Write Down a Second Explanation Before You Accept the First

Your coworker didn't reply to your message — obviously they're annoyed with you. That's the first explanation your brain hands you, and it feels complete, so you stop looking. But the first explanation is rarely the only one, and it's not automatically the right one — they might be swamped, their phone might be dead, the message might have gotten buried.

Before acting on your first read of a situation, force yourself to write down one more plausible explanation. You don't have to believe it. You just have to prove to yourself that more than one story fits the facts.