I've noticed that the number of good conversations I've had has increased, and it's all because I made one small tweak in the way I approached them.

After pleasantries were exchanged, I let the other person talk. Outside of a head nod or the like, I said nothing for as long as she or he needed. I paid very close attention. I didn't take physical notes, but watched their body language, listened carefully to their tone of voice, and of course, understood the content of their messages.

In almost every case, the other person spoke for a good 10-20 minutes.

This has been transformative. These conversations all took up a deeper space within me.

Funny how being quiet can affect things. Give it a try.