 2019): 667–687. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Research: Cracking a Joke at Work Can Make You Seem More Competent." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 11, 2017). View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Leslie K. John. "The Surprising Power of Questions." Harvard Business Review 96, no. 3 (May–June 2018): 60–67. View Details
  • Bitterly, T. B., A.W. Brooks, and M. E. Schweitzer. "Risky Business: When Humor Increases and Decreases Status." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 112, no. 3 (March 2017): 431–455. View Details
  • Wolf, Elizabeth Baily, Jooa Julia Lee, Sunita Sah, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Managing Perceptions of Distress at Work: Reframing Emotion as Passion." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 137 (November 2016): 1–12. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Emotion and the Art of Negotiation: How to Use Your Feelings to Your Advantage." Harvard Business Review 93, no. 12 (December 2015): 56–64. View Details
  • Schweitzer, Maurice E., Alison Wood Brooks, and Adam D. Galinsky. "The Organizational Apology: A Step-by-Step Guide." Harvard Business Review 93, no. 9 (September 2015): 44–52. View Details
  • Todd, Andrew R., Matthias Forstmann, Pascal Burgmer, Alison Wood Brooks, and Adam D. Galinsky. "Anxious and Egocentric: How Specific Emotions Influence Perspective Taking." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 144, no. 2 (April 2015): 374–391. View Details
  • Zhang, Ting, Tami Kim, Alison Wood Brooks, Francesca Gino, and Michael I. Norton. "A 'Present' for the Future: The Unexpected Value of Rediscovery." Psychological Science 25, no. 10 (October 2014): 1851–1860. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Laura Huang, Sarah Kearney, and Fiona Murray. "Investors Prefer Entrepreneurial Ventures Pitched by Attractive Men." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, no. 12 (March 25, 2014): 4427–4431. View Details
  • Brooks, A.W. "Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 143, no. 3 (June 2014): 1144–1158. (Received Outstanding Dissertation Award by International Association for Conflict Management 2013.) View Details
  • Brooks, A.W., H. Dai, and M.E. Schweitzer. "I'm Sorry About the Rain! Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust." Social Psychological & Personality Science 5, no. 4 (May 2014): 467–474. View Details
  • Brooks, A.W., and M.E. Schweitzer. "Can Nervous Nelly Negotiate? How Anxiety Causes Negotiators to Make Low First Offers, Exit Early, and Earn Less Profit." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 115, no. 1 (May 2011): 43–54. (Awarded Best Paper with a Student as First Author by the International Association for Conflict Management, 2010.) View Details
  • Haselhuhn, M., M.E. Schweitzer, and A. Wood. "How Implicit Beliefs Influence Trust Recovery." Psychological Science 21, no. 5 (May 2010): 645–648. View Details

Working Papers
Working Papers

  • Abi-Esber, Nicole, Alison Wood Brooks, and Ethan Burris. "Feeling Seen: Leader Eye Gaze Promotes Psychological Safety, Participation, and Voice." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 22-048, January 2022. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Topic Preference Detection: A Novel Approach to Understand Perspective Taking in Conversation." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-077, February 2020. View Details

Cases and Teaching Materials
Cases and Teaching Materials

  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Michael Norton, and F Katelynn Boland. "Laughter on Call: Injecting Conversational Levity." Harvard Business School Case 923-045, March 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Michael I. Norton, and Oliver Hauser. "Irrationality in Action: Decision-Making Exercise." Harvard Business School Exercise 924-007, September 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Julian Zlatev. "SIMmersion: Simulating Crucial Conversations." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 923-044, February 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Julian Zlatev, and F Katelynn Boland. "SIMmersion: Simulating Crucial Conversations." Harvard Business School Case 923-040, February 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Trevor Spelman. "Gong: Resonating Conversational Insights." Harvard Business School Case 921-015, September 2020. (Revised June 2021.) View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Alison Wood Brooks, Judith A. Clair, Katherine Chen, Manuela Collis, and Kathleen L. McGinn. "The Boss Has the Wrong Idea." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 920-053, March 2020. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Francesca Gino, Julia J. Lee, Bradley R. Staats, Andrew Wasynczuk, and John Beshears. "Advika Consulting Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Human Capital." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-038, February 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Does It Hurt To Ask?" Harvard Business School Exercise 918-037, March 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Katherine B. Coffman. "Harvard Men's Soccer." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-029, January 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Katherine Coffman. "Harvard Men's Soccer." Harvard Business School Case 918-011, September 2017. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Francesca Gino, Julia J. Lee, and Bradley R. Staats. "Advika Consulting Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Human Capital." Harvard Business School Case 916-033, June 2016. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (A)." Harvard Business School Case 918-014, December 2017. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 918-015, December 2017. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-016, December 2017. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
All Publications

Alison Wood Brooks is the O'Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School. She teaches a cutting-edge course in the MBA elective curriculum called "How to talk gooder in business and life," an experiential course designed to help students hone four core conversational skills through practice (TALK): Topic selection, Asking questions, Levity, and Kindness. She has also taught FIELD Foundations in the MBA required curriculum (RC), Negotiation in the MBA elective curriculum (EC), Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior in the PhD curriculum, and is affiliated with the Behavioral Insights Group at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.

In her research, Professor Brooks studies the psychology of conversation--why we say things we shouldn't and don't say things we should--and how emotions how we think and interact with others, particularly in the workplace. Her research has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Psychological Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Economic Times, Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Scientific American.

Professor Brooks holds a Ph.D. in Decision Processes from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Finance from Princeton University.

