Are You a Wisdom Hesitator?

Gil stated as he took another mouthful of his sandwich, "I should have spoken up. He and his wife Pat looked forward to Wednesday evenings because of the two-for-one hamburger deals at their favorite restaurant. Gil explained to Pat how he had endured a three-hour meeting during which his team at work struggled to solve a difficult issue. An hour into the discussion, Gil had a thought but remained silent. Two hours later, another person had the same thought, and both Gil's employer and the other team members agreed with them.

Pat said, "This isn't the first time." She had been married to Gil for 10 years and was intimately familiar with him. She was aware of both his skills and faults.

Gil answered, "I know, but I simply don't like to dominate a meeting.

Pat replied as she shoveled a French fry into her lips, "I believe you've got a long way to go before that occurs."

What are you saying?

"One of the sharpest persons I know is you, Gil. You usually say something really meaningful and intelligent when you do speak out. Speaking out too much is not the problem; speaking up too little is."

Gil remained still while contemplating what Pat had just stated. Pat continued after wiping her lips with her tissue.

"Today I attended a lecture on something called a wisdom steward. A wisdom hesitator was one of the six characters the lecturer discussed in class. I immediately thought of you as soon as the lecturer mentioned the hesitator character."

"A wise doubter?"

"That's accurate. Let's divide a tiramisu now, will we?"

Gil said, "Um, sure thing. The waiter approached the table.

Describe a wisdom hesitator. As Pat placed their dessert order, Gil had a notion.

We must first comprehend a wisdom steward in order to comprehend a wisdom hesitator. A wise steward seeks and disseminates knowledge in a balanced manner. To aid in making wise judgments, they humblely and sincerely seek knowledge. A wisdom steward also openly and honestly imparts insight to others to assist in their decision-making. The wisdom steward respects and embraces both the seeker and sharer roles with the intention of embracing success for both oneself and others.

On to the wise hesitator now. The wisdom hesitator may be worried about success, but he is reluctant to speak out because he worries what others will think of him and his opinions. The hesitator is often the one who keeps silent and has to be expressly solicited for his contribution during team meetings. But in my experience, hesitators are often highly insightful and provide a unique viewpoint to a conversation. I've been a part of several meetings when the hesitator, when prodded, offered a viewpoint that hadn't before been aired and altered the course of a discussion. Usually, it requires a strong leader who can engage hesitant people in the conversation. Unfortunately, many brilliant ideas are never implemented because the hesitater is unwilling to state his case. Everyone loses when a hesitator withholds his knowledge and something negative occurs as a consequence.

Do you hesitate to use wisdom? Consider the following inquiries:

Do you hold off on expressing your own thoughts until you have heard others'?

Do you remain silent because you agree with what others have said?

Do you worry that you won't express your thought clearly?

Do you put it off, figuring you'll speak to someone privately about it later?

Do you prefer to express your thoughts in writing in the future?

Do you base your beliefs on those of others?

Do you wait to form an opinion until after hearing what others have to say?

Do you believe that nobody will ever pay attention to you?

Do you feel pressed for time or as if you need more time to consider how to present your ideas?

Even those who are reluctant to share their insights may do so if they feel secure doing so. Take baby actions to intentionally spread knowledge if this describes you. Although it can seem awkward at first, your thoughts deserve to be heard and have the power to change things.