🔀 What You Tolerate, You Encourage

In the whirlwind of work and life, it’s tempting to let things slide. Maybe someone crossed a line in a meeting, or a minor process glitch keeps resurfacing. The rationale is familiar. Not every issue justifies your time. Sometimes having that difficult conversation feels like more trouble than it’s worth. If you’re lucky, it really is just a blip. But sometimes, what we ignore returns as a pattern. And suddenly, we’re living with an ingrained problem.

It usually starts small. You spot a senior colleague being disrespectful to a teammate. You chalk it up to a bad day for them. Then, it happens again, this time to someone else, and you adjust your expectations. This is just how they are, you tell yourself. But what began as a one-off transgression becomes routine, and when it finally comes for you, it stings. Yet, your reaction has been shaped by inaction. Instead of confronting the issue or raising it up the chain, you adapt. Maybe you start looking for new opportunities or simply avoid the person altogether.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: by enduring these situations in silence, you’re not just a passive observer. You’re an enabler. Every instance you let pass reinforces the status quo. We love to cast ourselves as powerless bystanders. Yet, when we refuse to act, we become part of the mechanism that sustains the problem.

It isn’t limited to people. Stale processes, lingering inefficiencies, and toxic cultures sustain themselves on our willingness to look away. Change doesn’t happen because conditions magically improve; it happens because someone cares enough to disrupt the cycle. Simple, clear communication, often uncomfortable but always necessary, is usually all it takes to set a corrective course. Left unaddressed, however, undesired behaviors only grow stronger roots.

So next time you catch yourself rationalizing or excusing a recurring issue, pause and reconsider. Reflect on whether you’re tolerating something you would never endorse. Having that direct discussion, or nudging a process in the right direction, isn’t about confrontation. It’s about taking responsibility to shape the culture and environment you inhabit.

Remember, what you tolerate, you encourage. Don’t just hope for things to get better. Be the reason they do.