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118: Alison Wood Brooks — Make Great Conversations Easy with Proven Strategies from Harvard Expert

February 16, 2025 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

In this engaging conversation, Alison Wood Brooks, a Harvard Business School professor, shares insights from her research on the art and science of conversation. She discusses the importance of effective communication, the unique perspective gained from being an identical twin, and the value of teaching conversation skills to leaders.

The discussion covers various aspects of conversation, including the significance of preparation, understanding conversational goals, and the framework for successful interactions. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own conversational practices and consider how they can improve their communication skills. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of effective communication, emphasizing the cognitive load involved in conversations, the importance of preparation, and the power of follow-up questions.

They discuss strategies for topic switching and ending conversations gracefully, the significance of asking questions, and the art of active listening. The conversation also highlights the role of levity in maintaining engagement and the need for self-compassion in navigating social interactions.

Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. She teaches an award-winning course in the MBA curriculum called “TALK.” Recently named a Best 40-Under-40 Business School Professor by Poets & Quants, her book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves will be published by Crown (Penguin Random House) in January 2025.

Her research on the science of conversation has been published in prestigious academic journals, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science, as well as in popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, Scientific American, and Harvard Business Review. Professor Brooks holds a Ph.D. in Decision Processes from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Finance from Princeton University.

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

If you’re interested in discovering your core values and becoming a more self-aware and emotionally intelligent leader, I’ve built the perfect course to help you get there. Check out my Discover Your Core Values Mini Course, where I coach you through 3 exercises of guided reflection and help you uncover your core values in a way that you can apply them right away.

February 16, 2025 /Cal Walters
relationships, conversation, empathy, questions, listening, preparation, communication
Intentional Living, Leadership
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BG Work - Social Media Image .png

#64: Brigadier General Pat Work — Mantras to Center Your Leadership

May 22, 2021 by Cal Walters in Intentional Living, Leadership

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

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This episode is brought to you by HigherEchelon, Inc. HigherEchelon is a leadership development & organizational performance consulting firm providing human capital and technology services to optimize performance. HigherEchelon can help prepare your organization to meet the rapidly changing, complex and often ambiguous requirements of today’s world by developing Resilient and Adaptive leaders, modernizing and enhancing processes, and implementing transformational technology solutions. Visit HigherEchelon.com to connect with the amazing team at Higher Echelon and learn more about how they can help you and your team.


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Brigadier General (BG) James "Pat" Work graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1995 and was commissioned a Lieutenant of Infantry. He currently serves as the Deputy Commanding General for Support of the 82nd Airborne Division.

His initial assignments were rifle platoon leader, and later heavy weapons platoon leader, in 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). He then served as rifle platoon leader and Headquarters and Headquarters Company executive officer in 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Following the Infantry Officers Advanced Course, BG Work commanded Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He subsequently served as the S3 Air Operations Officer and commander, Company C, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Between 2002 and 2005, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan six times with 2d Ranger Battalion.

Following the Command and General Staff Officers Course, BG Work reported to 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Iraq with the Red Falcons for 15 months between 2006 to 2007. He then served as Aide de Camp to the 20th Secretary of the Army from 2008 until 2009. In 2010, BG Work deployed to Afghanistan with a Special Operations Task Force, serving in Kabul as the Task Force Commander's liaison officer to Commander, ISAF-Joint Command. In 2011, BG Work took command of 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), leading the battalion in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013.

BG Work reported to the Joint Staff in 2013, serving with the J3 Directorate's Deputy Director for Regional Operations where he was Orders Branch Chief and SecDef Orders Book Briefer from 2014 to 2015. He commanded 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from 2016 to 2018, guiding a portion of the coalition adviser effort in Iraq and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. He served as Executive Officer to the 39th Chief of Staff of the Army from 2018 to 2019, followed by service as the Military Deputy Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8.

BG Work attended Watsonville High School in Watsonville, California. He has been married to the former Mara Leigh Shwedo for 20 years. They have two children, JP (18) and Sally Ann (16). BG Work’s hobbies include reading, enjoying football, and working out. BG Work earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps War College.

On this episode, we cover a lot of ground. We discuss lessons Brigadier General Work learned from playing football, his views of mission command (an organizational leadership philosophy in the military), how you build competent people, the power of mantras (including many of BG Work’s life and leadership mantras), lessons he’s learned from combat, and much more!

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May 22, 2021 /Cal Walters
mantras, army, football, encouragement, mission command, preparation
Intentional Living, Leadership
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