Psalm 46:10 says "Be still, and know that I am God". Even in the corporate world, sometimes it is better to "be still" and keep quiet.
Silence makes you stronger. I always wondered how. I am not a social kind of person. I am little introvert and I always find it tough to grab the attention of people, especially in a meeting where there are more vociferous peole around. So how come silence is powerful?
What matters is the context. It definitey does not make sense to do the hard work and not talk about it. Silence in the right context can be extremely powerful. In the corporate world, it is the situations which define the context. Some of the situations where silence could (not would) be powerful are as follows -
1. Limited knowledge
Some people have a tendency to open their mouths even if they do not have the slightest idea about the topic they are talking about. Some people are so good at it that they get appreciated as well. But this is an effective short-term success which will not last for long. In the long run, people are going to find out that what is coming out is just noise and wind and nothing meaningful. So, a better strategy would be to just listen and them make a point only after you are comfortable with the topic and you have done your own research. Better to accept the fact that you do not know everything under the sun.
2. Political Manipulation
Sometimes, questions are asked just to take a discussion in a direction which a certain party wants to go. You can call it manipulation or plain politics. It is better to keep quiet if you feel that answering a question in a certain way can influence the final decision or direction of a discussion, especially if the question is about a hypothetical situation. If an answer is requested for, an option could be to ask for time to answer rather than blurting something out. An action item in your name at the end of a meeting is not that bad because it gives you enough time to gather your composure and provide a relevant answer in a politically charged discussion.
3. No Responsibility
Not every e-mail in which you are in the "To" list has to be answered by you. If there are more than one person in the "To" list, the wise thing would be to find the topic of discussion and figure out whether you are responsible for providing an answer. Some people just answer every single mail which lands in their inbox and then complain that they have been made responsible for a number of action items. They have no one else to blame but themselves.
4. Not the right time
There is a time for everything. There is a time to speak and there is a time to keep silent. Smart people understand the time in which they are in and act accordingly. In discussions involving a group, it is better to keep quiet till the moderator provides you a chance to speak. Speaking out of turn or interrupting somebody because the words they said irritated you is not going to help. A professional environment has to be maintained with the emotions parked outside the door of the office (not easy to implement but definitely easy to preach). What helps in winning arguments is maintaining a calm posture with a smile rather than vommitting a thousand words at the wrong time.
Of course, there could be many other situations where silence is golden. The fun is in identifying the situations and making the right choice - to talk or not to.
Disclaimer - I am not a management expert. I am just someone sharing the experiences of 15 years in the corporate world.
Silence makes you stronger. I always wondered how. I am not a social kind of person. I am little introvert and I always find it tough to grab the attention of people, especially in a meeting where there are more vociferous peole around. So how come silence is powerful?
What matters is the context. It definitey does not make sense to do the hard work and not talk about it. Silence in the right context can be extremely powerful. In the corporate world, it is the situations which define the context. Some of the situations where silence could (not would) be powerful are as follows -
1. Limited knowledge
Some people have a tendency to open their mouths even if they do not have the slightest idea about the topic they are talking about. Some people are so good at it that they get appreciated as well. But this is an effective short-term success which will not last for long. In the long run, people are going to find out that what is coming out is just noise and wind and nothing meaningful. So, a better strategy would be to just listen and them make a point only after you are comfortable with the topic and you have done your own research. Better to accept the fact that you do not know everything under the sun.
2. Political Manipulation
Sometimes, questions are asked just to take a discussion in a direction which a certain party wants to go. You can call it manipulation or plain politics. It is better to keep quiet if you feel that answering a question in a certain way can influence the final decision or direction of a discussion, especially if the question is about a hypothetical situation. If an answer is requested for, an option could be to ask for time to answer rather than blurting something out. An action item in your name at the end of a meeting is not that bad because it gives you enough time to gather your composure and provide a relevant answer in a politically charged discussion.
3. No Responsibility
Not every e-mail in which you are in the "To" list has to be answered by you. If there are more than one person in the "To" list, the wise thing would be to find the topic of discussion and figure out whether you are responsible for providing an answer. Some people just answer every single mail which lands in their inbox and then complain that they have been made responsible for a number of action items. They have no one else to blame but themselves.
4. Not the right time
There is a time for everything. There is a time to speak and there is a time to keep silent. Smart people understand the time in which they are in and act accordingly. In discussions involving a group, it is better to keep quiet till the moderator provides you a chance to speak. Speaking out of turn or interrupting somebody because the words they said irritated you is not going to help. A professional environment has to be maintained with the emotions parked outside the door of the office (not easy to implement but definitely easy to preach). What helps in winning arguments is maintaining a calm posture with a smile rather than vommitting a thousand words at the wrong time.
Of course, there could be many other situations where silence is golden. The fun is in identifying the situations and making the right choice - to talk or not to.
Disclaimer - I am not a management expert. I am just someone sharing the experiences of 15 years in the corporate world.
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