Practice pause.

Nothing has changed my coaching practice more than pause.

Honestly, nothing has changed me more than pause.

I even had the word pause written on a sticky note on my desk for two years.

But when does pause become a practice — not just a word?

Before you can practice pause, you have to practice trusting it.

In the ICF Core Competencies, pause lives inside Maintains Presence and Listens Actively. And from my years of coaching and observing coaching, I believe pause is what allows coaches to demonstrate every other competency well.

Pause is what allows listening to work.

In coaching, pause is not:

• losing momentum
• not knowing what to say
• being unprepared

Pause is:

• giving the client space to hear themselves
• staying with emotion without trying to fix it
• trusting that insight will come

At first, silence can feel awkward.

As you continue to develop as a coach, pause begins to feel exciting.

Three levels of pause practice:

Over time, I’ve come to see pause as something we practice at three distinct levels.

First: Pause for the client

This is where most coaching begins.

Pausing gives the client space to think and speak — to hear themselves, access their own answers, and feel what’s present emotionally. When we don’t rush in, clients often go deeper on their own.

Second: Pause for yourself as the coach

This pause creates space for you to be.

To breathe. To access your intuition. To observe your client.

Pause opens the door to presence. And holds it open.

Third: Pause as a coaching tool

At this level, space itself becomes a coaching tool.

From pause, questions naturally emerge, like:

• What is coming up for you right now?
• What are you learning?
• What’s connecting here?

This opens up coaching mastery — and it’s more accessible than we often think.

You don’t need a new model. You don’t need better questions.

You just need to pause.

Pause changed my coaching because it shifted who the work was centered on.

And pause changed me because it asked me to slow down, trust more deeply, and let go of control.

Your Practice

In your next coaching session, after the client finishes a thought, pause for one full breath before responding.

Just one.

Notice:

• what the client does next
• what insights emerge
• what becomes clearer when you don’t move so quickly

A Reflection

What am I afraid will happen if I pause?

As this year comes to a close, pause is often where clarity begins.

And clarity is what helps us move forward with intention.

If you’d like a structured space to listen, pause, and orient yourself for the year ahead, I’m hosting my signature Find Your Word of the Year workshop on January 13th.

One word. One intention. A grounded way to step into what’s next.

I hope you'll join me.

Register here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/findyourwordoftheyear20267412157418098356224

With Gratitude,

Hannah