Why you should listen
Tessa West is a social psychology professor and expert in interpersonal communication. Her work focuses on why we struggle to understand one another and simple yet effective strategies we can use to become better direct communicators. Her research shows that stress is contagious, subtle behaviors shape impressions and early miscommunications on teams set the tone — yet small communication changes can prevent mistakes over time. Her book Jerks at Work focuses on how we can learn better communication strategies for dealing with difficult situations and difficult people at work. Applying the science of communication to the workplace, her book Job Therapy teaches people how to learn new strategies for clear, effective communication that they can apply to any stage of the job exploration process, from networking to interviewing, laying the groundwork for honest conversations and finding careers that fit. Her work has been featured on NPR's Hidden Brain, CNN, Good Morning America and CNBC.
