respond vs. react
why the big pause?
why the big pause?
There’s no debating the continued value of the pause in drama or indeed comedy, where its use is fundamental to the performance and part of the art itself. Yet in our day-to-day interactions – our communication, our decision making, our actions and behaviours - we may be losing, a moment please, let’s consider that, or let’s think that through.
The hyper speed of technology, the increasing pace of life itself, plus the current impromptu style of political language, serve to position the pause as unfashionable, or a sign of uncertainty or even weakness.
This potential de-valuing of the pause, as a needed moment to gather thoughts and consider, is disturbing; particularly as the lack of a reflective pause, can often result in reactive behaviours and consequences that could have been avoided.
Making informed choices and decisions, measurably benefit from utilising the pause. It’s a conscious space-maker between stimulus and response. It’s what sets up the laugh in stand-up and what helps the emotional weight of a line in a play hit an audience head-on. It allows us the time to process things at a deeper cognitive level and figure things out, benefitting both the performer and the audience.
So, what lesson can we learn from the dramatic pause?
By giving us a moment to consider the situation or reality we face, a pause allows us to better balance the response we give and therefore better manage the impact and consequences of what we say and do. This is far from unfashionable or indeed a sign of weakness or uncertainty. It helps us avoid ill-considered reaction and enriches our response.
the power of the pause
Great leadership is made up of many things – the ability to set a clear direction, the art of engaging others to follow and contribute their skills, strategic thinking and prioritisation, effective communication, agility, authenticity… the list goes on.
Less frequently discussed, is a leader’s ability to pause – to have the confidence and capability to step back from the noise, the complexity of information and the different opinions competing for attention and calmly consider how best to move forward.
Emotions often run high in busy work environments and the more complex, uncertain, overwhelming or challenging a situation becomes, the more likely we are to react impulsively and swiftly. This tends to escalate the chaos rather than alleviate it.
React too swiftly as a leader and you’re at risk of not making the best decisions. Pause to consider what matters most and you become more able to respond effectively and at pace.
Whilst it may seem counter-intuitive in fast-paced, difficult or volatile situations, taking a moment to pause can significantly improve a leader’s ability to better balance their response and lead more effectively.
the science of pause
Pausing activates our parasympathetic nervous system, countering our ‘flight, flight or freeze’ mechanism. It helps us shift from reactive to responsive behaviours.
When we’re working with leaders, getting them to pause and refocus their thoughts on who they are, what they do and why they do it, often provides breakthrough moments in dealing with change or challenge. It helps them shift from reacting to an issue in isolation, to working out how best to respond to it.
Instead of making impulsive emotional decisions, a pause allows them to think about what matters most, assess the realities they face and intentionally choose how to act and behave. This doesn’t take away their ability to follow their good leadership instincts. It helps them to tune into them in a better way to support their rational thoughts and intentional action.
There are several benefits to this – it enables them to make better decisions, reduce the bias they might be applying to a situation and come up with more creative solutions. Pausing is also a great tool for improving communication. It allows for a clearer, calmer expression of needs, concerns and perspectives, which fosters better engagement and understanding.
Today, this ability helps us evolve and is critical to survival and success. Our balance framework serves as the perfect tool to help you pause. It gives you clarity on who you are, what you do and why you do it, so in that pause moment, you have a clear framework and direction for how to respond.
Take a pause for an informal chat with us to explore more… We love those!
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about create balance
who we are
We’re a small, tight team of experienced consultants, who have helped leaders and organisations through the best and the worst of the past thirty years.
what we do
We help you create balance - the ability to adjust your position relative to the world around you, so you can survive, succeed and keep moving forward.
why we do it
To extend the evolutionary ability of balance to good people doing things.
how we do it
We combine our consultancy, creative expertise and simple methodology to create a single outcome – the balance you need to keep moving forward.
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