CODACON 27 · Mid-Conference Keynote
Alison Wood Brooks
Better Conversations, Better Outcomes
The Science Behind the Interactions That Shape Our Lives
Even ordinary conversations involve dozens of small choices: when to ask a question, change the subject, add humor, or make room for someone else. Alison Wood Brooks examines how those choices affect whether people feel understood and whether a conversation moves them closer to what matters.
Drawing on her research into the science of conversation, she offers practical ways to build trust, navigate disagreement, and strengthen relationships in the everyday exchanges that shape our lives.
About Alison
Alison Wood Brooks is a behavioral scientist, educator, and author of TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves. She is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the founder and CEO of TALK Studios.
Her research examines question-asking, listening, humor, emotion, and the ways conversations shape relationships. She studies the small decisions people make while talking—and how those decisions influence trust, learning, negotiation, and connection.
At Harvard, she developed the MBA course TALK: How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life. Her teaching also reaches audiences through The Conversation Advantage on MasterClass. Through TALK Studios, she brings conversation research into tools and learning experiences for schools, organizations, and families.
Brooks earned her Ph.D. in Decision Processes at the Wharton School and studied Psychology and Finance at Princeton. Her recognition includes Harvard’s Wyss Award for Excellence in Mentoring and a place on Poets & Quants’ Best 40-Under-40 Business School Professors list. She is also a musician, a twin, and a mother of three.
The Book
TALK
The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
Conversation can feel instinctive, yet even familiar exchanges can leave us misunderstood or disconnected. In TALK, Brooks explores the choices beneath those moments and the skills that help us connect more thoughtfully.
Published in 2025, the book draws on behavioral research and everyday examples to examine how we choose topics, ask questions, bring lightness to an exchange, and consider another person’s needs. Her TALK framework gives readers a practical way to notice—and improve—those habits.
About the book ↗- Topics
- Notice where the conversation is going—and when to explore a new direction.
- Asking
- Use questions to learn more and make space for the other person.
- Levity
- Make room for playfulness and shared enjoyment.
- Kindness
- Consider what your conversation partner needs from the exchange.
Talks at Google
Alison Wood Brooks in Conversation
What can the science of conversation teach us about connecting with the people around us?
Alison joins Talks at Google to discuss TALK and how small changes in our conversations can affect relationships at work and in everyday life.
For camp leaders, the connection is immediate: how do we move beyond giving instructions to really understanding a counselor, a camper, or a parent? The conversation offers a starting point for thinking about the questions we ask and the attention we give.