Ep 392: The Hidden Power of Weak Language with Alison Fragale

“Don’t you think this is the best option…” 

“Maybe if we went in this direction instead the client would be happier…” 

These are examples of “weak” language that many of us use in the workplace… We’ve been told to stop using language like this if we want to be respected, get a promotion, or have our ideas considered in a room full of men… But now some new research is flipping this long-held belief on its head. In an experiment from psychology journal Sage, women who followed a script using weak language were actually more likely to get a raise. Alison Fragale, an award-winning research psychologist specializing in the power of powerless speech, joins us to go over how to use language as a tool and other tricks for gaining and managing our status. 

In Mailbag, we hear from a listener who’s been out of work due to the strike and asks if she should dig into her stock investments. We also hear from a dad who’s worried about how to best pay for his four children to go to college. For our money tip of the week, we talk about whether or not you should refinance your student loans (don’t panic)!

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