Silence feels uncomfortable.
Someone finishes speaking and nobody says anything. And your instinct is to fill the gap.
Instead…
Stop. Wait. Say nothing.
Those few seconds are often when people do their best thinking.
If you speak too quickly, you interrupt their train of thought. They might never say the thing that really matters.
But if you stay quiet, someone will often add another comment. They might ask a better question. Or they might share the concern they nearly kept to themselves.
Not every silence needs rescuing.
Pause before you rescue the silence. You might be surprised by what comes next.
