Why are we so afraid of.........

.....Silence? What is it about silence that makes us feel awkward? Often times in meetings we feel like it is so important to zip through our agenda and "get back to work." What would happen if we took a different approach to meetings and required that each time a new proposal was made the entire group would take 1 minute and not say anything? Would this "1 minute reflection" bring a different tone to the way in which we approach the issues we deal with in our organization?

Greenleaf has this to say about silence: "One must not be afraid of a little silence. Some find silence awkward or oppresive. But a relaxed approach to dialogue will include the welcoming of some silence. It is often a devastating question to ask onself, but it sometimes is important to ask it - 'In saying what I have in mind will I really improve on the silence?'"