The Power of Pause
I always cherished the moments when Kenny shared his thoughts during meetings. He would consistently pause briefly before speaking, which had us all eagerly anticipating his words.
Once, I mentioned to Kenny how much I admired his ability to capture everyone's attention with his pauses. He chuckled and replied, "That's not why I pause. I do it because I know what I want to say, but I stop to think if it is the right thing to say." Que up a picture of my mind being blown!
Like Kenny, it's wise to take a moment to reflect on whether what you're about to say is appropriate, particularly when caught off-guard. My intentional actions align more with who I want to be than my impulsive reactions. Key line there. Let's bold that! My intentional actions align more with who I want to be than my impulsive reactions.
For leaders in recovery, the Power of Pause is crucial. Instead of instantly reacting when someone upsets you, both the other person and the situation benefit when you take a moment to frame my thoughts and feedback .
Pausing is also useful when things aren't going as planned, especially in sales and on teams. It's always beneficial to halt your staff momentarily and reassess the situation to identify the necessary steps to get back on track.
Moreover, pausing can prevent further escalation during stressful times at work, home, or elsewhere. During such moments, I ask myself three questions about my intended response:
Does this need to be said?
Does this need to be said by me?
Does this need to be said now?
After considering these questions during a pause, I can proceed in the best possible manner.
On that note, I will pause my writing. Until the next post, may all your pauses be purposeful and positive!