I’ve been ghosted more times than I can count. There was that time a senior leader enthusiastically offered to introduce me to the chief marketing officer of one of the largest tech firms. That never happened. There was that time I went through eight rounds of interviews with a large financial institution, and the executive search firm never called me back. And finally, there was the time a public relations firm reached out with urgency because they wanted me to host a podcast for their client. One year later, I’m still waiting to hear back about the next steps.
Stop Ghosting and Start Saying No
Five ways to manage your time and energy while following through on commitments.
August 10, 2022
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Summary.
Ghosting is a common phenomenon in both personal and professional relationships. While it’s easy to lament being ghosted, it’s harder to admit that many of us have ghosted someone else. You promise to make a business introduction, offer to review a resume, commit to being a reference, volunteer to speak on a panel, or say you’ll provide feedback to a colleague — and you don’t follow through. Ghosting can have consequences that you may not immediately recognize — for example, you could miss out on great talent, partnership opportunities, revenue, or even your own next leadership role. Ghosting can also erode bridges in your networks, leaving others with the impression that you’re unreliable. Repeated ghosting can have a devastating impact on your leadership brand. The author presents five ways to strike a balance between managing your time and energy while at the same time following through on the commitments you’ve made.