Stop rushing to advice by asking and what else three times

When problems show up, most of us grab the nearest tool and start fixing. It feels helpful, fast, and smart. The trouble is the first idea is rarely the best idea, and a single pathway narrows thinking. Option generation is a core skill for good decisions. A simple way to unlock it is three small words: “And what else?” They look light, but they do heavy lifting.

Consider a familiar moment. A colleague asks, “How should I pitch this?” Your brain lights up with the perfect angle. Last month you jumped in, gave a tidy plan, and somehow ended up writing the deck at midnight. This time you sip your lukewarm tea and ask, “And what else?” They name a second route, then a third that’s closer to the mark. You ask again. Silence. A half‑smile. “Actually, I could test the opener with two customers before I choose.” You can feel the conversation expanding as your calendar risk shrinks.

“And what else?” works for three reasons. First, more options reduce failure risk. Research on organizational choices shows that binary decisions—do it or don’t—fail more often than decisions made from multiple options. AWE pushes the conversation beyond a risky yes/no fork. Second, it reins you in. When you’re curious, your advice reflex cools. Third, it buys time. A moment of breathing room often reveals what’s really going on.

There’s a limit, of course. Too many options overwhelm. Working memory handles a handful, not dozens. That’s why three to five is a sweet spot. You can also close gracefully with, “Is there anything else?” which signals you’re ready to shift from expanding to selecting. Honestly, this tiny habit can save you hours you used to spend re‑doing work for others.

If you want a mental model, think of option generation as widening the frame before you choose the focal point. It counteracts common biases like premature closure and confirmation bias, while strengthening ownership. People are more likely to execute on ideas they generated, not ones they were handed. That’s the science behind three little words.

Catch your advice reflex in the moment and label it, then ask “And what else?” After the first answer, ask AWE again, and once more, keeping your tone light and genuinely curious. When you feel the energy dip, close with “Is there anything else?” and only then offer your idea as one option among the ones on the table. Keep count with fingers under the desk if that helps, and try it in your very next chat—three AWE’s before any advice. Give it a try this afternoon.