In any situation that I would use "please" or "could you", I substitute in "what do you think of / about". For example: > "What do you think about changing th

In any situation that I would use "please" or "could you", I substitute in "what do you think of / about". For example: > "What do you think about changing these variable definitions so they're easier to read"? This gives them a chance to reply and even disagree with what you're saying, because maybe your premise is actually misguided.