ask questions

Oh woman of many words (and worries) ...

REMEMBER: don't tell what you know; ask questions. Real heart to heart sharing occurs when we ask questions and are willing to listen and invest our interest in the answers. We build relationships when we ask questions and listen.  We become teachable and able to learn from others when we ask questions and are really willing to listen. There will be time later to share from your heart; but FIRST ask, ask, ask, and listen with invested interest.

Oh and ask BETTER questions.
open-ended questions
Ask questions that get people to reveal not simply what happened, but also what they were thinking. Questions that start with "what", "how", "why" or maybe “who,” “where,” or “when".

NOT: Did you like that? INSTEAD: What was it that you liked about it?
Simply adding a "what" in front of and stopping at the "question mark".
Don't ask either/or , or multiple choice questions.

Be curious. People who do all the talking are deaf to the needs of others.
Be engaged. When you ask questions, act like you care -- actively show interest.

Don't disguise instruction in the form a question.  Don't use a question as a way to lecture.  People see right through this, this is not being subtle, this is being condescending.

And for the more advanced....

"A good journalist (( or sales person )) will steer a conversation by cutting in with questions whenever they need to. This helps rein in ramblers and clarify statements before the conversation gets too far ahead to go back. Notice how great interviewers like Larry King or Jon Stewart maintain control of their conversations; it’s almost always through polite interruptions--not with things they want to say, but with questions that keep the Q&A on course.
Mature people will rarely be upset by interruptions that let them continue talking. To the contrary, additional questions make people feel like they’re being listened to."

SOURCE http://www.fastcompany.com/3003945/one-conversational-tool-will-make-you-better-absolutely-everything