Working with others
Ask for input before you decide
A simple exercise to get people's input while it can still change the decision
Tell the people affected that a decision is coming, share what you're leaning toward and why, and ask for their input by a set date.
- 10 minutes
- You and the people affected
- Before decisions that affect others
- Quick
Why this can work
People accept a decision more readily when they had a real chance to shape it. Asking before you decide, while you could still change course, gets you information you don't have and gives people a stake in the outcome. The word that matters is before: asking for input on a call you've already made, while presenting it as still open, tends to feel like theater, and people can tell.
Read moreHow to ask for input before making a decision
You’ll come away with a decision people had a real say in, made on the date you said.
- Name the decision and the date.
What you're deciding, when you'll decide, and who it affects. A clear date turns a vague consultation into something people can act on.
- Write what you see, what it means, and where you're leaning.
Three short parts: what you've noticed, what you think it means, and the option you're currently leaning toward. Leaning is honest. It gives people something to push on without pretending you have no view.
- Send it to the people it affects, and ask what it means for them.
The most useful input is usually about consequences you can't see from where you sit: their workload, their customers, their deadlines. Ask about those directly.
To: the people it affectsI'm deciding what by when, and I'd value your input before I do.
Here's what I'm seeing: what you've noticed. I think it means what you think it means, so right now I'm leaning toward the option.
What would this mean for your work? And is there anything that should change my mind?
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Decide, and close the loop.
Make the call on the date you said. Then tell everyone who replied what you decided and what their input changed, even when the answer is that it didn't.
Tip: Closing the loop is what makes people answer the next time you ask.
Good times to repeat it: before a decision that changes other people's workwhen you're changing a process others rely onwhen you're new and deciding something for the first time
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Coming from a manager, even a light lean can sound like a decision already made. Say plainly that you could be talked out of it.
What might make this harder
That's normal. Look for the concerns behind the opinions, address the ones you can, and explain your call in terms of those concerns.
Questions people ask
How do I involve my team in decisions?
Tell them what's being decided and by when, share what you're leaning toward and why, and ask what it would mean for their work. Then tell them what you decided and what their input changed.
What is consultative decision making?
One person makes the decision, but asks the people affected for input first. It sits between deciding alone and deciding by consensus.
Should I share my own opinion when I ask for input?
Usually, yes. Saying where you're leaning, and that you're open to changing it, gives people something concrete to react to. Without it, people often guess what you want to hear.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Think of the decisions at work that still bother you. Often it isn't the outcome that stings, but finding out afterward that nobody asked. A decision announced out of nowhere, even a good one, can leave a team feeling like bystanders to their own work.
The shape of the ask matters. Here's what I'm seeing, here's what I think it means, here's where I'm leaning: that gives people your reasoning to test, not just your conclusion to accept or resist. It also keeps you honest, because writing down what you've noticed often shows you where the evidence is thin before anyone else does.
Asking what the decision would mean for someone's work grounds it in their goals, not only yours. The people who'll live with a decision usually know things you don't about its cost. Think of the week it lands on, the customer it annoys, the handoff it breaks. They rarely volunteer it unless they're asked, and asked early enough for it to matter.
Sometimes asking is the wrong move. When the call is small and easy to undo, or when you've genuinely already decided, make it and explain it instead. Asking anyway spends people's time and teaches them that your questions are for show.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with others
A few minutes that compound
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.