TARTU — A Tartu man has been awarded the Estonian National Prize for Communication Excellence after completing a 20-minute quarterly project review without using a single word. The committee called it “a masterclass.”
Mart Tamm, 51, a logistics coordinator at a mid-sized timber supply company, entered the Thursday morning meeting at 9:00am and did not speak until 9:21am, at which point he said “noh” and the meeting concluded. Three decisions were made. All participants reported full clarity on next steps.
Colleagues who attended the meeting spoke to this reporter with visible respect.
”He nodded once when Kadri presented the Q4 figures,” said Tõnis Mägi, a project manager who sat across from Tamm. “It was a slow nod. We all understood. The figures were acceptable but not exceptional. That was enough.”
A second nod came fourteen minutes into the meeting, described by attendees as “slightly tilted” and “possibly affirming the revised delivery timeline, or possibly acknowledging that the coffee was finished.” A brief investigation concluded it was both.
”His silence has texture. Most people’s silence is just silence. Mart’s silence has an agenda item.”
— Liisa Kask, Chairwoman, Estonian Institute for Non-Verbal Professional Excellence
The National Prize for Communication Excellence, established in 2019, has previously been awarded to a Viljandi town council member who summarised a two-hour budget discussion in four words, and to a Pärnu ferry operator who communicated an entire weather warning through eyebrow movement alone.
Tamm was informed of his award via a letter delivered to his home. He was seen reading it at his kitchen table. Neighbours report he nodded once, folded the letter, and returned to his leib.
When asked if he had anything to say upon receiving the award, Tamm was quiet for eleven seconds.
”Noh,” he said.
The committee confirmed this was sufficient.
The acceptance ceremony is scheduled for March. Tamm is not expected to give a speech. Organisers say this is “ideal.”