The Quietest Way to Lose Trust Early in my career, I learned that silence is rarely neutral. When someone sends a file, answers a request, or finishes a task and hears nothing back, they start to wonder. Did it arrive? Was it okay? Should I follow up? The silence gets very loud. That’s why I’m a believer in a simple habit I call closing the loop: a thumbs up, a “got it,” or a “done” when the work is complete. It takes about five seconds, and the payoff is outsized. Why it Mat