This 2-Minute Monday Mindset is about controlling our emotions so that we put out fires rather than fuel them.
The Power of the Pause: Turning Emotion into Advantage
Let’s talk about one habit that will change the way you lead, negotiate and live: pausing.
As I teach and train medical offices in the DISRUPTIVE Method of business negotiations, the last letter of “DISRUPTIVE” is the letter “E.”
E = Emotional awareness … and emotional control.
That concept applies to far more than just out-negotiating law firms to get paid higher in personal injury. It applies to getting the results you want and saving the relationships that matter in life.
When we pause in response to an attack: It’s not freezing, It’s not avoiding. It’s just pausing—between the moment you’re triggered and the moment you respond.
In the office, especially dealing with law firms, staff conflict or billing chaos, it’s easy to fire off a reaction. They push a button … yours … and you push back. Emotions take over, and suddenly you’re not responding, you’re reacting.
Reactions are fast, hot, emotional. They’re based on reflect, not reflection. And usually? They leave behind regret, broken trust, or missed opportunity.
But responses – real, thoughtful responses – come from control. They come from knowing your emotions but not being ruled by them.
Imagine a PI attorney calls and attacks you with: “you overtreated and you overbilled!”
The old you? Would get frustrated, flustered, maybe even angry and lash out, attack back.
The new you? Pauses, allowing you to assess.
That pause, which can be brief or even extended, allows you to make a rational response instead of a reflexive outburst. Instead of venting, you paused to allow you to communicate in a way that moves the conversation towards resolution.
That pause is like taking your blood pressure before deciding what to do. It gives you a read. It gives you the opportunity to diagnose the other person, and yourself. It gives you a choice.
Because great negotiation, just like any great communication, isn’t about who yells louder or reacts faster. It’s about who stays in control—of themselves, their goals, and the communication.
So here’s the move:
Hit the pause button. Breathe. Reflect. Then respond when the time is strategically right. And watch how your leadership, your outcomes, and your respect all go up. Because you stayed calm while others spun out.
The power of the pause: turning emotions to your advantage.
And I’ll see YOU at the next 2MMM!
