Creativity Tips: Say It Once

The best creative environments accommodate different opinions. And I received an early lesson on the best way to do that.

Some 30 years ago, before she became my mother-in-law, Betty Harness thought I was going to do something wrong. Flat-out wrong. And she wasn't going to let that silently go by.

Here's what she did -- and we can all use this approach:

1. She made sure we were alone for the conversation.
2. She assured me it wasn't me she disapproved of -- it was my decision she didn't like.
3. She told me it was important that I understood how she felt, and that she'd never mention it again.
4. She never mentioned it again.

Betty Harness would have been 95 today. As the saying goes, "In love we are remembered, and in memories we live."