HOW LEADERS CAN APPLY THE PAUSE PRINCIPLE IN DIFFICULT INTERACTIONS

Abstract The author, CEO and Founder of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute, LLC, contends that “at the forefront of creating a thriving culture is the way those in leadership positions communicate, especially under pressure.” While many companies conduct programs to aid in communication under pressure and in crucial encounters, the effects wear off not long after these interventions. “To keep our cool in high pressure moments,” she writes, “we need to put our attention not on the words we use or how we’re listening but on that split second between the other person’s words and our reaction.” Her own experiences led her to create what she terms the Pause Principle. One part of the latter is the SOFTEN practices, which she says “are mindfulness‐based practices.” The elements are Sensation, Own Your Discomfort, Focus on the Present, Take a Breath, Eyes Toward Another, Need to Say, Within Focus, she writes “Refocusing and redirecting our attention to the present moment helps us find our way out of the never‐ending cycle so we feel grounded, balanced, and centered again.” And for breathing, she recommends “inhaling for the count of five, holding the breath for the count of five, and then exhaling for the count of five.”