What if you paused?
Not for a long time. Just a beat. A breath. A moment of silence in a world that keeps asking us to move faster.
We live in a world of speed — speed that seems to be increasing. But what if we paused?
I'd like to pause longer right now, to make the point. But if I pause much longer than that, you might stop watching. Which is kind of a symptom of the point I'm making. We are moving so fast, which means that pauses are more important now than they've ever been. And they've always been important.
So when am I talking about pausing? Let me give you four.
Pause in Communication
When we are speaking, if we will pause, we can land the point we just made. We can get people's attention, because everything around us is moving so fast. When we alter our rate — when we pause — we have more impact and influence.
Pause When Listening
I don't know about you, but I sometimes interrupt people. Not because I'm trying to be difficult, but often because I just want to make sure my point gets made. If instead I let people finish, and then pause briefly, they feel heard. I have a chance to collect my thoughts and speak what is best to be said — not just what was going through my head.
Pause Before Deciding
There are so many times when we feel like everything is urgent, and decisions have to be made in an instant. Are there moments when we need to decide right now? Sure, there are. But there are other things that can wait — that maybe even deserve a pause before deciding.
The Pause Is Where Leadership Lives
Pauses give us clarity. Pauses give us a chance to respond rather than react. Pauses give us a chance to think a bit longer, decide a bit better, and build more trust. Clarity. Response. Thinking. Decisions. Trust. All of those are part of being a highly effective leader.
Building Pauses Into Your Team's Culture
Now let's think about this organizationally. How often does your culture reward the quick answer over the right answer?
How can we build some pausing into team norms — some brief silence in meetings, time before decisions, a night to sleep on it? Are there things we can do to create more pauses in the flow of our work?
And if we want to do that, we must model the pause ourselves. When we do, the chances are better that our teams will follow.
Here's today's remarkable reminder: in our fast-paced world, in quick communication cadences, pauses are more important than ever.
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