You may have heard the term used from dating perspective. It’s where one person ends the relationship by ceasing all contact suddenly and without any explanation or any further communication.

A harsh practice, and it now seems it is spreading into the workplace in the form of Professional Ghosting. Have we really lost the art of communication and basic business etiquette? It would seem so.

It recently happened to me. A few months ago, I met with senior managers of a business who were looking for marketing support. We exchanged emails, had a phone call and a couple of meetings, including one over lunch. 

Both meetings went well, and they seemed keen to go ahead. In fact, the phrases ‘it’s a done deal’ and ‘when can you start?’ were used (by them, not me)!

Excellent news!

My delight was short-lived. Despite following up by multiple emails and attempting to speak to them by phone several times, it became apparent to me (eventually) that the communication was now only one way, and I stopped trying to contact them.

I was confused though, had I mis-read the situation? Had they changed their minds, or found another option? What was it? .. and surely if that had been the case, wouldn’t it have just been easier to have replied to an email or answer a call? You’d like to think so, but in Ghosting situations we may never know what the reasons were for stopping communication.

Instead of trying to work out why, what I have taken away from the experience is the importance of good business etiquette .. and a subject to write about!

Drawing upon your personal experiences, is a good source of content .. and is quite cathartic too!