A few suggestions

1—Have a good, somewhat strange, personal story ready to go. I have a few that work depending on the occasion. People like to laugh.

2—Ask more questions. People love to talk about themselves.

3—Spend your time telling personal stories. People don't enjoy talking about ideas and politics.

4—Practice. Your father's colleague doesn't think too much about the perfect thing to say (and he definitely doesn't think about responses while someone else is talking). He knows what to say and he lets it flow