The Ten Second Rule

Good communication is key to just about everything we do – at work and at home. This isn’t a groundbreaking thought or some new enlightenment I’ve had. We’ve all heard this at one time or another!

But communication is hard – sometimes we don’t do a great job of communicating what we’re thinking. Or sometimes people don’t understand what we’re trying to say. There are lots of factors that can affect our communication with another person, especially when the conversation starts to go south.

But how can we improve communication when things are tough, and tensions are high? I recently read an article that suggested in situations like this, we employ The Ten Second Rule.

The rule is really simple. In a conversation when things are starting to get heated, wait ten seconds before you respond. That’s it, that’s the entire rule. Just pause and wait to respond instead of responding immediately.

That ten second pause will let you respond intentionally, instead of emotionally. It allows you to clear your head and say what you mean, instead of saying the first thing that pops in your head (and that thing is usually defensive!) The pause can disarm the other person and breaks the cycle of defensiveness and escalation.

The next time you feel the temperature rising on a conversation, try the ten second rule. I think you’ll be surprised at how effective it can make your communication!

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every second count.

About Michele: Michele Page serves as Advoco’s Education Architect. She facilitates our internal training as well as client specific training initiatives. With nearly 20 years of EAM experience, Michele’s knowledge spans across multiple industries, covering all facets of Infor EAM. When Michele isn’t training users on the latest and greatest Infor EAM tools, she’s at her cabin in the countryside, riding her four-wheeler. Have a question? Send Michele an email!

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