Featured Work
TALK
The Science Of Conversation And The Art Of Being Ourselves
TALK examines the relentless challenges and opportunities presented by conversation. Who do we talk to? What are we trying to do? How can we coordinate from one moment to the next? And how can we bring our best selves to every conversation?
Books
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves. Crown, 2025. View Details
Journal Articles
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Michael Yeomans. "Boomerasking: Answering Your Own Questions." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 154, no. 3 (March 2025): 864–893. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Katelynn Boland, Hanne K. Collins, Nicole Abi-Esber, and Alison Wood Brooks. "A Practical Guide to Conversation Research: How to Study What People Say to Each Other." Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science 6, no. 4 (October–December 2023). View Details
  • Collins, Hanne, Julia A. Minson, Ariella S. Kristal, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Conveying and Detecting Listening in Live Conversation." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 153, no. 2 (February 2024): 473–494. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Jimin Nam, Maya Balakrishnan, and Julian De Freitas. "Research: Speed Matters When Companies Respond to Social Issues." Harvard Business Review (website) (July 1, 2024). View Details
  • Nam, Jimin, Maya Balakrishnan, Julian De Freitas, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Speedy Activists: Firm Response Time to Sociopolitical Events Influences Consumer Behavior." Special Issue on Consumer Insights from Text Analysis edited by Grant Packard, Sarah G. Moore, and Jonah Berger. Journal of Consumer Psychology 33, no. 4 (October 2023): 632–644. View Details
  • Collins, Hanne K., Serena F. Hagerty, Jordi Quoidbach, Michael I. Norton, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Relational Diversity in Social Portfolios Predicts Well-Being." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119, no. 43 (October 17, 2022). View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Maurice E. Schweitzer, and Alison Wood Brooks. "The Conversational Circumplex: Identifying, Prioritizing, and Pursuing Informational and Relational Motives in Conversation." Current Opinion in Psychology 44 (April 2022): 293–302. View Details
  • Fernandes, Catarina R., Siyu Yu, Taeya M. Howell, Alison Wood Brooks, Gavin J. Kilduff, and Nathan C. Pettit. "What Is Your Status Portfolio? Higher Status Variance across Groups Increases Interpersonal Helping but Decreases Intrapersonal Well-being." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 165 (July 2021): 56–75. View Details
  • Yip, Jeremy A., Emma E. Levine, Alison Wood Brooks, and Maurice E. Schweitzer. "Worry at Work: How Organizational Culture Promotes Anxiety." Art. 100124. Research in Organizational Behavior 40 (2020). View Details
  • Bitterly, Brad, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Sarcasm, Self-Deprecation, and Inside Jokes: A User's Guide to Humor at Work." Harvard Business Review 98, no. 4 (July–August 2020): 96–103. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, Alison Wood Brooks, Karen Huang, Julia A. Minson, and Francesca Gino. "It Helps to Ask: The Cumulative Benefits of Asking Follow-up Questions." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 117, no. 6 (December 2019): 1139–1144. View Details
  • Cooney, Gus, Adam M. Mastroianni, Nicole Abi-Esber, and Alison Wood Brooks. "The Many Minds Problem: Disclosure in Dyadic vs. Group Conversation." Special Issue on Privacy and Disclosure, Online and in Social Interactions edited by L. John, D. Tamir, M. Slepian. Current Opinion in Psychology 31 (February 2020): 22–27. View Details
  • Blunden, Hayley, Jennifer M. Logg, Alison Wood Brooks, Leslie John, and Francesca Gino. "Seeker Beware: The Interpersonal Costs of Ignoring Advice." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 150 (January 2019): 83–100. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Karen Huang, Nicole Abi-Esber, Ryan W. Buell, Laura Huang, and Brian Hall. "Mitigating Malicious Envy: Why Successful Individuals Should Reveal Their Failures." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148, no. 4 (April 2019): 667–687. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Research: Cracking a Joke at Work Can Make You Seem More Competent." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 11, 2017). View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Leslie K. John. "The Surprising Power of Questions." Harvard Business Review 96, no. 3 (May–June 2018): 60–67. View Details
  • Bitterly, T. B., A.W. Brooks, and M. E. Schweitzer. "Risky Business: When Humor Increases and Decreases Status." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 112, no. 3 (March 2017): 431–455. View Details
  • Wolf, Elizabeth Baily, Jooa Julia Lee, Sunita Sah, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Managing Perceptions of Distress at Work: Reframing Emotion as Passion." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 137 (November 2016): 1–12. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Emotion and the Art of Negotiation: How to Use Your Feelings to Your Advantage." Harvard Business Review 93, no. 12 (December 2015): 56–64. View Details
  • Schweitzer, Maurice E., Alison Wood Brooks, and Adam D. Galinsky. "The Organizational Apology: A Step-by-Step Guide." Harvard Business Review 93, no. 9 (September 2015): 44–52. View Details
  • Todd, Andrew R., Matthias Forstmann, Pascal Burgmer, Alison Wood Brooks, and Adam D. Galinsky. "Anxious and Egocentric: How Specific Emotions Influence Perspective Taking." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 144, no. 2 (April 2015): 374–391. View Details
  • Zhang, Ting, Tami Kim, Alison Wood Brooks, Francesca Gino, and Michael I. Norton. "A 'Present' for the Future: The Unexpected Value of Rediscovery." Psychological Science 25, no. 10 (October 2014): 1851–1860. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Laura Huang, Sarah Kearney, and Fiona Murray. "Investors Prefer Entrepreneurial Ventures Pitched by Attractive Men." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, no. 12 (March 25, 2014): 4427–4431. View Details
  • Brooks, A.W. "Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 143, no. 3 (June 2014): 1144–1158. (Received Outstanding Dissertation Award by International Association for Conflict Management 2013.) View Details
  • Brooks, A.W., H. Dai, and M.E. Schweitzer. "I'm Sorry About the Rain! Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust." Social Psychological & Personality Science 5, no. 4 (May 2014): 467–474. View Details
  • Brooks, A.W., and M.E. Schweitzer. "Can Nervous Nelly Negotiate? How Anxiety Causes Negotiators to Make Low First Offers, Exit Early, and Earn Less Profit." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 115, no. 1 (May 2011): 43–54. (Awarded Best Paper with a Student as First Author by the International Association for Conflict Management, 2010.) View Details
  • Haselhuhn, M., M.E. Schweitzer, and A. Wood. "How Implicit Beliefs Influence Trust Recovery." Psychological Science 21, no. 5 (May 2010): 645–648. View Details
Working Papers
  • Abi-Esber, Nicole, Alison Wood Brooks, and Ethan Burris. "Feeling Seen: Leader Eye Gaze Promotes Psychological Safety, Participation, and Voice." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 22-048, January 2022. View Details
  • Yeomans, Michael, and Alison Wood Brooks. "Topic Preference Detection: A Novel Approach to Understand Perspective Taking in Conversation." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-077, February 2020. View Details
Cases and Teaching Materials
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Michael Norton, and F Katelynn Boland. "Laughter on Call: Injecting Conversational Levity." Harvard Business School Case 923-045, March 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Michael I. Norton, and Oliver Hauser. "Irrationality in Action: Decision-Making Exercise." Harvard Business School Exercise 924-007, September 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Julian Zlatev. "SIMmersion: Simulating Crucial Conversations." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 923-044, February 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Julian Zlatev, and F Katelynn Boland. "SIMmersion: Simulating Crucial Conversations." Harvard Business School Case 923-040, February 2023. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Trevor Spelman. "Gong: Resonating Conversational Insights." Harvard Business School Case 921-015, September 2020. (Revised June 2021.) View Details
  • Coffman, Katherine B., Alison Wood Brooks, Judith A. Clair, Katherine Chen, Manuela Collis, and Kathleen L. McGinn. "The Boss Has the Wrong Idea." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 920-053, March 2020. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Francesca Gino, Julia J. Lee, Bradley R. Staats, Andrew Wasynczuk, and John Beshears. "Advika Consulting Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Human Capital." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-038, February 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood. "Does It Hurt To Ask?" Harvard Business School Exercise 918-037, March 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Katherine B. Coffman. "Harvard Men's Soccer." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-029, January 2018. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, and Katherine Coffman. "Harvard Men's Soccer." Harvard Business School Case 918-011, September 2017. View Details
  • Brooks, Alison Wood, Francesca Gino, Julia J. Lee, and Bradley R. Staats. "Advika Consulting Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Human Capital." Harvard Business School Case 916-033, June 2016. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (A)." Harvard Business School Case 918-014, December 2017. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 918-015, December 2017. View Details
  • Exley, Christine L., John Beshears, and Alison Wood Brooks. "La Ceiba: Navigating Microfinance and Relationships in Honduras (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-016, December 2017. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
Research Summary
Overview
Professor Brooks studies the psychology of conversation and emotion—topics at the intersection of how people think, feel, and interact. From pitching ideas to seeking advice, from asking questions to giving compliments, from talking about (or hiding) our feelings and our personal struggles, she identifies and elucidates the underlying psychology of the factors that make such strategies work (and, more often than we’d like, fail). Her research focuses structural aspects of conversation that influence nearly every moment of every conversation (such as choosing topics and asking questions), the pivotal role that emotional experience and expression play in making interactions go smoothly or poorly, and the individual differences between people that influence their interactions, such as the gender of the actors. With the goal of empowering individuals and their organizations to thrive, she studies these topics using experimental methods across diverse populations (e.g., behavioral laboratory participants, online panels of working adults, and field samples inside and outside organizations).
Keywords: Anxiety; Emotion; Emotion Regulation; Reappraisal; Negotiation; Trust; Performance
The Psychology of Conversation

