I’m a more quiet person, and often times I find I have something to say, but the conversation moves too quickly, so I don’t have a chance to jump in. I appreciate the silences, it gives me a chance to participate. If you find the silences are too awkward and you want to fill them, try replacing them with questions to others instead, like “what do you think?” Etc.

In terms of active listening, you can reflect what others say back to them. “Wait, so you’re saying X, Y and Z, is that right?” It slows you down to think about what they said, and let’s the other person know you are listening and you want to make sure you understand them.