Ask your question -- then be patient

One of your discussion skills is likely to be the quick formulation of questions to direct at your employees. The problem is that many questions, especially important ones, can't be answered all that quickly. How long should you wait for a response? Sales expert Jill Konarath suggest being patient for as long as 8 to 10 seconds before rephrasing the question. While waiting, sit attentively but not tensely and don't fidget. This can be hard! However, it's worthwhile because you'll get better answers.

Source -- Adapted from the LawMarketing Portal Web Site, The Managers Intelligence Report