Release:
September 7, 2022

Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 9

In reading this month's article by Tomi Rues, I was captured by her statement, "There is great strength in silence."

I have had the privilege of working for a leader who had an innate gift of utilizing silence in the most powerful way. During a discussion he would pause, collect his thoughts, and react to the conversation at hand with a respectful and thought-out response. The silence never felt burdened or uncomfortable. It did not make participants doubt his expertise, or second guess his authority on the subject matter. In fact, it did quite the opposite, it instilled confidence and a level of reverence for his words.

While this concept is very challenging for my often-effervescent personality (I often speak before I think), his communication style helped remind me you do not have to be the first to respond or be the one who speaks the loudest. As women we often feel we must continually prove we deserve the positions we hold in our professional lives, particularly in an industry dominated by men. Prove that we have something meaningful to contribute and that our voices should be heard.

I challenge us to take pause and lean in to the idea that there is strength in silence. You just may find that your passion and experience speak through pauses even more loudly than words.

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(Above) Women of NATE travels to Graz, Austria. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003, and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008.

(Above) Women of NATE committee member, Diane Mueller of CITCA LLC, enjoys the view in Graz, Austria. Austria is known for its mountain railways and trains such as the Giselabahn.

(Above) Women of NATE visits the zoo in Austria. Vienna has the oldest zoo in the world which was founded in 1752.

(Above) The NATE Office participated in the Watertown Area Back PACH Food Drive. The PACH (People Against Child Hunger) program provides complimentary snacks and meals to students who may need additional food resources over weekends during the school year and served an average of 480 children a week with a total of 15,842 bags for the 2021-2022 school year.

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(Above) WON Committee Member, Jeanne Piercey attended a Women of STAC (WoS) meeting in Toronto, Canada on August 25, where she learned more about the WoS bursary, mentorship program, and book club.  She also partook in presentations about Building your Brand and Lifelong Learning. The speed networking was a huge success where participants discussed their strengths and goals for what they want to work on in the future.

(Above) NATE team members Jill Rethke and Vicki Dahl were pleased to visit with Kathi of National Conduit Supply Inc., Vicki of Infrastructure Resources, and Trish from Fiber Broadband Association at the ISE Expo in Denver, Colorado.

(Above) Diane Mueller (NATE WIN Great Lakes Region Ambassador), Stephanie Brewer (NATE WIN Illinois State Liaison and TIRAP Chairwoman), Congresswomen Robin Kelely, and Jocko Vermillion (CITCA) discussed industry’s policy priorities, workforce, and training initiatives at CITCA’s Bradley, Illinois headquarters.

(Above) NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, NATE Wireless Industry Network (WIN) Florida State Liaison Lesley Liarikos from Tower Systems, Inc. and Pinellas County Department of Safety and Emergency Services facilitated an opportunity for Congressman Gus Bilirakis to conduct a communications tower site visit in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

5 Reasons Why Silence is a Source of Great Strength

Recently, I was reading a Jack Reacher novel and I noticed how many times in a conversation he would answer with silence. It was powerful. Often the other person would offer more information or would quickly get the answer he or she needed in the silence that met the question.

According to Carolyn Ellis, “When used with intention and purpose, silence is a communication superpower.”

For some people, silence comes naturally. These fortunate individuals know the power of silence and they are comfortable in that silence. There are quite a few of us who need to learn the art of practicing silence. Read on for more reasons to try silence in your daily communications.

1. Silence gets people’s attention

If you have ever been in a classroom or in a group situation you have most likely experienced how silence often gets everyone’s attention. If the teacher or presenter is talking away the listeners’ minds might start to wander. When the speaker stops talking a signal goes to the brain that something has happened. All of the sudden you pay attention to try and figure out why communication has stopped. The same is true in our daily conversations. If we are silent, people take note, and we gain their attention.

2. Silence can be an obvious answer

Sometimes when we communicate, we say too much. We over-explain. If a question is met with silence, there is often an answer in that silence. We can also soften the blow of a negative answer by silence being the response. There is an implied “no” without any harsh words or too many words that might do more harm than good. Another example is when someone says something we don’t agree with or find offensive. If we are silent, we send a powerful message that communicates that we don’t agree or are not going along with what someone is saying.

3. Silence uses nonverbal language

Often our nonverbal language is a more powerful way of communicating than our verbal language.

According to HelpGuide.org, “It’s important to recognize, though, that it’s our nonverbal communication – our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice – that speaks the loudest. The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, or body language, is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, and build better relationships.”

4. Silence offers empathy to others

There are times in life where silence offers empathy and understanding to others. Sometimes we don’t have the right words to communicate to someone who is struggling with a hurtful or sorrowful situation. We can show someone we care, and we are there for them without using a plethora of words. We can offer comfort by our calming silence.

5. Silence is polite

We live in a society where we are constantly being barraged by noise and messages. From radio broadcasts, news channels, music in elevators, stores, and most businesses, to the rings of our phones, to the constant chatter of people around us. We often feel with so much going on we don’t have enough time to communicate what we need to communicate. We are fighting with so many other sources of noise. When we do get the chance to talk, we usually feel like we have to cram every thought into a short span of time. However, when we are silent, we give others a chance to speak. We show them that they matter.

In conclusion, we can be effective communicators by utilizing our ability to be silent. There is great strength in silence. Now, we just need to keep practicing. Like the old adages go practice makes perfect and silence is golden.

This article was originally published on the LifeHack blog. https://www.lifehack.org/347881/5-reasons-why-silence-source-great-strength