This episode explores the relational role of the Senior Warden, focusing on how closure (or the lack of it) shapes trust, resentment, and clarity between people. The emphasis is on how failing to close relational work cleanly creates confusion and harm, even when intentions were positive.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Relational harm often comes from avoidance of closure, not malice.
• Unclear intent at the start makes clean endings difficult.
• Relationships need explicit markers for “done” just like work does.
• Fading out or letting situations decay is a form of abdicated responsibility.
• The Senior Warden function restores dignity by naming the end.

💬 Featured Quotes

• “If I have not been clear about what I want going in, the relationships don’t close the way they’re supposed to.” (0:15–0:24)
• “I would start with positive sort of prosocial behaviors, not being clear about what my intent is.” (0:31–0:39)
• “How do we know that we’ve had a good experience or how do we know the work is done?” (0:45–0:51)
• “You never get to it because it wasn’t clear on my expectations walking in.” (0:51–0:54)
• “On the back end of it, I just kind of felt listless and frustrated.” (1:54–2:01)
• “If you can prepare for the close before you start, that’s the best.” (2:09–2:17)
• “Try and come up with a definition of what it is that you were trying to accomplish.” (2:24–2:28)
• “A lot of the way we interact is experience driven.” (2:39–2:41)
• “Were you able to create that experience?” (2:46–2:47)
• “A lot of guys get this wrong kind of in the dating context.” (3:02–3:12)
• “They’ll just kind of fade out and ghost.” (3:18–3:25)
• “That’s awful for everyone because you don’t get that strong sense of closure.” (3:25–3:32)

Creators & Guests