Business Growth Brief · By Leanne Reichhoff
You explain an idea to your team, describe why you think it makes sense, and ask whether anyone has concerns.
Nobody says much.
They may agree. They may also believe they have just heard a decision rather than an invitation to help make one.
A leader’s opinion carries weight before anything is formally approved. People listen for what is open for discussion, what has already been decided, and how much room they have to contribute. The way you introduce a decision affects the information you receive.
Your Recommendation Shapes the Conversation
If you spend several minutes explaining why you favor an idea, someone with a concern must challenge a direction you have already established. That may be easy in some teams and difficult in others.
People also draw on previous experience. They may remember a time when feedback changed the decision. They may remember being asked for input after the practical choices were already settled.
Silence therefore deserves careful interpretation. It is not enough evidence on its own to establish that the team has examined the plan and found no concerns.
You can improve the conversation by making the decision stage explicit. Say what needs to be decided, what constraints are fixed, and where input can still affect the outcome.
Hear the Team’s Assessment Before Giving Yours
When the decision is genuinely open, consider changing the order of the discussion.
Begin with the situation, the information available, and the question the business needs to answer. Then ask the people involved for their assessment before sharing your preferred approach.
For example, if you are considering a new service, explain the customer demand, the opportunity, and the resources available. Ask the delivery team what it would require. Ask the people speaking with customers what expectations might need clarification. Ask whoever will implement it what assumptions need testing.
You still need to evaluate the responses and make a decision. Hearing them earlier gives you access to information before everyone knows which answer you favor.
For complex decisions, it may also help to let people review the information in advance. Someone who needs time to assess capacity or gather details may contribute more thoughtfully with preparation.
Ask Questions People Can Answer Specifically
“Any concerns?” requires someone to choose both the issue and how to introduce it. More specific questions give the discussion a useful starting point:
- What would make this difficult to execute? Invite the perspective of the people responsible for doing the work.
- What information are we missing? Identify uncertainty and assumptions before committing.
- What would need to change for us to do this well? Surface dependencies, capacity needs, and competing responsibilities.
- What might customers or employees experience differently than we expect? Examine the decision beyond leadership’s view.
Listen for details that change the feasibility or quality of the plan. A concern may identify a problem to resolve rather than a reason to abandon the idea.
Be Honest About Decisions Already Made
Sometimes the direction is settled. The team may still have valuable input about implementation, timing, communication, or risk.
Make that boundary clear. Explain what has been decided, why, and which parts remain open. People can contribute more usefully when they understand the responsibility they have been given.
If you ask whether the company should proceed when you are no longer willing to reconsider, the discussion can create confusion. It may also affect how seriously people take the next invitation to offer input.
Show What You Did With the Input
The response after the discussion matters. If someone identifies a capacity issue and you adjust the timeline, explain that connection. If feedback changes your recommendation, let the team see what changed and why.
When you choose a different approach from the one someone proposed, acknowledge the information you considered and explain your reasoning. Agreement is not required for their contribution to be useful or treated with respect.
At Re3, this kind of leadership thinking belongs in the broader conversation about growth. Strategic decisions rely on information held across the business, including by people closest to customers and delivery.
A practical expression of vulnerability is being willing to hear something that changes your recommendation. Does your team know it can change your mind, and has it seen you respond well when it does?
