Open with "I'm curious about X in your field" — dry chat turns into expertise exchange.

Invest five minutes to say a foreign colleague's name correctly — the highest return per minute in workplace relationships.

Before a joke or offhand remark about food/fasting/holidays, check the listener's religious considerations.

Before any impactful formal announcement, give key stakeholders a private individual heads-up so they're never blindsided publicly.

Offer only two choices for each small decision — respecting his autonomy without losing yours.