1. Why There Was No Newsletter Last Week
For almost a year now, this newsletter has been published every Tuesday. At some point over the weekend, I start thinking about what I could write about. By Monday at the latest, there is a fixed appointment in my calendar dedicated to finishing the article. After nearly fifty editions, that is not always easy. I have already covered many topics related to leadership, company culture, and the world of work. If, as was the case last week, I cannot think of anything that feels relevant enough, I would rather skip an issue. To borrow and slightly adapt an old FDP slogan: Better not write than write badly.
More than 1,100 people have now subscribed to the newsletter. Last week, several readers even asked why there had been no article on Tuesday. I appreciated that. More importantly, it reminded me how much this format has grown on me. It has become a bit like a diary. Every week, it forces me to reflect on the many conversations and encounters I have had: What stood out? Which patterns do I recognize? What stays with me? Today's article emerged from exactly such an observation.
2. Five Possible Responses
When I approach an executive about a role and there is at least some initial interest, I send a detailed briefing document containing extensive information about the position. At the same time, I offer to discuss everything else in a personal conversation. This also creates an opportunity to get to know each other beyond the specific vacancy and explore where the person would generally like to develop in their career.
There are exactly five possible responses to this, which I will describe in the order I personally prefer them.
The first and most pleasant: someone immediately books a slot in my calendar. The second: someone declines and briefly explains why. The third: someone asks follow-up questions about the role or certain conditions. That is perfectly legitimate, but unfortunately less efficient because it often leads to a lengthy exchange of messages. Most questions can be clarified faster and with fewer misunderstandings in a conversation. The fourth possibility: no response at all. And then there is a fifth variant that I would like to focus on today.
3. The Polite Announcement
It goes something like this:
“Thank you. I’ll take a closer look and get back to you.”
At first glance, this seems like a very reasonable response. The person replies immediately, takes additional time to consider an important decision, and signals genuine interest. In fact, it is exactly the kind of response one would hope for.
The interesting part is this: the people who write that never get back to me. Not often. Not usually. Always.
I have been observing this pattern for three years now. There have been so many cases that I no longer believe in coincidence or isolated exceptions. The moment I read that message, I already know that I will never hear from that person again.
4. The Decision Has Already Been Made
My explanation is fairly simple. Most likely, the briefing document does not create any real excitement when they first skim through it. Perhaps the role is not the right fit. Perhaps the industry is not appealing enough. Perhaps the position simply does not feel attractive enough.
In reality, the decision has already been made.
At the same time, people may want to leave the door open to reconsider later. Or they may not want to reject the opportunity immediately because they do not want to seem impolite. So the decision is postponed - at least from a communication perspective.
The problem is that the internal decision has already been taken. And because a response has already been sent, the motivation to formally close the loop later and provide a final answer often disappears. The matter simply fades from view.
5. An Interesting Pattern
What interests me is not the missing response itself. What I find more interesting is whether this reflects a broader working style.
Are other matters handled in the same way? Does this person also respond quickly in everyday business situations by saying they will take care of something later - and then never do so? Do they create open loops that others have to keep track of?
To me, this illustrates the importance of completing things properly. Not just responding to a message, but actually bringing a matter to a conclusion. In professional life, frustration is often caused not by a clear rejection, but by issues that appear to remain open even though they have already been decided. Or simply by unfinished business in general.
6. My Impuls
What do you say when you already know that you do not want to do something?
Do you communicate it directly, or do you prefer to leave yourself a way out?
And how often do you find yourself waiting for a response that will probably never arrive?
Because reliability is often not created by responding quickly. It is created by bringing things to a proper conclusion.