Conversation is a profound part of the human experience. To share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with each other, we converse face to face and remotely—via phone, email, text message, online comment boards, and in contracts. Conversations form the bedrock of our relationships and, often, function as the vehicle of productivity at work.

Unfortunately, most people make conversational mistakes. This is especially true in the workplace, where norms and rules of appropriateness and professionalism matter, and issues surrounding voice and backlash abound. We say things we shouldn’t (errors of commission) and don’t say things we should (errors of omission).

Previous research on conversation has been limited because natural conversations are difficult to capture and analyze. Professor Brooks uses a combination of traditional and cutting-edge methods such as machine learning, natural language processing, field experiments, and laboratory experiments to identify and improve pervasive and intriguiging conversational phenomena. For example, Professor Brooks has identified tactics people should use more often than they do: seeking advice, issuing apologies, revealing personal failures, carefully labeling emotions, and asking questions (especially follow-up questions). On the other hand, she has identified some tactics people use often but shouldn't, such as making inappropriate jokes in the workplace and giving backhanded compliments. 

Emotional Experience, Expression, and Regulation

Once considered irrational, emotions often exert a more profound influence on decision-making and workplace outcomes than logic or reason. Professor Brooks studies emotional experience, emotional expression, and how individuals can regulate their emotions effectively. Much of her research in this domain has focused on anxiety, one of the most pervasive emotions people experience in the workplace (and outside of work). Unlike research in clinical psychology, which has focused on treatments and medications that might help individuals with disordered or abnormal anxiety, her research focuses on the type of anxious feelings most people experience every day—the anxiety we feel before leading a meeting, giving a public speech, or completing difficult tasks. She has identified important behavioral consequences of feeling anxious: it limits our ability to take others’ perspectives, causes us to seek out and rely heavily on advice (even when the advice is obviously bad), and causes individuals to reply quickly, make steep concessions, exit prematurely, and earn less profit in negotiations.

Fortunately, anxiety can be managed. Professor Brooks has identified several novel methods for mitigating the deleterious effects of anxiety. For example, most people think they should calm down when they feel anxious. Instead, staying in a high-arousal state and reframing anxiety as excitement is much more effective for performing well on high-pressure performance tasks. Next, she finds that pre-performance rituals—once believed to be highly irrational—can actually reduce performance anxiety and improve subsequent performance. Finally, she finds that after an expression of distress (e.g., crying at work), people have tremendous control over how people perceive them. For example, saying “I’m passionate about this” rather than “I’m emotional about this” increases others’ perceptions of one’s competence and self-control. This work contributes to the emerging field of interpersonal emotion regulation—how we can exert control over others’ emotions and their perceptions of our emotions.

Professor Brooks's interest in anxiety has expanded to include other emotions as well. For example, she has used large datasets from Facebook to show that higher amounts and higher diversity of emotional expression online increase happiness and life satisfaction at both the individual and national levels. Then, by studying time capsules, she finds that there is a unique, unanticipated joy associated with rediscovering mundane details from your past. And, finally, she finds that revealing personal failures (in addition to successes) reduces malicious envy felt by observers and increases benign envy, inspiring others to work hard to achieve the same success.
Teaching
How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life

This is an Elective Curriculum course for HBS MBA students. People must converse effectively to achieve success in every aspect of business and life – from pitching ideas to giving feedback, brainstorming and making strategic decisions, from interviewing to firing. Though the case method hones students’ ability to present their ideas in large groups, this course will focus on helping students sharpen their ability to interact with others in the wide array of everyday conversations. First, we develop a framework to understand conversation as a fundamental part of the human experience – a complex, repeated game we play with others daily. Then, through many immersive exercises (enacted with students in the course and with others outside of HBS), students learn evidence-based tactics to converse more effectively (talk “gooder”) in their lives and careers—with time to practice these tactics during the course and beyond.

