On a recent blog post that my daughter wrote, the following quote jumped out at me, not only because it was boxed with a picture behind it but because it “shouted” to me.
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” (Ram Dass)
Silence is a wonderful thing. Often in coaching the “white space” of silence allows the client to think without interruption; to reflect on a question; and to clarify an issue in his mind. Too often people want to fill the silence because it may feel uncomfortable or seems to be overly long.
In her book, “Fierce Conversations”, Susan Scott speaks about the importance of asking powerful questions and then standing back and listening. Throughout her books and her TED Talk, she relates stories about the importance of listening—listening to understand, listening to learn, listening to support—to the person you are with, whether they are a colleague, a spouse, a partner, a child, etc.
Give silence a chance to allow the space for thinking and reflecting on the conversation’s topic.