“Conversation feels like it should be second nature—but it’s surprisingly difficult when you look under the hood,” Alison says. We run into awkward or difficult moments all the time. But with the new science of conversation, we can learn to communicate more effectively both at work and at home.

Alison is a Harvard Business School professor who’s been named to the Poets & Quants list of the best 40-Under-40 Business School Professors. She’s also the author of the new book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.

Alison’s work has garnered attention across the media: from TIME Magazine to The Wall Street Journal. She’s appeared on podcasts whose leadership runs into the millions—Hidden Brain, the #1 science podcast in the country, dedicated two back-to-back episodes to her work.

A funny, thoughtful, and dynamic speaker, Alison reveals the surprisingly small things that trip us up in everyday conversation—and the surprisingly simple things we can do to master them. With clarity and humor, she uses her TALK framework to reveal:

• How five minutes of preparation can make even the most difficult conversations flow more smoothly;
• Why you should be asking way more questions than you think;
• How conversations with strangers can make us happier;
• and much more.

​​”I want audiences to leave my talk with very concrete things that they’re going to try in their life,” Alison says. “If anyone asks even one more question than they normally would have, that’s a huge win—for you and for everyone else.”