Maybe it was Halloween getting the better of me, or maybe it’s an increasing problem in business. Getting the ghosts out of inboxes is something I’ll be talking about next week as part of the LinkedIn training I’m running with Karen Tisdell, but what if you’re guilty of being the ghost?
Maybe not on purpose. Maybe it was a moment where replying felt too awkward or too hard. Maybe you meant to circle back, but too much time passed,d and now it feels easier to just let it slide.
We’ve all done it, avoided the uncomfortable moment in favour of silence.
A while ago, I was approached by an event organiser who wanted me and a colleague to deliver a full-day workshop. We nailed the brief, agreed on budgets and dates, and even got written confirmation. We blocked our calendars, created a promo video, and set a deposit date. Everything was locked and loaded.
Then the payment date rolled around. I sent a friendly follow-up email. Nothing.
A week later, another check in, and still nothing.
By the third email, I’d included a gracious out:
“I understand plans can change. No hard feelings if you’ve decided not to proceed. Please confirm so I can release the date.”
Silence.
Not a word. No closure. Just a vacuum of professionalism.
It was disappointing. And it left a mark. The kind that makes you think twice about ever working with, or recommending, that person again.
That experience hit me harder than I expected because it forced a mirror moment. How often have I, even unintentionally, done the same? How often have I let discomfort or busyness silence my integrity?
We talk so much about showing up powerfully in business. We talk about leadership, trust, and connection. But this is where it really counts. Communication in the messy moments is what defines our brand.
Silence isn’t neutral. It’s a message. And what it says is rarely good.
We’ve all been ghosted. We all know how that feels. But I want you to think back across the last twelve months and notice how many times you’ve created that experience for someone else.
Because when you go quiet on a client, collaborator, or opportunity, it doesn’t just close a conversation. It closes doors. It erodes trust, weakens relationships, and quietly chips away at your reputation.
So, if there’s a message sitting in your drafts, a conversation you’ve been putting off, or a relationship that’s gone cold, this is a reminder to sort it out before the end of the year.
Don’t ghost. Don’t disappear. Respond, even if it’s uncomfortable. Especially if it’s uncomfortable.
Because integrity doesn’t vanish when things get hard, it’s proven there.
Ditch the disappearing act. Your reputation depends on it.
Janine X