Replace "you seem upset" with wheel-precise: "you seem frustrated because...".

After hearing your partner, reflect back three sentences: content, feeling, and underlying value.

Before any reply, summarize your speaker's argument and verify with them you got it before disagreeing.

Sit in your chair, then mentally move to the other person's chair and retell the situation from their view.

Paraphrase what you heard before responding — speaker confirms you heard.

Listen to understand not prep your reply — shifts every conversation.

Replace the rote "how are you" with "what was the best part of your week?".

Before refuting an opposing view, write its strongest version honestly.

Ask the model to question you instead of answering, surfacing and deepening your understanding.