SPOS #973 – Alison Wood Brooks On The Science Of Great Conversations
Release Date: 03/02/2025
Facing Fear And Finding Purpose With Ranjay Gulati - TWMJ #1012
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1012 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Amid a moment when uncertainty defines every industry and leaders everywhere are confronting fear disguised as strategy, it is worth turning to someone who has spent his career decoding how individuals and organizations find the courage to act, which is why this week’s guest, , offers such rare authority. Ranjay is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor at , a globally recognized organizational sociologist, bestselling author, and one of the world’s most cited scholars on leadership,...
info_outline
Why Great Teams Beat Star Talent With Jon Levy - TWMJ #1011
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1011 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). We tend to romanticize leadership as an act of personal brilliance, but the deeper story is often about the people who understand what truly moves human beings toward one another. has built a career around that question. A renowned human behavioral scientist, consultant and creator of the long-running - a global, invitation-only experiment where guests cook together anonymously to dissolve status cues and foster authentic connection - Jon has spent over fifteen years studying why people bond,...
info_outline
Why Authenticity Is Overrated With Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - TWMJ #1010
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1010 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if the search for our “true selves” has been leading us away from who we actually need to become? That’s the tension at the heart of ’s work, a globally respected authority on people analytics, talent, leadership, and the Human–AI interface whose career spans , , , , , and decades of research that have shaped how organizations understand human behavior. His latest book, challenges one of the most cherished modern beliefs - that success comes from projecting our raw, unfiltered selves - and...
info_outline
Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The future isn’t something to predict... it’s something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than , a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from , , and to , where he served as head of design. In his new book, , Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don’t - that shape how individuals and organizations...
info_outline
Radical Humanness In The Age of AI With Henrik Werdelin - TWMJ #1008
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1008 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if artificial intelligence didn’t just build faster startups... but redefined what it means to be an entrepreneur? has been exploring that question for years. As the co-founder of (the company behind and the new ) and (the startup studio that helped launch ventures like , , and ), Henrik (who also has a great podcast called, ) has spent his career creating businesses that live at the intersection of creativity, community and technology. Now, with his new book , he’s rethinking...
info_outline
In Praise Of The Office WIth Peter Cappelli - TWMJ #1007
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1007 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The debate over hybrid work has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in business... but few people have studied it as deeply as , the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the and Director of its . In his latest book, , co-authored with , Peter challenges the idea that remote work is the inevitable future of knowledge work. Drawing from decades of research and real-world case studies, he argues that while technology has allowed us to untether from our desks, it has also quietly eroded...
info_outline
Epic Disruptions And The Future of Innovation With Scott Anthony - TWMJ #1006
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1006 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Disruption isn’t always loud. It’s often quiet, slow and deeply human. That’s one of the lessons has spent his career unpacking. As a leading voice on innovation and the managing partner emeritus at (the consultancy founded by the late ), Scott has helped global companies navigate the uncertainty that comes with change. He si currently a Clinical Professor of Strategy at 's . His latest book, , reframes how we think about progress through stories that stretch from gunpowder to generative AI,...
info_outline
Inventing The Future With Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard - TWMJ #1005
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1005 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Every major leap in human connection starts as a simple question: what if? For , that question led to the invention of the cable modem and the birth of broadband internet access as we know it. Often called the “father of the cable modem,” Rouzbeh is a visionary engineer and entrepreneur whose work transformed how billions of people access information. His new book, , traces the improbable journey from an idea nobody believed in (“why would anyone want the internet at home?”) to the global...
info_outline
The Future Of Work And Leadership With Robert Glazer - TWMJ #1004
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1004 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What does it really mean to lead with values when so much of modern business seems built on quarterly results and surface-level culture? has spent his career proving that sustainable performance isn’t just about financial results. It’s about the alignment between who you are and what you stand for. As founder and chairman of (a marketing agency), Bob built a company repeatedly recognized as one of the best places to work. Beyond the accolades, he is an author of seven books, including , and his...
info_outline
Manage Yourself To Lead Others With Margaret Andrews - TWMJ #1003
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1003 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). When you look closely at leadership, it often seems like a conversation about others… how to motivate, how to manage, how to inspire. But what if the real work starts somewhere far more intimate… with yourself? , a distinguished educator, consultant and leadership expert, has spent years making the case that true leadership begins with self-awareness. It’s the quiet realization that the patterns of your past, your assumptions and your worldview don’t just shape who you are… they shape how you...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #973 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.
Alison Wood Brooks is one of the leading voices in understanding the science of human conversation, and her latest book, Talk - The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves, explores just how complex, delicate, and transformative our daily interactions can be. As a professor at Harvard Business School, Alison has spent years studying the psychology behind dialogue - why some conversations feel effortless while others fall flat, how we navigate social dynamics, and why even the simplest exchanges can shape our relationships and success. In our conversation, we explore the difference between Q&A and true dialogue, the often-overlooked art of reading the room, and the skills that can make or break an interaction. Alison shares insights on the role of AI in companionship, the way egocentrism naturally seeps into our conversations, and why teaching conversational skills is more critical than ever in a digital-first world. We also discuss the post-Covid social shift, the importance of face-to-face interactions, and how conversational missteps - something we all experience - can actually strengthen relationships if handled the right way. Her TALK Maxims (Topics, Asking, Levity, Kindness) offer a simple yet powerful framework for improving everyday communication, whether in personal relationships, business, or even in navigating difficult discussions. If you’ve ever struggled with what to say, when to say it, or how to be a better conversationalist, this episode will help you rethink the way you talk... and listen. Enjoy the conversation...
- Running time: 1:06:51.
- Hello from beautiful Montreal.
- Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
- Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
- Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
- Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
- Check out ThinkersOne.
- or you can connect on LinkedIn.
- ...or on Twitter.
- Here is my conversation with Alison Wood Brooks.
- Talk - The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.
- Check out her band: The Lights
- Follow Alison on Instagram.
- Follow Alison on LinkedIn.
- This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Conversation Science.
(02:49) - The Dynamics of Q&A vs. Conversation.
(05:58) - The Art of Eavesdropping and Voyeurism in Conversations.
(08:53) - Emerging Science of Conversation.
(11:59) - AI and Human Conversations.
(15:06) - The Role of AI in Companionship.
(18:01) - Egocentrism in Conversations.
(20:46) - Alpha and Beta Dynamics in Conversations.
(23:51) - Teaching Conversation Skills.
(27:07) - Conversational Toggling in a Digital Age.
(32:00) - The Fleeting Nature of In-Person Connections.
(35:06) - The Impact of AI on Human Interaction.
(38:58) - Navigating Post-Covid Social Dynamics.
(43:03) - The Importance of Reading the Room.
(48:03) - Breaking the Pace in Conversations.
(52:01) - The Value of Topic Preparation.
(57:02) - Foot-in-Mouth Moments and Repair Strategies.