Someone leaves you off an email.

They miss a deadline.

They fail to mention your contribution.

It is surprisingly easy to move from “This happened” to “They did this intentionally.”

But mistakes, confusion, poor communication, competing priorities, and plain old forgetfulness explain a great deal of workplace behavior.

That is the idea behind Hanlon’s Razor:

Do not assume bad intentions when a mistake or misunderstanding could explain what happened.

This does not mean ignoring repeated patterns or excusing harmful behavior.

It means clarification should usually come before accusation.

Ask the question. Check what happened. Give people an opportunity to explain.

Not every inconvenience is a conspiracy.

Sometimes someone simply forgot to hit “Reply All.”