Handling Ghosting Head On

A relatively new “phenomena” in the market place is ghosting most commonly associated with the  breaking off a relationship (often an intimate relationship) by ceasing all communication and contact with the former partner without any apparent warning or justification, as well as ignoring the former partner’s attempts to reach out or communicate.

It may be most often associated with dating, but ghosting has spread to the professional world.

Over the last nine months, I recently experienced this with  a public traded company that  owes me money.   Via emails, texts and phone calls I have tried to contact the CEO, CFO and/or the COO to discuss steps in paying off this debt.   In messaging them, I even offered a resolution in the form of debt conversion wherein the monies owed to me by the company are converted into free trading  shares at a mutually agreed upon stock price.   No response.

Towards the end of 2018, I was getting nowhere fast and decided that I would have to go the lawyer route in the New Year in order to get this situation resolved.

However, I got wind of the company’s AGM being held on December 21, 2018.   So, as a creditor, I decided to attend.   Glad I did.   Two of the three directors of the company were at the meeting including the COO who also chaired the meeting.   There is no doubt that he was somewhat surprised to see me.

I was received courteously and made a point of bringing up my willingness to do a debt conversion during the discussion period after the AGM and in front of the two directors, a company employee and attending shareholders.

The COO spoke to me at the conclusion of the meeting, saying that he would meet with me and act on the debt conversion.   It now remains to be seen, what will transpire in January.

One more “ghosting” note – in all my years of attending public company AGM’s, it was the first time that I have ever been at one where the CEO and CFO failed to show up.