Unlock the Power of Silence: Why Less Talking Equals More Clarity
If you’re facilitating meetings, remember that silence is not bad
Do you know how long it takes the average person to feel uncomfortable with silence?
Four seconds.
That’s what three Dutch researchers found back in 2010. Four seconds was enough to “make one feel distressed, afraid, hurt, and rejected.”
Many inexperienced communicators and leaders rush to fill those awkward silences with something — anything—to make themselves feel less uncomfortable.
Remember, silence is not a bad thing. Silence is the noise thinking makes.
After reading about this four-second threshold years ago, I began to court the limits of my discomfort and embrace silence. As a learning & development (L&D) director, I’ve now gotten to practice the skill of silence hundreds of times in the virtual meetings and trainings I facilitate.
My colleagues now joke that I love awkward silences and can sit in them for longer than anyone else. And they’re not wrong.
I use the opportunity to take a sip of water, think about what I’m going to say next, and look at the faces on my Zoom screen to try to read…
