On Ignoring Questions, Opinions & Ideas

A bunch of people in a crowd raising their hands.

If you criticize, scrutinize, ignore and ridicule every question someone asks, don’t be surprised when people stop asking questions altogether.

The same applies to opinions, ideas, personal feelings, and just about everything else.

If a particular behavior in your environment (whether personal or professional) isn’t embraced, celebrated, and encouraged, it won’t happen.

And you can apply the same principle for negative, unwanted behaviors as well. If you don’t ignore but rather criticize hurtful comments and reckless statements as unacceptable, they might disappear altogether.

Any decision you make (or don’t make) helps build your environment. So make decisions that lead toward a respectful and inclusive atmosphere, one where you’ll be proud to live and work.