West explores the invisible forces that derail communication—even among the smartest, most well-intentioned teams. With humor and deep insight, she reveals how tiny assumptions, unsaid “obvious” facts, and quickly formed insider language can quietly sabotage collaboration. Drawing on two decades of research, West unpacks why teams miss critical information even when it’s in the room, and how our brains are wired to overlook what others don’t know. Her stories will make you laugh, cringe, and rethink your next team meeting. This talk is a powerful call to slow down, check your shared assumptions, and finally say the thing that “goes without saying.” Tessa West is a Professor of Psychology at New York University and a renowned authority on interpersonal communication. Her research tackles complex issues such as the challenges of giving honest feedback, the impact of class, race, and cultural differences on workplace communication, and strategies for improving professional interactions.A prolific scholar, Tessa earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut and has published over 80 articles in leading academic journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Psychological Science, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Her contributions have earned her multiple honors, including the Early Career Award and the Theoretical Innovation Prize from the Foundation for Personality and Social Psychology, as well as significant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.Tessa’s insights have garnered extensive media coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, Scientific American, TIME, and Forbes, and her expertise has been showcased on Good Morning America, CNN, and ABC World News. She is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and the author of two acclaimed books, Jerks at Work: Toxic coworkers and what to do about them and Job Therapy: Finding work that works for you. Her TED Talk, "The problem with being too nice at work," was among the top 10 most-watched talks of 2024. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx