Hi Susan,

Great article! As you and others have mentioned, the pauses are important, not only to give people time to respond, but also because all of us need to learn to reflect a bit more before we speak. What I have noticed working with groups is that as people learn to dialogue better, and to trust each other more, then you hear more pauses that do not feel uncomfortable. More like a collective deep thinking that usually is followed by some good insights.

Another tip I follow is to check for assumptions. If I find myself not listening well, usually it's because I'm busy making assumptions, and therefore preparing an answer. When I force myself to let the assumptions go, or to check them before speaking, things go much more smoothly.

Thanks for sparking a good conversation here.