Editor’s Note: We revised this piece after several readers pointed out that the original version put the burden on the recipient of an offensive comment to address larger systemic biases. New expert perspectives were added to address those concerns.
Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, cohost of the Women at Work podcast, and the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict. She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics. Watch her TEDx talk on conflict and follow her on LinkedIn.
Harvard Business Publishing:
Copyright © 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.
