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Morning friend ☕
We are still on the a Scary Management Story series.
Last week, Thandi mistook silence for alignment.
This week, she learns what that silence costs.
Grab your coffee. ☕️
Let’s chat!
Episode 3: When Silence Costs You
Last week, Thandi walked out of the meeting and felt… good.
No pushback.
No tangents.
No one adding risk she hadn’t already scoped.
She thought: I’m getting better at this.
Then the slip arrived.
Not drama.
Not an argument.
A small deliverable.
The kind that should’ve been too obvious to miss.
The kind someone would have caught if they were actually holding the work in their hands.
She stared at it for a long second, waiting for the follow-up message.
Sorry, we missed it.
We should’ve flagged it.
That one’s on me.
Nothing.
So she asked.
In the next check-in, she kept her voice neutral.
“Who owned this?”
Jason looked down at his notes.
“I thought someone else had it.”
That sentence landed heavier than the slip.
Because it wasn’t a skill issue.
It wasn’t capability.
It was something quieter.
The work hadn’t failed.
It had fallen into the gap between people.
No one fought for the plan.
So no one felt responsible for protecting it.
Everyone attended.
No one held the risk.
Thandi felt the reflex to fix it quickly.
Assign an owner.
Patch the gap.
Move forward.
But she could feel the deeper problem under it.
The team hadn’t gone quiet because they had nothing to say.
They’d gone quiet because they were still deciding whether it was worth saying.
And while they waited, the work kept moving.
On assumptions.
Later that night, she realised the question she should’ve been asking herself wasn’t:
“How do I keep this calm?”
It was:
“What would go wrong if nobody speaks in this room?”
Because silence doesn’t just delay disagreement.
It delays ownership.
And ownership is what catches small slips before they become expensive ones.
Key Takeaway
Silence doesn’t cause conflict in the meeting.
It delays ownership
And delayed ownership becomes surprise slips later.
Until next week,
Vaugan ☕️
Today’s Chess Puzzle
Black to play and force mate.
Solution here
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Thandi gives the update everyone wants to hear.
“We’re still on track.”
The room relaxes.
The meeting moves on.
And she doesn’t realise what she just spent.
Next week: Spending Credibility. Why reassurance becomes a commitment.
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Disclaimer:
This post contains parody and satirical references to well-known characters, shows, and cultural icons. It is created for educational and humorous commentary on management and leadership. ScaryManagement is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any television networks, film studios, comic publishers, production companies, or performers referenced. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners. No infringement is intended. This use is intended as parody and commentary under fair use and related protections in the US, UK, EU, and South African law.