Silence is not always a bad sign
When you ask a question and nobody answers right away, the instinct is to fill the gap immediately, often by talking more. But silence often just means people are thinking, not that something went wrong.
Name the pause instead of rushing past it
“Happy to sit with this for a second if people need to think.” Naming the silence out loud turns it from an awkward gap into a deliberate moment, which relaxes the room instead of pressuring it.
Give people a way out of the spotlight
“No rush on an answer now, feel free to follow up after.” This removes the pressure to respond instantly, and paradoxically often gets you a faster answer than pushing for one.