Friendship Expert: Stop Asking People What They Do

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

November 3, 2026

Duration

1h 34m

Channel

The Jefferson Fisher Podcast

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Making friends as an adult isn't easy. And sometimes, the people we consider friends aren't the ones we can actually count on. In this episode, I'm joined by organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant to talk about the science of human connection, why friendships change as we get older, and what it really takes to build meaningful relationships. We discuss the three types of friends everyone needs, why you don't have to talk every day to stay close, and how having difficult conversations can actually strengthen your relationships. Adam also shares practical ways to move past small talk, connect with people on a deeper level, and approach conflict with honesty instead of fear. Buy Adam's new book, Vibe - https://adamgrant.net/book/vibe/ Order The Next Conversation Workbook: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/workbook Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/newsletter Thank you to our Sponsors: Seed. Go to https://www.seed.com/jefferson and use code 25JEFFERSON to get 25% off your first order. Cozy Earth. Upgrade Your Every Day. Get 20% off at https://cozyearth.com/jefferson or use code JEFFERSON at check out. BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Like what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Order my new book, The Next Conversation, today! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/book Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/topic Join my School of Communication. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/membership Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jefferson_fisher Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson?lang=en Follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonfisher/

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Adam Grant

  guest

  Organizational psychologist and author focused on work, motivation, and social connection.

• Jefferson Fisher

  host

  Podcast host and interviewer who leads conversations on communication and relationships.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Jefferson Fisher Podcast, featuring Adam Grant and Jefferson Fisher, Friendship Expert: Stop Asking People What They Do explores stop defaulting to “What do you do?”—build better friendships deliberately Adam Grant says adult friendship often includes “asymmetric” ties because people hold different definitions of what counts as a friend.

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