Have you ever been in a meeting where the conversation is moving so fast that it's hard to keep up? The pace builds, ideas ricochet back and forth, and somewhere in that speed, the room grows smaller. People who might have contributed something essential stay quiet. Not because they have nothing to say, but because there's simply no opening to say it.

 

In that rush, we lose the deeper understanding that comes from reflection. We lose the unexpected insight from the quieter voice. We lose the magic that emerges when people actually have room to think together.

 

What if we paused?

 

Not as an interruption, but as an act of care. A deliberate slowness that says: your thinking matters, and we want to hear it.

 

When we create space for listening—real listening—the intelligence of the whole room rises. People breathe. They think more clearly. Pausing isn't about losing momentum. It's about gaining the collective wisdom that only emerges when everyone can actually participate.

 

Think of a team you're part of, one where the pace sometimes runs ahead of the people. What might be one win if you built in moments to pause? And what might it take for you to advocate for it?

 

Sometimes all it takes is saying: "Before we move on, let's take a breath. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?"

 

That small act of creating space might be the most important contribution you make all day.