Are You Unconsciously Ghosting Your Own Business?
CAREER & BUSINESSEDITOR’S PICK
Image generated by author using Gemini AI (Google) 2026
Most of us like to think we’re excellent multitaskers.
We believe we can “just check this email” while a colleague is speaking. We tell ourselves we can reply to a quick WhatsApp message in the middle of a client call without missing anything important. We assume our attention can stretch infinitely.
But according to communication expert Jefferson Fisher, that belief is not only wrong, it’s costly. In a conversation on The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Fisher shared a powerful analogy that caught my attention.
The Invisible String Between You
Imagine that whenever two people speak, an invisible string stretches tightly between them. That tension represents attention, respect, focus, and emotional presence. As long as both people are fully engaged, the string remains taut. The moment you glance at your phone, flick your eyes towards a notification, or mentally drift to your to-do list, the string goes slack. It’s subtle. Almost imperceptible. But the other person feels it immediately. You may think you’re “still listening”. They experience it as withdrawal. When the string goes slack, the instinct on the other end is often to let go entirely.
The Visceral Reaction We Don’t Talk About
During the interview, Fisher demonstrated this with an actual piece of string. When Bartlett felt the tension disappear, his reaction was visceral. He described feeling disrespected. Not mildly irritated. Disrespected. His instinct was to drop his end.
That reaction is human. We are wired to notice shifts in attention. Humans evolved to detect micro-signals of presence and absence. When someone checks out, even briefly, we feel it as a social rupture. Now imagine how often this happens in your business.
Are You Unconsciously Ghosting Your Own Business?
As an SME owner, your “strings” are everywhere. With your team. With your clients. With partners. With prospects. With your spouse which affects your business more than you think. And every time your attention fractures, you risk weakening those strings.
The £80,000 Client That Quietly Walked
A business owner I worked with once lost a client worth around £80,000 annually. On paper, the service delivery was solid. Deadlines were met. KPIs were hit. So why did the client leave? I worked with that client later and they shared something telling:
“I never felt like we were their priority.”
The business owner had a habit of checking emails during Zoom calls, and occasionally typing responses mid-conversation. And the string kept going slack. Over months, the client subconsciously disengaged. They began shortening meetings. Stopped sharing strategic insights. Became less collaborative. In fact, that’s how I came to work with them. I made them feel fully heard.
The Promotion That Never Happened
In another case, a senior manager in a growing business wondered why her team seemed unmotivated and defensive. In meetings, she prided herself on being “efficient”. She would respond to messages while team members were speaking and sometimes she would scan reports as they presented. She thought she was being productive but her team experienced it as indifference.
Over time, people stopped bringing forward bold ideas. They shared only safe updates. Eventually, innovation dipped and that manager was fired dramatically. When people recounted their experiences and they echoed the same phrase:
“It felt like she was never really there.”
The invisible string went slack too many times.
Why Attention Is Your Most Valuable Currency
In a world of constant notifications, attention is now a premium resource. For SME owners especially, divided attention feels inevitable. You’re juggling sales, operations, finance, HR, marketing — sometimes all before lunch. But the more stretched you are, the more dangerous partial presence becomes.
When you’re half-listening to a client, you’re not just missing information, you’re eroding trust. When you’re checking your phone during a team member’s update, you’re signalling hierarchy over humanity. When you’re “networking” while scrolling LinkedIn in the corner of the room, you’re physically present but commercially absent. And in business, perceived indifference is expensive.
The Ripple Effect of Slack Strings
I’ve been on both sides. When I’m speaking and someone checks their phone, one of three things happens:
I pull out my own phone.
I change the subject abruptly.
I find a reason to leave the conversation.
In every scenario, the opportunity narrows. The breakthrough idea never surfaces. The honest concern stays unsaid. The deeper commercial conversation never happens. Slack strings don’t just affect feelings. They affect revenue, retention and reputation.
The Competitive Advantage of Full Presence
The good news is that full attention is now rare enough to be a differentiator. If you want to stand out in business, try this radical approach:
Put the phone face down.
Close the laptop.
Turn your chair fully towards the person.
Make eye contact.
Listen without planning your response.
It feels simple and obvious, yet it is increasingly uncommon. Clients remember how you made them feel. Teams remember whether you truly heard them. Partners remember whether you were present or performative. Strong businesses are built on strong strings.
Over to You
In the fast-paced reality of running a business, our attention is our most valuable currency, and we often spend it poorly by trying to be everywhere at once.
So ask yourself:
Have you noticed that “slack string” feeling in recent meetings?
How do you react when you realise someone across from you has mentally checked out?
More importantly, how often are you the one letting the string go limp?
You don’t need more productivity hacks. You need tighter strings. Because in business, and in life, the moment the connection goes slack, someone, somewhere, is already preparing to let go.