Related Links: HBS MBA blog post about How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life., Article in Poets and Quants naming How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life as one of the most interesting new MBA courses this year.
FIELD Foundations

FIELD Foundations is a course for first-year MBA students in the Required Curriculum. As a complement to case method courses that students take in the first year of the MBA program, FIELD Foundations offers hands-on leadership practice and immersive team experiences. Students are divided into small teams to complete interactive workshops. These team simulations, feedback, and self-reflection exercises help them develop self-awareness and answer key questions like: How can you engage in difficult conversations? How self-aware are you about your own biases? How can you make diverse teams better? Can you be more emotionally intelligent? What kind of leader do you want to be?

Taught alongside the case method, FIELD Foundations provides students with a more comprehensive cycle of learning by thinking, doing, and reflecting, and prepares them to take the FIELD Global Immersion course in the spring semester, when they will put their leadership ideas into practice in the real world.

Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior

Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior is a PhD seminar course exploring current and seminal research on individual, dyadic, small group, and intra-organizational behavior. Examples of topics at the individual level include emotions, cognition, and behavioral decision making. Examples at the dyadic level include social perception and bias. Group-level topics include teams and multiparty decision making. Topics at the intra-organizational level include culture and gender.

The course readings are not exhaustive of the OB field—there are many other interesting micro topics—but they cover a wide range of emerging and foundational topics. Most class sessions will feature a discussion with a faculty member about his/her research topics and process (including a discussion of the review and publication process).

Negotiation

Negotiation is an Elective Curriculum course for HBS MBA students. Success at work and at home requires the ability to negotiate. Whether you are forging an agreement with your suppliers, trying to ink a deal with potential customers, raising money from investors, managing a conflict inside your firm, resolving a dispute that is headed towards litigation, or interacting with friends, family members, or colleagues, your ability to negotiate will determine how well you perform.

Because others do not have the same interests, perspectives, and values as you, the ability to negotiate is critical both professionally and personally. This course will help you to become a more effective negotiator.

Additional Information
  • CV
  • Alison's Personal Website
  • Google Scholar Profile
  • ChatPlat.com
  • HBS Working Knowledge
  • Twitter
Affiliations
  • Program on Negotiation Research Lab
  • Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard Kennedy School
  • Society for Personality and Social Psychology
  • Society for Judgment and Decision Making
  • International Association for Conflict Management
  • Academy of Management
In The News

In The News

    • 26 Jan 2025
    • TIME

    Tips for Better Conversations at Work

    • 24 Jan 2025
    • Literary Hub

    Laugh a Little: Why We All Should Be Telling More Jokes

    • 21 Jan 2025
    • Totally Booked with Zibby

    Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

    • 21 Jan 2025

    Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

    • 20 Jan 2025
    • Finding Genius Podcast

    Talk Like a Pro: Mastering the Science & Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

→More News for Alison Wood Brooks

Alison Wood Brooks In the News

26 Jan 2025
TIME
Tips for Better Conversations at Work

24 Jan 2025
Literary Hub
Laugh a Little: Why We All Should Be Telling More Jokes

21 Jan 2025
Totally Booked with Zibby
Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

21 Jan 2025
Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

20 Jan 2025
Finding Genius Podcast
Talk Like a Pro: Mastering the Science & Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

18 Jan 2025
She Said / She Said
Unlocking the Secrets to Better Conversations with HBS Professor Alison Wood Brooks

16 Jan 2025
Fast Company
This Tool Will Make Your Work Conversations More Clear and Productive

15 Jan 2025
Working It
The Science of Better Workplace Conversations

12 Jan 2025
Times
How to Have the Perfect Conversation — And Why It’s Good for You

12 Jan 2025
Cambridge Day
Desperate for Better Dialogue? Author Behind ‘Science of Conversation’ Talks Us Through It

11 Jan 2025
unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc Podcast
Unlocking the Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

10 Jan 2025
Boston Globe
Why Am I Always Interrupting People?

29 Dec 2024
Financial Times
What We Talk About When We Talk About the Office

06 Dec 2024
Raising Good Humans
The Science of Conversation: Tools for Parents and Kids

19 Nov 2024
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Don't Be a ZQ: Make Your Conversations Count

08 Jul 2024
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
Is Humor in Business Negotiation Ever Appropriate?

01 Apr 2024
Harvard Business School
The Ritual Effect Book Launch and Faculty Band Performance

01 Jun 2023
TIME
7 Ways to Get Better at Small Talk—And Why You Should

26 May 2023
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School Professors Win Wyss Awards for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

19 May 2023
Harvard Business Review
How to have difficult conversations without burning bridges

06 Apr 2023
Washington Post
Can You Apologize Too Much? Sorry, but Read This to Find Out.

06 Apr 2023
Washington Post
Can You Apologize Too Much? Sorry, but Read This to Find Out.

25 Jan 2023
Harvard Business School
The Rituals of Case Method Teaching

10 Jan 2023
HBS Working Knowledge
How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

03 Jan 2023
Los Angeles Times
Why talking to strangers is good for your mental health

10 Nov 2022
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Talking to strangers is actually healthy

27 Oct 2022
NPR
Why you should talk to more strangers

23 Oct 2022
NPR
Weak Social Ties Are Just as Important as Strong Ones for Greater Life Satisfaction

20 Oct 2022
Atlantic
Envy, the Happiness Killer

10 Sep 2022
Smerconish
Rules of Civility in a Sometimes-Uncivilized World

12 Aug 2021
Jazz of Negotiation
How To Talk Gooder

10 Aug 2021
Cold Call
The Science of Sales Conversations with Gong’s Amit Bendov

03 May 2021
Poets & Quants
2021 Best 40-Under-40 Professors: Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business School

25 Mar 2021
Washington Post
After a year of covid life, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Try these conversation tips.

