What would you say to your boss if he is crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?

This question checks whether you can disagree respectfully. Interviewers do not want yes-men, and they do not want someone who fights every decision either.

Why interviewers ask this

Good teams need people who raise concerns early and then commit to the final decision. The interviewer is looking for tact, evidence-based thinking and loyalty once a decision is made.

How to answer

• Say you would first make sure you fully understand the idea and the reasoning behind it.
• Raise concerns privately and with facts or data, not opinions.
• Suggest an alternative or a small test to reduce risk.
• If your boss still decides to go ahead, commit fully to making it work.

Sample answers

Any level

I would first ask questions to understand what problem the idea is solving — sometimes I may be missing context. If I still had concerns, I would discuss them one-on-one, with specific reasons: for example, the cost, a technical risk or customer feedback. I might suggest testing it on a small scale first. If my manager still decided to go ahead, I would support it fully and do my best to make it succeed, because a team works only when decisions are respected.

With an example

In my last job my manager wanted to launch a feature before the festival sale. I felt the payment flow had not been tested enough. I showed him the open bug list and suggested launching to ten percent of users first. He agreed to the gradual rollout, we caught two issues early, and the full launch went smoothly.

Mistakes to avoid

• Saying you would simply do whatever the boss says.
• Saying you would refuse or go above your boss’s head immediately.
• Calling the idea stupid or using disrespectful language.

Final tip

Disagree in private, with data, and support the decision in public.