A good follow-up question tells people you were actually listening, not just waiting.

Most conversations are two people taking turns holding their breath until it is their turn to talk. A follow-up cannot be prepared in advance. It has to be built out of the exact words someone just said, which is why it lands so differently than a nod. People can feel the difference between being heard and being tolerated.

Pick one conversation this week and hold your own story back for a minute. Ask one more question about what they just told you, something you could not have asked before they spoke. Watch how quickly the whole thing changes.