18 Mar 2021
Atlantic
How to End a Conversation Without Making Up an Excuse

01 Mar 2021
Scientific American
People Literally Don’t Know When to Shut Up—or Keep Talking, Science Confirms

26 Jan 2021
Harvard Business Review
Giving Critical Feedback Is Even Harder Remotely

09 Jun 2020
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02 Jun 2020
Against the Rules with Michael Lewis
The Data Coach

29 May 2020
LinkedIn
How to talk gooder

19 May 2020
New York Times
How to Have a Fun Conversation Again

13 May 2020
BBC
Why we've been saying 'sorry' all wrong

01 May 2020
Forbes
Use Tested Techniques To Help Optimize Your Performance

16 Apr 2020
Reuters
Your Money: Why you might be afraid to spend your stimulus check

31 Mar 2020
Vogue
Win Over the Zoom: How to Effectively Public Speak from the Privacy of Your Home

15 Jan 2020
Forbes
This 5 Second Trick Has Been Proven To Drastically Improve Your Presentation Skills

04 Jan 2020
Guardian
Wellbeing: Six Ways to Put a Smile Back on Your Face in 2020

06 Nov 2019
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05 Nov 2019
Psychology Today
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Business Insider
'You're planning to ask for a raise?' says a HBS professor, 'Stop right there.' Here are 7 rules for reframing your salary conversation for success.

25 Sep 2019
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22 Sep 2019
Poets & Quants
The Most Interesting New MBA Courses At B-Schools This Year

24 Jun 2019
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19 Jun 2019
Behavorial Scientist
Who Asks Questions, And What It Tells Us

17 May 2019
Harvard Business Review
How Asking Multiple People for Advice Can Backfire

04 Mar 2019
Inc.
Acording To Research This Will Lower Stress And Increase Productivity At Work, And It's Free

05 Dec 2018
HBS Working Knowledge
Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures

24 Sep 2018
New York Times
Want to Seem More Likable? Try This

17 Aug 2018
New York Times
Talking About Failure Is Crucial for Growth. Here's How to Do It Right.

22 Jul 2018
Inc.
Harvard Study Reveals One Word Is the Secret to Being Likable and Emotionally Intelligent

10 Jul 2018
Forbes
This Is The Psychological Reason Why Some People Are So Hard On Themselves

05 Jul 2018
Quartz
The counterintuitive tricks to asking better questions, according to Harvard research

05 Jun 2018
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School's HBX Offers Developing Yourself as a Leader, a New Leadership Development Program Offered via the HBX Live Virtual Classroom

29 May 2018
Harvard Business Review
Ask Better Questions

18 Apr 2018
Harvard Business Review
The Surprising Power of Questions

16 Apr 2018
Harvard Gazette
Let me compliment you, sort of

06 Apr 2018
Financial Times
Share stories of failure to defang ‘malicious envy’ at work

09 Mar 2018
Inc.
Want to Hear a Great Leader In Action? They Will Often Say These 3 Things

09 Feb 2018
Harvard Business Review
Introducing Dear HBR:

08 Feb 2018
NBC
How to give a Valentine's Day gift that says 'I love you'

03 Jan 2018
HBS Working Knowledge
5 Career-Related New Year’s Resolutions (and 5 Tips for Keeping Them)

11 Dec 2017
Behavorial Scientist
Brag Wisely

29 Nov 2017
NPR: Morning Edition
People Like People Who Ask Questions Listen

21 Nov 2017
Bloomberg View
A Thanksgiving Recipe for Success: Ask Questions

05 Nov 2017
Freakonomics
Mind Games

30 Oct 2017
HBS Working Knowledge
Asking Questions Can Get You a Better Job or a Second Date

28 Sep 2017
Fast Company
Why Venture Capitalists Aren’t Funding The Businesses We Need

13 Jul 2017
CNBC
This mental trick helps top surgeons, athletes and comedians perform under pressure

20 Jun 2017
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15 Jun 2017
CNBC
Harvard researchers reveal an easy conversation trick that will make you more likable

14 Jun 2017
New York Magazine
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19 May 2017
Wall Street Journal
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15 Mar 2017
Harvard Medicine Magazine
Trust Me, I'm Your Smartphone

14 Mar 2017
Psychology Today
Cracking a Joke At Work Can Have a Surprising Payoff

08 Mar 2017
Bloomberg News
The Expert’s Guide to Crying at Work

01 Mar 2017
Harvard Business School
HBX Launches Managing Your Career Development, First Program Offered via HBX Live Virtual Classroom

