Focus on Pause

This week’s Focus on WHY podcast episode 503 Walk in Winning with Ed Jordan left me pondering the profound power of the pause. Ed shared how, in his work as both musician and speaker, he resists the instinct to fill silence on stage. Instead, he intentionally holds the space, allowing his message to settle before moving forward.

For Ed, pausing is not about performance or drama. It's an act of respect; a conscious choice to slow the moment so listeners can absorb what they have heard, reflect and connect. In that stillness, trust emerges. Trust in people’s ability to think, create and engage with what truly matters.

In my own roles as coach, podcaster and speaker, I see how transformative this can be on a daily basis. Often, the significant shifts happen not in the words spoken, but in the silence that follows. The pause creates room for insight, emotion and possibility.

How often do you offer yourself — or others — that gift of silence?

Ed’s perspective aligns with the work of Nancy Kline, whose Time to Think methodology centres on wholehearted listening without interruption. It's the discipline of resisting the urge to jump in, even when enthusiasm is high, so that another person’s thinking can fully unfold.

What might change if you consciously introduced more pauses into your everyday interactions? In meetings, could you hold back from answering first and allow a few seconds of discomfort to create genuine thinking space? In personal conversations, might you leave room for emotions and ideas to surface without rushing to respond?

The power of the pause is not merely found in quietness but in the possibilities it unlocks. Next time you speak or listen, try waiting a few seconds longer than feels comfortable and notice what emerges, both within you and around you.

Focus on Pause. Focus on Why!

REFLECTION WITH ACTION: Where in your conversations, meetings or presentations could you experiment with holding a pause?