There's lots of specific advice posted already, much of which is good. I want to emphasize the seed crystal that ties it all together: try to put yourself in t

There's lots of specific advice posted already, much of which is good. I want to emphasize the seed crystal that ties it all together: try to put yourself in the shoes of the person you're talking to. That's it. When talking to someone, constantly try to envision what it feels like to be them, to have the point of view(s) that they have, and what is driving them. Not just once or twice, but continuously, throughout the conversation. Now- this is a lifelong skill. It takes constant practice, and you get better slowly over time. But we as humans are built for this sort of thing. From mirror neurons to brain structures dedicated to facial decoding, we have the innate hardware required to be successfully empathetic. It just takes practice. The hardest/most useful part is learning to understand other people's decision-making systems, which are going to be very different than your own. Withhold snap judgement, and try to find why their system works for them. You will almost inevitably learn something of value from the process.