On listening

One of my coworkers, who drops by my cube on a regular basis, started talking to me about her dating problems and such after we went on a tangent from someone work-related (I forget what, though). And when she caught herself going off like that, she commented that I was a really good listener, and that there's something about me that makes her want to tell me things.

Weird, huh? It wouldn't be the first time someone's said something to that effect, but it really stands out when this is coming from someone 15+ years older than me.

So now I'm wondering ... what makes a good listener? I've always been told that I'm an observer and a listener, but I've never put much thought into how before. Because I don't talk and I look attentive? Because I reiterate parts of the conversation back?

Heh. My coworker also said that I should start charging her and call myself a dating coach. That'd be funny.