I came across a clip by Simon Sinek who talked about a modern “contra- communication” phenomenon called “ghosting’; essentially a way to break up with someone is to just cut all contact, no explanation, no social media, you are a ‘ghost’. The person dumped experiences severe loss & unanswered questions amounting to a grief similar to a bereavement.
It got me thinking. I pride myself in the offer I’ve developed on holding great conversations, difficult communication, understanding self & others. The need for this type of development has never diminished in fact in recent years it’s becoming increasingly important & as younger people enter into junior & management positions; the need is apparent.
Enter Covid-19 & a world on-line, working from home – do we risk ‘office ghosting’? Is there a scenario where disgruntled manager ghosts a staff member or vice-versa?
People!!!! The art of good effective conversations, connection, clarity that absolutely includes difficult conversations is perhaps more important now that ever. The art of doing all this on line, virtually whilst still maintaining great relationships & productivity will be the difference that makes the difference.
Fortunately, because I’m a creative little soul, all my training around these areas are now also available on line & do address the added nuances around the ‘virtual’ conversation. This stuff is not always as ‘instinctive’ as we think & for some it genuinely feels easier & more reasonable even to just ‘ghost’
So, in the ‘spirit” (you see what I did there?) of helpfulness – support yourself & your staff to develop their skill & art in conversations before you find yourself out in the cold!