One technique is to count to six before saying anything else, forcing them to endure the silence. The goal is not to be a bully but to insist on a candid discussion—to make it harder for the person to say nothing than to tell you what they’re thinking. If they can’t come up with anything on the spot, you can always arrange a time to meet again. If counting to six doesn’t do the trick, ask the question again. And again if necessary. One of the bankers who led Facebook’s IPO told me about a time that **Sheryl asked him for feedback after a meeting with potential investors**. “What could I have done better?” she asked him. He couldn’t think of anything. The presentation had been a home run. S**heryl wouldn’t let him off the hook, though.** “I know there was something I could have done better in there.” He still couldn’t think of anything. Now, he was getting nervous. “You have a reputation for being great at giving feedback,” Sheryl encouraged him. “I bet if you think about it you can come up with something.” Now, he was sweating. **But still she didn’t let him off the hook. She smiled expectantly, and stayed silent.** That was when he finally thought of something, and told her. “Thank you!” She said. “I’ll do better next time!” --- **Tags** — [[quotes]], [[Sheryl Sandberg]] , [[feedback]], [[challenging-others]], [[not-speaking]], [[teaching-anecdotes]] **Source** — [[202303281533 - B - Radical Candor]]