The Keys to Great Conversation

Welcome to the HBR Idea Cast from Harvard Business Review. I'm Alison Beard. To think of myself as a fairly good conversationalist. After all, a big part of my job is interviewing experts on this show and for HBR events. And I spend the rest of my time talking to academics and executives about how to shape their ideas into articles. Away from work, you'll also find me chatting up people pretty regularly, family, friends, the guy at the gym, the stranger I just met at a party. Still, when it comes to conversational skills, there's always room for improvement.

And I'll admit that even I come away from some interactions unsure of myself. Did I talk too much? Ask questions if everyone share too candidly? No matter the topic setting or partner, conversations can be tricky, and yet navigating them well, from water cooler to boardroom, School drop off to dinner outing.

can yield both professional and personal benefits. So, whether you're a practice talker or more socially awkward, it pays to better understand how conversations work and how to get better at them. Our guest today is here to help. Alison Woodbrooks is an associate professor at Harvard Business School. And she wrote the book Talk.

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