Outside the Comfort Zone: No Response is a Response

Have you ever had someone send you an email or said something inflammatory about you, your team, or a project? How many times have you taken the bait and fired back with the same heightened level of energy?

Have you ever tried not responding?

Over the last few years I’ve been working on trying to better manage responding or reacting. Like everyone, I have triggers for certain situations and if I’m not careful those triggers can become kryptonite for me. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that not responding is one of the more powerful ways to navigate triggers or someone antagonizing you.

I’ve seen and have been in very heated situations. These experiences have taught me that no productive resolution comes when both parties are responding with the same level of intense emotion. It seems like it may contradict what we’ve learned about quick decision making, instant gratification, constant communication, etc. There’s no contradiction though. The ability to pause, listen, and assess various angles is a true art. In those moments you can gain a lot of insights into your priorities and the other persons.

There are also times when not responding can alleviate distractions. When I first became a marketing director, I noticed that my email was filled with sales pitches which mostly had limited value or relevance. There were so many that I had to delegate my team to evaluate. I knew I needed to focus on our brand priorities and at first would politely respond that my team was evaluating. This resulted in even more emails and they just needed “5 min of your time”. So, I learned not to respond. It was hard at first and people would get aggressive and send patronizing messages, but I held firm in my “no response” response and my focus and priorities remained intact.

I saw this article which outlined the benefits of not responding especially immediately:

1. Cultivate Active Listening: By choosing to not respond immediately, leaders can practice active listening, truly hearing and understanding the perspectives of others without the need to interject. This can lead to better communication, collaboration, and ultimately, more effective decision-making.
2. Foster Reflection and Clarity: Sometimes, the best response is no response. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on a situation can lead to clearer insights and a more thoughtful approach when addressing challenges.
3. Lead by Example: By demonstrating the power of silence and strategic observation, leaders can inspire their teams to adopt a similar mindset. Encouraging thoughtful responses over knee-jerk reactions can create a more harmonious and productive work environment.
4. Embrace Patience and Control: Reacting impulsively can often lead to misunderstandings or conflicts. By practicing the art of not responding immediately, leaders can exhibit patience and self-control, setting a positive example for others to follow.

https://hrtoday.in/insights/the-power-of-silence-how-leaders-can-harness-the-art-of-not-responding-immediately/