Avoid interruptive thinking. Everyone—and I mean everyone—has something good to offer you if you are astute enough to find it. Sometimes it means picking a small kernel out of a lot of chaff, but the kernel is always there. One way to get the best from people is to learn to avoid what I call interruptive thinking. This is where someone is saying something to you and you interrupt—and probably change the subject in doing so.
—David Mahoney
HT: Words of Wisdom: More Good Advice compiled and edited by William Safire, Leonard Safir