“Listen” and “silent” have the same letters. When working with people who speak different languages, we must allow time for them to translate in their heads and prepare their response; however, many Western based workers are not comfortable with the pause. In fact, in this culture we are practically starting our sentences before the other person is finished. In contrast, a pause between native speakers is more common in other cultures.
People process information differently, while some think out loud (interrupt, derail) – others take longer (detached). If dealing with the latter, you need to allow time to process.
What does being late to a meeting look like? In the West, you should be there 5 minutes before the meeting starts; yet, in Latin America, 20 minutes after is acceptable.
All this to say, your communication style, as well as content, must be based on your stakeholder.
Are you comfortable being silent?
