Don’t be rude: You never have to start speaking till you’re ready

It’s amazing to me how many people start speaking before they decide what they’re going to say.

If I ask for your opinion, or if you offer it, don’t get me wrong: I want to hear it. But when you start your sentence and then pause while you think of how to finish it, I have to sit there remembering how you began it so I can understand how you’ll eventually finish it.

It takes up all my cognitive energy, and it means I can’t think or do anything else until you finish your sentence.

What do I lose when you do this? A few seconds at most. But if you repeatedly do this during a meeting, or a brainstorm, we lose momentum and energy. While everyone waits for you to finish your sentence, no one can think of anything else. 

You never have to say anything until you’re ready. I’d far rather be kept waiting than kept in suspense.