The Skill AI Can’t Replace — Reading the Room (Bonnie Hammer)

Negotiate Anything

American Negotiation Institute

Education, Careers, Business

4.8 • 659 Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

AI can write, edit, even cast—but it still can’t do what made TV legend Bonnie Hammer unstoppable: read the room. In this candid conversation with Kwame Christian, Bonnie unpacks the human meta‑skill behind great leadership and negotiation—reading people and context in real time—and how it powered her “Blue Skies” era at USA & SYFY (Monk, Psych, Burn Notice). She shares why “fake it till you make it” fails (and what to do instead), how to hire for humility and team-first culture, why presence matters (“be in the room”), and how to build a spider‑web career that thrives through industry upheaval, streaming shakeups, and the rise of AI. What you’ll learn Reading the room: the irreplaceable skill that beats AI and drives better decisions, deals, and teams. Face it till you make it: Bonnie’s upgrade to the old career cliché—and how to apply it immediately. Hiring & culture: spotting humility, collaboration, and truth‑tellers (not cheerleaders). Media shifts: streaming, bundling, budget pressure—and what creators should do now. AI & guardrails: what to protect, what to embrace, and where human storytelling wins. Presence & influence: first impressions, listening deeply, and speaking the language of the room. Mentorship that works: why challenging mentors accelerate growth (Barry Diller story inside). Women at work: the most damaging “lie” and how to replace it with actionable strategy. Perfect for: creators, executives, founders, marketers, negotiators, and anyone leading teams or pitching ideas in a noisy, AI‑accelerated world. If this episode resonates, share it with someone navigating change—and subscribe for more conversations on negotiation, leadership, and human skills that compound. Keywords: Bonnie Hammer, reading the room, negotiation, leadership, team culture, hiring, mentorship, women at work, Blue Skies brand, USA Network, SYFY, Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, streaming strategy, AI in media, presence, career advice, spider‑web career, truth‑teller mentors, Kwame Christian, Negotiate Anything Podcast Connect with Bonnie Buy Bonnie's new book, 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work bonnie-hammer.com Contact ANI ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠negotiateanything.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!

Transcript

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0:00.0	For decades, Bonnie Hammer has shaped the media industry.
0:03.5	She led some of television's biggest networks and guided the next generation of leaders,
0:08.2	leaving a lasting mark on how we watch, work, and think.
0:12.6	In this conversation, Bonnie opens up.
0:14.8	She shares the lessons that build her career,
0:17.3	why having challenging mentors is the key to real growth
0:20.5	and how embracing change can
0:22.3	turn uncertainty into opportunity. This isn't about fancy titles or long resumes. It's about how to
0:28.9	stay relevant in a world that's always changing, how to build skills that last, and how to lead
0:34.4	with confidence and humility. If you want to learn what it really takes to thrive,
0:39.5	not just survive in your career,
0:41.9	this episode with Bonnie Hammer is where it starts.
0:47.4	At this stage in life, I think I am stronger,
0:51.1	more physically fit than I've ever been in my life because five days a week.
0:57.0	I'm either doing Pilates.
0:58.9	I'm going to boxing.
1:00.1	I'm doing bar classes.
1:01.5	So I get out of the house almost every single morning to do something physical, which
1:08.0	it's good for the mind.
1:09.7	It's good for the body.
1:10.6	And it just gives me some peace.
1:13.9	So I've created a little bit of a schedule for myself, but I'm, and I'm also just reading
	...

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