Have you considered that we can listen to silence?
Recently many clients have had a strong interest in effective listening skills. A recent discussion point considered how we react, or listen to, silence. Consider the following:
* A comedian using silence when timing the punch line
* A speaker utilizing a long pause, causing the audience to listen for more
* A co-worker sitting quietly when asked for some verbal contribution
In fact, listening for silence in the workplace can have a significant impact on our communication efforts. Listening is not instinctive, it is considered to be a developed skill. As the famous cellular commercial makes a point:“Can you hear me now?”
Silence is not communication. Silence itself conveys nothing. Silence does, however, enable reflection by the listeners. It lets the prior words sink in and may, if properly crafted and positioned in the message, condition the listener for what will follow.
ReplyDeleteNo news is indeed, no news. The absence of news can be misinterpreteed as good news, i.e., the hospital did not call (whether a loved one is or is not hospitalized). Silence may pompt an incorrect interpretation, i.e., I sent my resume and the lack of a response means I am too old for the position.
In truth , no news is just that, no news. Similarily, silence is not a message.
So settle down, be a good listener, and use the silence as an opportunity to better understand what is being communicated.
Gil Longwell
Meeting with Sucecss! llc
Good points! However, in some cases I believe that silence is used to send a message. For example, I am angry so I am not talking. (The message could be - I am angry.) Correctly understanding the message is more challenging. So this may beg the question: Is silence communication?
ReplyDelete