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Why Powerful Pauses Will Help Your Conversations
People cringe when silence shadows a discussion.
They get uncomfortable, tense and as the pressure-cooker of anxiety builds, they break the silence with words. They’ll say anything to make the silence go away. It’s these moments that open an opportunity for a great conversation.
It starts with Powerful Pauses.
In negotiations, it’s called Dynamic Silence.
Chris Voss teaches to take a 2–3 second pause after a well-placed label or mirror. The pause gives your counterpart time to correct inaccuracies or to reveal more information.
In casual conversations, silence allows the other person to speak.
We love to fill the void of silence in our conversations, but it’s a perfect opportunity to shut up and let the other person speak.
In meetings, silence helps the leader give time to their team members.
Most leaders do an excellent job of talking, but they struggle with getting their team to participate in a conversation, especially newer members.
In all conversations, silence helps to process your thoughts.
We’ve all been in situations where we didn’t think about what we were going to say, so we said something stupid or hurtful. Premeditated silence helps overcome this.
Finally, silence lets your statements have maximum impact.
It’s one reason comedian’s best punch lines are followed by powerful pauses, and laughter ensues.
Become intimate with silence in all situations.
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