Listening is rapidly becoming a lost art. When we are an attentive listener, the other person is usually surprised. One of the best Tedtalks I listened to recently is entitled “10 ways to have a better conversation” by Celeste Headlee. She says that when your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations -- and that most of us don't converse very well. And she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening In her Tedtalk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. "Go out, talk to people, listen to people," she says. "And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed."

https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation