CAPITALIZE ON LAG TIME

Do you remember those awkward silent moments while you are having a conversation with someone?  There is a name for that pause, it is called lag time.  As a listener, we listen to the speaker until they stop speaking but even when they stop or pause, we should still be focusing on what they have just said.  When we stay on point with our thoughts and not allow our minds to wander off to another topic we keep our heads in the game and mentally prioritize in our own words what we thought the message was. 

One trick to keeping yourself focused, is to determine their point and while the speaker is thinking of their next point, you also think of what their next point may be.  Let’s go back to my experience from high school and apply the capitalizing on lag time concept. If I had engaged in a conversation and hypothetically the janitor and I started making small talk, if he paused to think of his next point in the conversation, I would be doing the same.  I would be trying really hard to ignore the rumbling in my tummy and if say we were talking about safety in the school environment, I would be thinking of what else he would want to say to me on that topic and start mentally prioritizing what possible points he could bring up.  I believe the phrase “using your time wisely” is strongly applicable to this key in building powerful listening skills.  Don’t you agree?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.  

The video below titled How to Avoid Awkward Silence from YouTuber SocialPro, gives great tips on how to keep the conversation going by initiating small talk and then carrying on with an actual conversation.  Its very informative.  Check it out: