The power of silence: How you can use it to your advantage
Generally, there are two main types of people in a meeting: those who are terrified of social situations and those who loooove to talk.
If you think you’re more of the latter, then it’s likely that you speak a lot during meetings – approaching other attendees and speaking your mind about matters.
The truth is, the introverts who keep their mouth shut in meetings might actually have an advantage over you – we’ll explain why:
Silence gives the other attendees the time to shine
Help your team to grow stronger by letting others voice their views and opinions from time to time. Although you might know everything that needs to be covered in the meeting, don’t go all out to do the talking – hold back a little and let others contribute to the proceedings.
© Jacob Lund / Adobe Stock
Silence acquires more recognition
Silence is golden! Believe it or not, staying silent is actually an attention-grabbing move. You’ll eventually be noticed and get called upon for an opinion if everyone notices that you are not saying anything – you can then take the opportunity to say what you’ve been keeping in the back of your mind and the chances are, your audience will listen more intently.
Silence captivates your audience
Short pauses throughout the dialogue can help to win over your audience. For a start, pausing in the first few seconds before you actually say anything means that you are acknowledging the attendees.
Silence motivates the team to accomplish goals
A recent study by Peter Gollwitzer, a psychology professor at New York University, shows that participants who share their goals with others are more likely to give up on their accomplishments than those who keep their goals to themselves – as they have a higher success rate.
Silence helps you to listen and win friends
If you catch yourself in frequent arguments and addressing others in an accusatory manner just to achieve victory, then it’s time to stop. Rather, turn your arguments into understanding by taking a minute to listen to your colleagues. Explain your side without shaming anyone; you’ll make them feel valued and it will also make you feel good, too!
You may be the kind of person who really loves to talk but you should never underestimate the power of silence!
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Posted by Julie Tucker
