1. Be Genuinely Interested in the person. Strive to know more about Him/her through the conversation.

2. Focus on the Positives. Opt for positive and meaningful topics over negative ones.

3. Converse, not Debate or Argue. Where there are differences, agree to disagree.

4. Be True to Yourself. Don’t mime, be ready to share your own thoughts.

5. 50-50 Sharing. Don’t dominate the conversation. At the same time, don’t hold back from sharing either.

6. Respect; Don’t impose, criticize or judge. Respect others’ space and right to their views.

7. Put the person in his or her best light. Make the person look good without being unauthentic.

8. Embrace differences, while building on commonalities.

9. Ask purposeful questions like.

10. Don’t be too critical over what others say or do and always give others the benefit of the doubt.

Do you have any pointers to add? Please feel free to drop them in the comment section below.

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