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Wait-time is the silence you allow after speaking or before responding.
Why use wait-time (instead of continuing to speak or responding immediately?
1. To prompt another to speak up,
2. To give introverts or shy persons time to think,
3. To adjust to less talkative cultures such as native Americans
4. To thoughtfully digest what is said to you before responding
5. You avoid interrupting other persons who may have paused only to think before saying more.
Research suggests that in classroom conversations with students,Increasing the wait time from three to seven seconds results in an increase in: 1) the length of student responses, 2) the number of unsolicited responses, 3) the frequency of student questions, 4) the number of responses from less capable children, 5) student-student interactions, and 6) the incidence of speculative responses. In addition to pausing after asking questions, research shows that many of these same benefits result when teachers pause after the student's response to a question, and when teachers do not affirm answers immediately.
I believe that similar results would be gained for persons chairing meetings or facilitating workshops and seminars.
Put wait-time into practice by silently counting to 5, 6, or 7 before speaking again. This mental method will also help overcome the awkwardness you may feel during silence in a conversation.