If you don’t ask a follow-up question, you’re revealing that you don’t give a damn

We just continue with our own (better) point, offer a solution, or, worst of all, stay silent, dismiss the topic, or change it. What the other person said goes unnoticed…

When this happens often enough, it can be summed up by my harsh headline—whether it’s:

- A colleague brave enough to share a new idea.
- A client trying to explain what’s going wrong.
- A team member sharing their concerns.
- A child excited about their game.
- A friend wanting to share their success.
- A partner unpacking their day.

“I just don’t have time to stay and chat, I’m so busy,”

one leader defended themselves, implying they would care if they had more time.
Okay, but how often do we say:

“Wow, that’s really interesting, and I definitely want to hear more, but I’ve got to run right now. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve handled this,” - and actually follow through?

I get it, we’re short on bandwidth, but in the long run, that’s likely a fatal mistake.

Conversations stop, relationships wither, shrink, and eventually close off. We stop hearing truths, stories, important signals, problems, and opportunities.

So here’s a simple test.

What would happen if this week, in every interaction, we tried to remember to ask at least one follow-up question?

The results might surprise you .