Were you uncomfortable with their silence? What did you do?
The average person waits only 2-3 seconds before rephrasing the question, answering the question themselves, or just moving on. Strange as it may sound, the average person has no idea that they do this!
How about you? When confronted with silence, have you too quickly re-asked the question? Or restated the question in another way? Or maybe asked a second or even third question hoping they would respond?
Please don’t!
Ask your question and then give the person the gift of silence. Give the person time to think and formulate their response. Be still. Focus your kind attention on them. Relax and wait.
The good news is that they will answer, and often the longer the silence, the more thoughtful the response will be!
If you were asked, “What steps could you take in the next month to become a better leader?” would you be able to start answering in 2-3 seconds? Or, would you appreciate some silence to craft your response? What would happen if, after 2-3 seconds, the one who asked you the question began to restate their question? Or asked another question? Would that be helpful? Or would you prefer for them to remain silent to give you time to think? I am guessing the latter! So if you would appreciate some silence to thoughtfully respond to a Great Question, what would those you ask Great Questions of also appreciate?
Don’t waste a Great Question by jumping on their silence with your words, preventing them from having the time they need to thoughtfully respond.
“Silence adds value to the questions you ask.”
— Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak blog
“The single most interesting thing you can do is ask a good question and then let the answer hang there for two or three or four seconds as though you’re expecting more. You know what? They get a little embarrassed and give you more.”
— Mike Wallace, Legendary CBS News Reporter
“Excellent leaders not only know the right questions to ask, but they also know how to patiently wait for an answer. They are comfortable with silence. If you are not comfortable with the silence, you will fill it with another question that leaves your original question unanswered and squelches engagement. After asking an employee a question, your patience creates power. Resist the gravitational pull to fill the void. Your silence creates accountability for a response. You would rather wait for a well-thought-out response than get a quick, half-baked reply.”
— Lee J. Colan and Julie David-Colan, authors of The 5 Coaching Habits of Excellent Leaders
“When you ask, look the other person in the eye. And— this is the most important part—then stay quiet. Ask, simply, and then wait. Don’t throw a bunch of garbage words into the space between your ask and the person’s response. The waiting part—that silence—is deafening, but critical.”
— Sarah K. Peck, from her free eBook: The Art of Asking
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