The Power of Pause

A clear, actionable plan to fight frustration at work, make savvier decisions, and avoid costly mistakes when we're short on time, attention, and choices

One of the most frustrating dilemmas for working people today is how to be effective when we feel we don't have time or we're facing non-stop demands. The Power of Pause process is a dynamic practice that Nance Guilmartin has taught thousands of people worldwide, equipping them to regain control of thoughts and avoid miscommunications. This tested method helps readers to take a moment to wonder what's called for when we feel we're short on time, attention, temper, or choices. In that instant, we can use a simple method to rewire our overloaded circuits, tap into our "missing-in-action" common sense, and raise our communication intelligence. This process is not about slowing down the pace of workday life. It is about enabling anyone who is time-pressed to make savvier choices and avoid costly mistakes.

• Shows how to exercise leadership skills that save time and strengthen relationships
• Offers a process for learning to engage in productive exchanges rather than attacking or being resigned
• Enables managers and teams to save time and money
• Reveals how to fix problems and achieve goals with less stress

The Power of Pause methods enable managers and teams across varying industries/any industry to save time and money, fix problems and achieve goals with less stress–even in the face of competition, cultural and language differences, or tight budgets.

PART ONE THE POWER OF PAUSE PROCESS: HOW TO SHIFT FROM RUNNING ON AUTOMATIC 11

1. Restoring the Ability to Choose 13

2. What Is a Pause? 21

3. The Paradox of Pause: You Gain Impact by Taking a (Brief) Time-Out 35

Tips and Yeah, Buts 46

PART TWO GET CURIOUS NOT FURIOUS: TAKE BACK CONTROL TO GET NEW OPTIONS 53

4. What Happens When We’re Wired to Snap? 55

5. Get a Reality Check: Save Time, Money, and Relationships 71

6. What Is Curiosity? 79

7. Have You Been Caught in a Decision-Making Speed Trap? 87

8. When Curiosity Becomes Your New Default Setting 95

Tips and Yeah, Buts 103

PART THREE WHAT DON’T I KNOW I DON’T KNOW? ASK BETTER QUESTIONS TO DRIVE SUCCESS 111

9. How Can We Ensure Success in Times of Uncertainty? 113

10. Drive Success with an Extra Measure of Humility 127

11. Revisiting the Resentment Bank Account: Deposits and Withdrawals 147

Tips and Yeah, Buts 153

PART FOUR THE ART OF THE PAUSE: DO WHAT MATTERS MOST AND MAKE IT COUNT 165

12. Where Are We Going? 167

13. What’s in It for Me? 191

14. Appreciations: The Power of Pause in Action 197

Tips for Effectively Giving and Accepting Appreciation 208

15. The Power of Pause Practices: Twelve Ways to Be Your Best and to Succeed in a Demanding, 24/7 World 211

It’s Time: Now It’s Up to You 215

Notes 219

Appreciations 227

About the Author 233

Index 235

Four-time Emmy Award winner Nance Guilmartin is an executive coach, consultant, educator, and author of Healing Conversations. As a Westinghouse Broadcasting executive, she launched the national designated driver program and the For Kids' Sake and Time to Care campaigns, sparking community problem solving in over 100 cities. She was press secretary to the late U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas and a writer-editor for CBS NewsRadio. Guilmartin is a Fellow of Florida International University's Center for Leadership, where she teaches the executive education program Women on the Move, and is a clinical adjunct faculty member at the College of Business Administration. She lives in Massachusetts.

A clear, actionable plan to fight frustration at work, make savvier decisions, and avoid costly mistakes.

Conflicts with colleagues, competing deadlines, demands for instant responses … More of us are asking, How can we be effective when we feel we don’t have time and are facing nonstop demands?

In The Power of Pause, Nance Guilmartin outlines the proven process that she has taught successfully to thousands of people worldwide. This practical method helps even the most overwhelmed among us take a moment to pause and wonder what’s called for when we feel short on time, attention, temper, or choices. In that instant, we can use a simple method to rewire our overloaded circuits, tap into our “missing-in-action” common sense, regain control of our reactions, and raise our communication intelligence. This process is not about slowing down the pace of workday life. It is about enabling anyone to be your best when dealing with deadlines, change, or fast-moving opportunities.

Filled with engaging real-life stories and case studies, The Power of Pause helps individuals, managers, and teams:

• Achieve goals with less stress
• Lead with confidence in the face of uncertainty and change
• Make better decisions and work smarter together, not harder
• Quickly turn demanding customers into loyal fans
• Use a simple process to prevent misunderstandings and resolve disputes

Using the Power of Pause process enables readers to become more resilient in the face of change, save time and money, and help others be their best—even when dealing with competition, cultural and language differences, or tight budgets.

"The Power of Pause is a great tool for us in these changing times. It helps us avoid the problems that ‘continuous partial attention’ and multi-tasking create and shows us how to think things through and achieve what’s important."
—Spencer Johnson, M.D., author of Who Moved My Cheese?