when silence means yes

DISCLAIMER: Just a reflection.

Here's a petit-note from the Venerable Master this morning:

Dear Mother Goose and the rest,

I was just just responding to your predicament on when to meet when I proposed there should be a free morning on the 23 because of the USTFU General Assembly at 8.00 am??? So I proposed 23 July I will be in UST Ars and Ketters Faculty room at 6,20 am. I suggested if you are agreeable, we can have a very early breakfast meeting at UST McDo. One can reserve a place another can come to pick me up at the faculty room.

There was no response, so let us just agree WE MEET that day 23 July Wednesday and proceed as proposed. Someone come for me on his way to McDo.

I do not know what will happen tomorrow but I am counting that the silent group will be there tomorrow in full force.

I cordially replied to Dr. Co's message saying that I will comply (even if it means getting up at 5 in order to be at UST in 6.15). I agreed because I know that opposition must have been done earlier. And as a leader to some other projects, I also sympathize with the terrible feeling when his/her messages are not replied to.

I've had my share of this terrible thing weeks back. And I am oftentimes misconstrued as ust-philo's little miss bibba, am usually given the task of being everybody's official checklist and mother-clucking-hen. With a terrible conscience-bugging (hastened with a little Levinasian brainwashing), I do my job just as how I accepted it -- eager but uncertain, determined yet trembling. While I do not have any problem dealing with my groupmates, I still painfully go through the deliberation of the best approach: if I should do my follow-ups like a nagging mom or a crybaby; with a saintly plea or a throbbing command of a dominatrice. I oftentimes end up making my messages sound like an official and formal announcement (which i find safest) -- composed after 20 minutes of deliberation, with hopes that my message isn't bugging peaceful lives, and a prayer that everybody will cordially reply.

And oftentimes, I get silence.

I could but smile when Dr. Co decided to implement his suggestion. With him dropping the last word, I know that nobody will even dare to complain. Now I wonder how this system proceeds in petit-groups, or in teams that lack a seasoned-authority -- will silence still mean yes? I am trained by the Venerable Master (read back: SPLICE!) where text messages are sent as early as 5am, deadlines are given 3 days away and graceful patience is required for every tedious task because weeks of effort is irrelevant to any better concept. Yes, a accomplished work can be slashed out in the holy name of "excellence".

The Quadricentennial Philosophy Project is an example of a terribly interrupted work -- after a bleeding semester and summer break -- while putting more important and personal tasks aside (dissertation, read: my labor day post), it has been shelved. It must have been a waste of time and effort, save for a thousand and more that I have learned from the Venerable Master, lessons on leadership included.

Going back to non-replies.

I guess there is something that any leader would like to plead. Please dont just open your communication lines, use them. Reply, complain, suggest, react, appreciate, get upset...just speak. God knows how your leaders trying to be "humane" whenever they do follow-ups. I have once boasted to Jonathan how I made "taray" at the y!groups -- kaso hindi pa rin daw eh.

To my teammates, God knows how I so love you.