A nod while someone speaks is a tiny “keep going.” It makes nervous people braver.

Speaking into a blank face is harder than it looks, and a nervous person reads that blankness as judgment whether or not it is. A small nod is a signal that the line is still open. It costs nothing and it tells them to keep going, which is often all somebody needs to finish the thought they nearly swallowed.

Watch for the quiet person in a class or a meeting this week, the one who starts and then trails off. Give them the nod while they talk. Afterward, ask them what the rest of it was.