“What Do You Think?” Might Be the Most Dangerous Question You Can Ask

In theory, “What do you think?” is an open-minded, inclusive, and collaborative question.

In practice, it can be a total disaster.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been in a handful of meetings where that question completely derailed the conversation. In each case, an idea was shared without any explanation of what problem it was solving or what objective it was trying to achieve.

The responses started rolling in.

They were enthusiastic. They were critical. They were long-winded.

Everyone assumed their own context. And without realizing it, the conversation moved from what could have been purposeful discussion to an unmitigated opinion fest. Sometimes it even turned into a groupthink spiral, with people piling on half-formed ideas until the original concept was barely recognizable.

Without a clear, shared understanding of context, “What do you think?” becomes an inkblot test. Everyone sees something different, and they respond based on their own assumptions. The result is a lot of opinions and not a lot of forward progress.

And it doesn’t just happen when we ask the question. It happens when we answer it, too.

It’s a tempting question. Our egos love the chance to show insight, especially when someone asks directly. But if we respond without knowing the goal, we’re not helping.

The good news is this is fixable. And the fix is small.

Start by building a habit that will serve you well beyond the moment. Every idea, request, or question should come with a clearly stated objective and a way to measure success. It might feel like overkill at first, but it changes everything. It sharpens your focus. It improves your communication. It turns scattered feedback into meaningful input. And it trains your brain—and your team—to operate with clarity at all times.

Big wins often start with small, repeatable habits.

So next time you ask—or answer—“What do you think?” ask yourself first: What are we actually trying to do here?