21 Feb 2017
Wall Street Journal
Why It Pays Off to Be Funny at Work—Usually

09 Feb 2017
Forbes
When You Have An Office Meltdown, You Can Get Away With It By Calling It Passion, New Study Says

07 Feb 2017
HBS Working Knowledge
The Right Way to Cry in Front of Your Boss

24 Jan 2017
Wall Street Journal
The Joke That Makes or Breaks You at Work

11 Jan 2017
Harvard Business Review
Research: Cracking a Joke at Work Can Make You Seem More Competent

10 Jan 2017
Harvard Business Review
Research: Performing a Ritual Before a Stressful Task Improves Performance

11 Oct 2016
Harvard Gazette
Joke your way to success

07 Oct 2016
Wall Street Journal
The Real Problem Facing Women- and Minority-Owned Tech Startups

04 Oct 2016
Knowledge@Wharton
Using Humor in the Office: When It Works, When It Backfires

02 Oct 2016
Wall Street Journal
How to Get More Out of Office Conversations

27 Sep 2016
Wall Street Journal
How Men & Women See the Workplace Differently

19 Sep 2016
HBS Working Knowledge
Why Isn't Business Research More Relevant to Business Practitioners?

01 Sep 2016
Reader's digest
11 Magic Phrases to Make Anyone Trust You

29 Aug 2016
Financial Times
Make better decisions by using stress to your advantage

18 Aug 2016
Boston Globe
The power of rituals

04 Aug 2016
New York Magazine
Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment

20 Jul 2016
Inc.
Emotional Intelligence 101: These 3 Words Can Turn Anxiety Into Advantage, According to Science

05 Jul 2016
Atlantic
How to Turn Anxiety Into Excitement

25 Mar 2016
Fast Company
Four Mental Habits Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

23 Mar 2016
New York Magazine
You’re Excited, Not Nervous. You Just Keep Telling Yourself That.

23 Mar 2016
Atlantic
Can Three Words Turn Anxiety Into Success?

21 Mar 2016
Huffington Post
Is Your Child Stressed About a Test? Try this Simple Shift

24 Feb 2016
BBC
Why Do the British say 'sorry' so much?

10 Jan 2016
Globe and Mail
How five emotions come into play at the negotiating table

08 Jan 2016
Fast Company
The Secret to Making Anxiety Work in Your Favor

18 Nov 2015
Harvard Business Review
Emotion and the Art of Negotiation

03 Nov 2015
Scientific American
Lean In to Be Stretched Thin?

25 Sep 2015
Fast Company
Why Are Women More Cautious About Promotions?

25 Sep 2015
Bloomberg News
One Reason Women Aren't Getting the Promotion: They Don't Want It

24 Sep 2015
Slate
Women Don’t Always Want the Jobs at the Top, and That’s OK

24 Sep 2015
Atlantic
Why Do Women Think About the Downsides of Promotions More Than Men Do?

24 Sep 2015
Economist
What you really, really want

23 Sep 2015
Harvard Business Review
Explaining Gender Differences at the Top

23 Sep 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
Men Want Powerful Jobs More Than Women Do

05 Sep 2015
New York Times
Smart Workers Seek Out Advice, Study Suggests

03 Sep 2015
Harvard Business Review
Stress Can Be a Good Thing If You Know How to Use It

12 Aug 2015
Harvard Business Review
The Organizational Apology

22 Jul 2015
Huffington Post
Why Lonely People Stay Lonely

20 Jul 2015
New York Magazine
Why Lonely People Stay Lonely

17 Jun 2015
Mint
Gender, looks hold sway in venture capital funding

16 Jun 2015
Scientific American
The Isolating Effects of Anxiety

15 May 2015
Wall Street Journal
Use Stress to Your Advantage

12 Feb 2015
Scientific American
Asking Advice Makes a Good Impression

28 Jan 2015
Huffington Post
Our Women Mean Business: Encore Careers After 40

18 Dec 2014
Scientific American
Rebrand Stage Fright to Overcome It

14 Nov 2014
World Economic Forum
Why asking a contact for help benefits you both

07 Oct 2014
Scientific American
Asking Advice Makes a Good Impression

21 Aug 2014
New York Magazine
Asking for Advice Makes You Seem More Competent, Not Less

10 Jun 2014
We're Only Human blog (Association for Psychological Science)
Wrapping a Present for the Future

30 Apr 2014
HBS Working Knowledge
Venture Investors Prefer Funding Handsome Men

14 Apr 2014
Harvard Magazine
A Better Path to High Performance

11 Mar 2014
Business Insider
If You Want Funding For Your Business, You're Better Off Being Male And Hot

11 Mar 2014
Fast Company
Your Startup Is More Likely To Get Funding If You're A Man

10 Mar 2014
Nature
In business as in science, prejudice holds women back

08 Jan 2014
Atlantic
Study: Fight Performance Anxiety by Getting Excited

03 Jan 2014
Men's Health
Overcome Your Fears—Fast!

31 Dec 2013
Bloomberg Businessweek
Feeling Nervous? Don't Try to Calm Down—Get Excited

31 Dec 2013
Wall Street Journal
Get Excited: The Best Way to Conquer a Fear of Public Speaking

24 Dec 2013
Boston Globe
Overcoming Performance Anxiety: Get Excited

23 Dec 2013
American Psychological Association
Getting Excited Helps with Performance Anxiety More Than Trying to Calm Down, Study Finds

26 Nov 2013
Fast Company
Feeling Anxious? Why Trying To "Keep Calm" Is A Terrible Idea

10 Nov 2013
New York Times
Work Up a Sweat, and Bargain Better

01 Nov 2013
CBS: Money Watch
Want People to Trust You? Apologize

21 Oct 2013
Men's Health
The Weird Way to Earn People's Trust

01 Oct 2013
Edmonton Journal
One easy secret to make people like and trust you more

31 Mar 2014
Huffington Post
Study Shows Entrepreneurship Likes Men Better

27 Mar 2014
US News & World Report
Some Like It Hot: Investors Prefer Pitches From Attractive Men

22 Mar 2014
NPR
Need Money For Your Startup? Being An Attractive Male May Help

11 Mar 2014
Fast Company
Why You Actually Shouldn't Keep Calm and Carry On

Follow on Twitter
Additional Information
CV
Alison's Personal Website
Google Scholar Profile
 More
ChatPlat.com
HBS Working Knowledge
Twitter
 Less

Affiliations

Program on Negotiation Research Lab
Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard Kennedy School
Society for Personality and Social Psychology
 More
Society for Judgment and Decision Making
International Association for Conflict Management
Academy of Management
 Less

In The News

    • 26 Jan 2025
    • TIME

    Tips for Better Conversations at Work

    • 24 Jan 2025
    • Literary Hub

    Laugh a Little: Why We All Should Be Telling More Jokes

    • 21 Jan 2025
    • Totally Booked with Zibby

    Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

    • 21 Jan 2025

    Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

    • 20 Jan 2025
    • Finding Genius Podcast

    Talk Like a Pro: Mastering the Science & Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

→More News for Alison Wood Brooks

Alison Wood Brooks In the News

26 Jan 2025
TIME
Tips for Better Conversations at Work

24 Jan 2025
Literary Hub
Laugh a Little: Why We All Should Be Telling More Jokes

21 Jan 2025
Totally Booked with Zibby
Alison Wood Brooks, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

21 Jan 2025
Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

20 Jan 2025
Finding Genius Podcast
Talk Like a Pro: Mastering the Science & Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

18 Jan 2025
She Said / She Said
Unlocking the Secrets to Better Conversations with HBS Professor Alison Wood Brooks

16 Jan 2025
Fast Company
This Tool Will Make Your Work Conversations More Clear and Productive

15 Jan 2025
Working It
The Science of Better Workplace Conversations

12 Jan 2025
Times
How to Have the Perfect Conversation — And Why It’s Good for You

12 Jan 2025
Cambridge Day
Desperate for Better Dialogue? Author Behind ‘Science of Conversation’ Talks Us Through It

11 Jan 2025
unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc Podcast
Unlocking the Art of Conversation with Alison Wood Brooks

10 Jan 2025
Boston Globe
Why Am I Always Interrupting People?

29 Dec 2024
Financial Times
What We Talk About When We Talk About the Office

06 Dec 2024
Raising Good Humans
The Science of Conversation: Tools for Parents and Kids

19 Nov 2024
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Don't Be a ZQ: Make Your Conversations Count

08 Jul 2024
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
Is Humor in Business Negotiation Ever Appropriate?

01 Apr 2024
Harvard Business School
The Ritual Effect Book Launch and Faculty Band Performance

01 Jun 2023
TIME
7 Ways to Get Better at Small Talk—And Why You Should

26 May 2023
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School Professors Win Wyss Awards for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

