How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1187: Knowing When to Speak Up versus Shut Up with Vanessa Bohns

October 8, 2026·46 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Vanessa Bohns shares a science-backed guide to deciding when speaking up is helpful and when silence is the better choice. — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How to be honest without being harsh2) The hidden trade-off between vulnerability and competence3) When it DOES hurt to askSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1187 for the full transcript!— ABOUT VANESSA — Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. She holds a PhD in psychology from Columbia University and an AB from Brown University. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and other outlets, and her research has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and on NPR's Hidden Brain. She lives in upstate New York.• Book: Should I Say Something?: The Science of What to Share―and What to Keep to Yourself• Instagram: @profbohns• LinkedIn: Vanessa Bohns• Website: VanessaBohns.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller• Past episode: 972: Amy Edmondson on How to Fail WellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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