There are three types of casual conversations. For simplicity, I’m referring to a conversation between two people only.
Ideally you have two ‘passengers’ on a journey. It flows naturally, effort is not required and the experience is enjoyable.
There are also instances where one person is trying to steer the conversation (I was recently that person, which lead me to write this). This becomes awkward. It’s not natural. Usually the steering happens because the steerer has a specific idea they want to work towards. They aren’t being present with their audience.
Finally you have conversations where both parties are steering. This is the worst. They are fighting between two different directions and it’s awkward. It’s worth avoiding these types of conversations.