I remember a partner I worked with in a law firm who was very very bright but when asked a question would not say anything for a short time before responding. When he did eventually reply he spoke quite slowly at first. It was quite a disconcerting habit.
Another similar technique I recall was a lawyer, American I think, who upon being asked for his advice would at first respond with irrelevant comments on the weather or anything really before suddenly switching to reply to the question asked.
Whilst at first rather off putting and strange behaviour I realised that what each of these lawyers was doing was gaining thinking time. How easy it is especially in this day of instant communication by email, text or IM to reply to a question before having thought it through properly.
In the legal profession or any other for that matter this could be misleading or positively wrong. And how often is the response that immediately occurs to you not quite right or at least incomplete? So I suggest we all need to find a way to gain time and provide the correct considered opinion.
Another similar technique I recall was a lawyer, American I think, who upon being asked for his advice would at first respond with irrelevant comments on the weather or anything really before suddenly switching to reply to the question asked.
Whilst at first rather off putting and strange behaviour I realised that what each of these lawyers was doing was gaining thinking time. How easy it is especially in this day of instant communication by email, text or IM to reply to a question before having thought it through properly.
In the legal profession or any other for that matter this could be misleading or positively wrong. And how often is the response that immediately occurs to you not quite right or at least incomplete? So I suggest we all need to find a way to gain time and provide the correct considered opinion.
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