If Everyone Agrees, You’re Probably Doing It Wrong

Alfred Sloan knew how to build a car company—and how to question a room. In a meeting at General Motors, he once paused discussion to ask, “Gentlemen, I take it we are all in complete agreement on the decision here?” When the room nodded, Sloan said, “Then I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until our next meeting to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what this decision is about.” (Source: Decisive by Chip Heath & Dan Heath)

That’s not just clever. It’s courageous.

We tend to see agreement as a sign of harmony, alignment, and efficient decision-making.

But when every head nods in unison, I actually get a little nervous. Either we haven’t pushed hard enough—or someone doesn’t feel safe enough to speak up.

Consensus can feel like progress. But it often signals complacency.

I’ve seen it play out over and over. A leader floats an idea. Heads nod. The meeting ends five minutes early. Victory lap, right?

Not really. That’s usually a sign we’re either solving the wrong problem or we’ve just endorsed a half-baked solution. Because if a decision is meaningful, it should spark curiosity, resistance, even discomfort.

Not disagreement for the sake of drama. But deliberate space for alternate views.

It can often be how we position the idea in the first place. Instead of saying, “Here’s the best path forward,” we might say, “Here’s one approach—but I’m more interested in what’s missing.” That subtle shift opens the door. It makes disagreement feel like contribution, not conflict.

The real risk isn’t that someone might challenge the idea. It’s that they won’t.

So the next time you find yourself in a meeting where everyone agrees too quickly, take a cue from Sloan.

Slow down. Stir the pot. Ask, “What might we be missing?”

Because if no one’s pushing back, odds are you’re not pushing far enough.