19 May 2023
Harvard Business Review
How to have difficult conversations without burning bridges

06 Apr 2023
Washington Post
Can You Apologize Too Much? Sorry, but Read This to Find Out.

06 Apr 2023
Washington Post
Can You Apologize Too Much? Sorry, but Read This to Find Out.

25 Jan 2023
Harvard Business School
The Rituals of Case Method Teaching

10 Jan 2023
HBS Working Knowledge
How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

03 Jan 2023
Los Angeles Times
Why talking to strangers is good for your mental health

10 Nov 2022
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Talking to strangers is actually healthy

27 Oct 2022
NPR
Why you should talk to more strangers

23 Oct 2022
NPR
Weak Social Ties Are Just as Important as Strong Ones for Greater Life Satisfaction

20 Oct 2022
Atlantic
Envy, the Happiness Killer

10 Sep 2022
Smerconish
Rules of Civility in a Sometimes-Uncivilized World

12 Aug 2021
Jazz of Negotiation
How To Talk Gooder

10 Aug 2021
Cold Call
The Science of Sales Conversations with Gong’s Amit Bendov

03 May 2021
Poets & Quants
2021 Best 40-Under-40 Professors: Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business School

25 Mar 2021
Washington Post
After a year of covid life, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Try these conversation tips.

18 Mar 2021
Atlantic
How to End a Conversation Without Making Up an Excuse

01 Mar 2021
Scientific American
People Literally Don’t Know When to Shut Up—or Keep Talking, Science Confirms

26 Jan 2021
Harvard Business Review
Giving Critical Feedback Is Even Harder Remotely

09 Jun 2020
Against the Rules with Michael Lewis
The Unfair Coach

02 Jun 2020
Against the Rules with Michael Lewis
The Data Coach

29 May 2020
LinkedIn
How to talk gooder

19 May 2020
New York Times
How to Have a Fun Conversation Again

13 May 2020
BBC
Why we've been saying 'sorry' all wrong

01 May 2020
Forbes
Use Tested Techniques To Help Optimize Your Performance

16 Apr 2020
Reuters
Your Money: Why you might be afraid to spend your stimulus check

31 Mar 2020
Vogue
Win Over the Zoom: How to Effectively Public Speak from the Privacy of Your Home

15 Jan 2020
Forbes
This 5 Second Trick Has Been Proven To Drastically Improve Your Presentation Skills

04 Jan 2020
Guardian
Wellbeing: Six Ways to Put a Smile Back on Your Face in 2020

06 Nov 2019
Squeezing the Orange
It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask

05 Nov 2019
Psychology Today
How To Not Be Boring

30 Oct 2019
Business Insider
'You're planning to ask for a raise?' says a HBS professor, 'Stop right there.' Here are 7 rules for reframing your salary conversation for success.

25 Sep 2019
Squeezing the Orange
Don’t Stop Believin’

22 Sep 2019
Poets & Quants
The Most Interesting New MBA Courses At B-Schools This Year

24 Jun 2019
Quartz
The trick to public speaking is to stop memorizing

19 Jun 2019
Behavorial Scientist
Who Asks Questions, And What It Tells Us

17 May 2019
Harvard Business Review
How Asking Multiple People for Advice Can Backfire

04 Mar 2019
Inc.
Acording To Research This Will Lower Stress And Increase Productivity At Work, And It's Free

05 Dec 2018
HBS Working Knowledge
Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures

24 Sep 2018
New York Times
Want to Seem More Likable? Try This

17 Aug 2018
New York Times
Talking About Failure Is Crucial for Growth. Here's How to Do It Right.

22 Jul 2018
Inc.
Harvard Study Reveals One Word Is the Secret to Being Likable and Emotionally Intelligent

10 Jul 2018
Forbes
This Is The Psychological Reason Why Some People Are So Hard On Themselves

05 Jul 2018
Quartz
The counterintuitive tricks to asking better questions, according to Harvard research

05 Jun 2018
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School's HBX Offers Developing Yourself as a Leader, a New Leadership Development Program Offered via the HBX Live Virtual Classroom

29 May 2018
Harvard Business Review
Ask Better Questions

18 Apr 2018
Harvard Business Review
The Surprising Power of Questions

16 Apr 2018
Harvard Gazette
Let me compliment you, sort of

06 Apr 2018
Financial Times
Share stories of failure to defang ‘malicious envy’ at work

09 Mar 2018
Inc.
Want to Hear a Great Leader In Action? They Will Often Say These 3 Things

09 Feb 2018
Harvard Business Review
Introducing Dear HBR:

08 Feb 2018
NBC
How to give a Valentine's Day gift that says 'I love you'

03 Jan 2018
HBS Working Knowledge
5 Career-Related New Year’s Resolutions (and 5 Tips for Keeping Them)

11 Dec 2017
Behavorial Scientist
Brag Wisely

29 Nov 2017
NPR: Morning Edition
People Like People Who Ask Questions Listen

21 Nov 2017
Bloomberg View
A Thanksgiving Recipe for Success: Ask Questions

05 Nov 2017
Freakonomics
Mind Games

30 Oct 2017
HBS Working Knowledge
Asking Questions Can Get You a Better Job or a Second Date

28 Sep 2017
Fast Company
Why Venture Capitalists Aren’t Funding The Businesses We Need

13 Jul 2017
CNBC
This mental trick helps top surgeons, athletes and comedians perform under pressure

20 Jun 2017
Huffington Post
This Is The Key To Mastering Small Talk, According To Harvard Researchers

15 Jun 2017
CNBC
Harvard researchers reveal an easy conversation trick that will make you more likable

14 Jun 2017
New York Magazine
People Will Like You More If You Ask Them Questions

05 Jun 2017
Psychology Today
How to Make Friends by Asking Questions

19 May 2017
Wall Street Journal
How to Psych Children Up to Perform

15 Mar 2017
Harvard Medicine Magazine
Trust Me, I'm Your Smartphone

14 Mar 2017
Psychology Today
Cracking a Joke At Work Can Have a Surprising Payoff

08 Mar 2017
Bloomberg News
The Expert’s Guide to Crying at Work

01 Mar 2017
Harvard Business School
HBX Launches Managing Your Career Development, First Program Offered via HBX Live Virtual Classroom

