There is nothing more annoying than being “talked at.” It’s disengaging, disempowering, and quite honestly annoying. Instead of talking “to” people, talk “with” people. The simple difference between the words “to” and “with” are as different as rocks are from air.
Talking “to” either turns the other person into a passive participant in the conversation or even worse, alienates them. Talking “with” someone, on the other hand, means there is a mutuality to the conversation, a give and take, which means both parties are contributing to the conversation. Instead of being a passenger in the conversation, the other person becomes a pilot or copilot. Your curiosity will create curiosity in the other person, and your interest will create interest within the other person as well.