Workplace Ghosting—Another Challenge for the Office
What child did not grow up learning about ghosts, hearing ghost stories that made them too frightened to go to bed at night and occasionally convinced them that they had actually seen a ghost. I live in historic Savannah, Georgia, where the stories about ghosts have led to an entire tourist industry. Visitors from all over come to Savannah simply to sign up for a tour where they can ride through the downtown in a converted hearse to hear tales of local ghosts gone by. The servers in a famous restaurant entertain customers with tales of the ghosts of people who lived in that particular historic home and continue to haunt it on a regular basis. (Not to worry, they stay out of your food.)
Those were the ghost of days gone by. However, we now have modern-day ghosts. They currently haunt the business world. And are not limited to Savannah.
In the business community, this behavior is known as “workplace ghosting.” If you are not sure what it means, it is just as it sounds. Workplace ghosts are invisible. Workplace ghosts are silent. Workplace ghosts are simply not there.
You probably know who the workplace ghosts are;.
Ghosts do not answer the phone.
Ghosts do not return your calls.
Ghosts do not answer email.
Ghosts do not show up for meetings.
Ghosts do not show up to work in the office.
Ghosts hide behind technology.
Ghost cannot take you call “due to higher-than-normal call volume.”
Ghost use automation where the non-human on the other end of the phone says, “You can talk to me like a real person.”
Real people do not seem to exist anymore. And if they do exist, they have gone into hiding.
As a result we have lost the art of courteous communication and the ability to build strong professional relationships We have forgotten how to interact effectively with others. What do we need to do to put an end to workplace ghosting and relearn our communication skills?
Leave the ghosts behind and make appearances in the real world.
Learn to answer the phone when it rings.
Return your voice mail and do so in a timely manner.
Show up for meetings.
Show up for work in the office.
Stop hiding behind technology.
Take your calls in person.
Be available.
Be punctual.
Use every opportunity you can to have personal interaction with your coworkers, colleagues and clients. Show those important people courtesy and respect. It’s time to rejoin civilization if you want to have a successful career and a profitable business.
***The inspiration for this article came from reading one written by Patrick Galvin, professional speaker and author of The Way series of popular business parables. He is also the chief galvanizer of The Galvanizing Group, a learning and development company.