Lots of good conversation here; I'd argue this isn't a better approach, but different and in many circumstances one of the few ways to get anything done. I put it in the "ask for forgiveness" bucket, but done responsibly. Sometimes it's actually the nicest thing to do, because busy people who don't care enough to step up get to avoid (yet another) distraction. It helps calibrate how much someone really cares, as it takes some energy to provide input vs. just objecting out of principle or as a default position.