21 Feb 2017
Wall Street Journal
Why It Pays Off to Be Funny at Work—Usually

09 Feb 2017
Forbes
When You Have An Office Meltdown, You Can Get Away With It By Calling It Passion, New Study Says

07 Feb 2017
HBS Working Knowledge
The Right Way to Cry in Front of Your Boss

24 Jan 2017
Wall Street Journal
The Joke That Makes or Breaks You at Work

11 Jan 2017
Harvard Business Review
Research: Cracking a Joke at Work Can Make You Seem More Competent

10 Jan 2017
Harvard Business Review
Research: Performing a Ritual Before a Stressful Task Improves Performance

11 Oct 2016
Harvard Gazette
Joke your way to success

07 Oct 2016
Wall Street Journal
The Real Problem Facing Women- and Minority-Owned Tech Startups

04 Oct 2016
Knowledge@Wharton
Using Humor in the Office: When It Works, When It Backfires

02 Oct 2016
Wall Street Journal
How to Get More Out of Office Conversations

27 Sep 2016
Wall Street Journal
How Men & Women See the Workplace Differently

19 Sep 2016
HBS Working Knowledge
Why Isn't Business Research More Relevant to Business Practitioners?

01 Sep 2016
Reader's digest
11 Magic Phrases to Make Anyone Trust You

29 Aug 2016
Financial Times
Make better decisions by using stress to your advantage

18 Aug 2016
Boston Globe
The power of rituals

04 Aug 2016
New York Magazine
Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment

20 Jul 2016
Inc.
Emotional Intelligence 101: These 3 Words Can Turn Anxiety Into Advantage, According to Science

05 Jul 2016
Atlantic
How to Turn Anxiety Into Excitement

25 Mar 2016
Fast Company
Four Mental Habits Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

23 Mar 2016
New York Magazine
You’re Excited, Not Nervous. You Just Keep Telling Yourself That.

23 Mar 2016
Atlantic
Can Three Words Turn Anxiety Into Success?

21 Mar 2016
Huffington Post
Is Your Child Stressed About a Test? Try this Simple Shift

24 Feb 2016
BBC
Why Do the British say 'sorry' so much?

10 Jan 2016
Globe and Mail
How five emotions come into play at the negotiating table

08 Jan 2016
Fast Company
The Secret to Making Anxiety Work in Your Favor

18 Nov 2015
Harvard Business Review
Emotion and the Art of Negotiation

03 Nov 2015
Scientific American
Lean In to Be Stretched Thin?

25 Sep 2015
Fast Company
Why Are Women More Cautious About Promotions?

25 Sep 2015
Bloomberg News
One Reason Women Aren't Getting the Promotion: They Don't Want It

24 Sep 2015
Slate
Women Don’t Always Want the Jobs at the Top, and That’s OK

24 Sep 2015
Atlantic
Why Do Women Think About the Downsides of Promotions More Than Men Do?

24 Sep 2015
Economist
What you really, really want

23 Sep 2015
Harvard Business Review
Explaining Gender Differences at the Top

23 Sep 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
Men Want Powerful Jobs More Than Women Do

05 Sep 2015
New York Times
Smart Workers Seek Out Advice, Study Suggests

03 Sep 2015
Harvard Business Review
Stress Can Be a Good Thing If You Know How to Use It

12 Aug 2015
Harvard Business Review
The Organizational Apology

22 Jul 2015
Huffington Post
Why Lonely People Stay Lonely

20 Jul 2015
New York Magazine
Why Lonely People Stay Lonely

17 Jun 2015
Mint
Gender, looks hold sway in venture capital funding

16 Jun 2015
Scientific American
The Isolating Effects of Anxiety

15 May 2015
Wall Street Journal
Use Stress to Your Advantage

12 Feb 2015
Scientific American
Asking Advice Makes a Good Impression

28 Jan 2015
Huffington Post
Our Women Mean Business: Encore Careers After 40

18 Dec 2014
Scientific American
Rebrand Stage Fright to Overcome It

14 Nov 2014
World Economic Forum
Why asking a contact for help benefits you both

07 Oct 2014
Scientific American
Asking Advice Makes a Good Impression

21 Aug 2014
New York Magazine
Asking for Advice Makes You Seem More Competent, Not Less

10 Jun 2014
We're Only Human blog (Association for Psychological Science)
Wrapping a Present for the Future

30 Apr 2014
HBS Working Knowledge
Venture Investors Prefer Funding Handsome Men

14 Apr 2014
Harvard Magazine
A Better Path to High Performance

11 Mar 2014
Business Insider
If You Want Funding For Your Business, You're Better Off Being Male And Hot

11 Mar 2014
Fast Company
Your Startup Is More Likely To Get Funding If You're A Man

10 Mar 2014
Nature
In business as in science, prejudice holds women back

08 Jan 2014
Atlantic
Study: Fight Performance Anxiety by Getting Excited

03 Jan 2014
Men's Health
Overcome Your Fears—Fast!

31 Dec 2013
Bloomberg Businessweek
Feeling Nervous? Don't Try to Calm Down—Get Excited

31 Dec 2013
Wall Street Journal
Get Excited: The Best Way to Conquer a Fear of Public Speaking

24 Dec 2013
Boston Globe
Overcoming Performance Anxiety: Get Excited

23 Dec 2013
American Psychological Association
Getting Excited Helps with Performance Anxiety More Than Trying to Calm Down, Study Finds

26 Nov 2013
Fast Company
Feeling Anxious? Why Trying To "Keep Calm" Is A Terrible Idea

10 Nov 2013
New York Times
Work Up a Sweat, and Bargain Better

01 Nov 2013
CBS: Money Watch
Want People to Trust You? Apologize

21 Oct 2013
Men's Health
The Weird Way to Earn People's Trust

01 Oct 2013
Edmonton Journal
One easy secret to make people like and trust you more

31 Mar 2014
Huffington Post
Study Shows Entrepreneurship Likes Men Better

27 Mar 2014
US News & World Report
Some Like It Hot: Investors Prefer Pitches From Attractive Men

22 Mar 2014
NPR
Need Money For Your Startup? Being An Attractive Male May Help

11 Mar 2014
Fast Company
Why You Actually Shouldn't Keep Calm and Carry On

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