The Power of a 5-Second Pause: How Silence Can Make You Sound More Senior
If you work in an office environment, chances are you spend a lot of time in meetings (unfortunately). In our fast-paced world, many professionals believe that quick responses signal competence.
 |
|---|
| Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash |
But does it really?
A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a simple yet powerful technique: the 5-second pause.
How does it work?
Before you answer a question in a meeting, pause for five seconds.
That’s it.
- No rushing.
- No rambling.
- No filling the silence because it feels uncomfortable (and trust me, five seconds can feel long).
Why does it matter?
This short pause does three powerful things:
- It shows you think before you speak: Senior leaders instinctively take time before responding. That moment of silence signals thoughtfulness and confidence.
- It prevents oversharing: Most people talk themselves out of clarity. Pausing helps you stay concise and avoid unnecessary details.
- It adds weight to your words: Silence creates authority. When you speak after a pause, your words land with more impact.
Thank you for reading! I discovered this method through a LinkedIn post by Pier Martin and found it immediately intriguing - so much so that I’ve already started using it in my own meetings.
Your turn: Give it a try (and let me know how it works for you on LinkedIn).