Published on December 8, 2010
Like most managers, Mr. Sharma favours yes-men who have a predilection to agree with whatever he ‘suggests'. And why not, they always do make him look good! On the other hand, he has a tendency to instantly snub voices of dissent from critics and naysayers. They are dubbed spoilsports and wet blankets as they are always looking for holes in every idea and decision.
Well, the opposite is very well true as blindly embracing group thinking can cause teams to miss glaring problems and result in poor strategies. And, turning a deaf ear to any sort of criticism will only intensify the inherent snags, leaving them with no options for correction in the end.
On the other hand, having at least one person who can point out the potential drawbacks and missteps will help the team leaders to catch mistakes and head off problems early on in the game. By finding out errors and weaknesses as they emerge, it becomes possible to deal with issues quickly before things get worse.
So much so that, many progressive managers have actually started designating one team member as a ‘devil's advocate' to not only spice up the discussions, but also improve the final outcome.
What is it: A devil's advocate is one who makes provocative comments and objections against any idea or solution for the explicit purpose of testing its validity. He may even simply pretend to be against the proposition and it is not necessary that he should truly agree or disagree with the same.
Questioning the merits and demerits will challenge the team to think over the plan more carefully with scrupulous detailed discussions. This encourages them to consider alternative courses of action and helps unearth more diverse and better ideas. It promotes communication and enrols the team into the decision-making process as everyone tries to counter the ‘cynic's' arguments. Finally, after sufficient open-minded consideration, the team will determine the validity, either proving the idea as sound or discarding the same.
Food for thought: Every manager should pay adequate attention to any contrary voices and welcome such devil's advocates into their fold with open arms.
But, fear of being ostracised or even losing their job for ‘making waves' can effectively silence the most outspoken team members. So, the manager has to build an open environment where people feel comfortable enough to share their concerns and feedback. He should be careful not to react defensively so that others can feel secure enough to question ideas/decisions while exploring new ideas. This level of flexibility may seem difficult, but it will lead to better focus and judgment with top results.
Though the process may become lengthy, it turns out beneficial in the end – not only leading to better and more successful decisions, but also creating greater unity in the final strategy. The manager will not only look good but can also bask in the glory of winning decisions. So, always remember that ‘Naysayers make great Evangelists!'
Making your stance: Playing the devil's advocate may prove quite beneficial by pointing out helpful and timely information, but this is not to say that it is easy to play one. This is not just about finding faults, but offering constructive criticism in a positive and professional manner. You have to know your facts to be able to support your negative points with substantial data. Else, you will just face ridicule for wasting everyone's time.
Also, bear in mind that the object is not to accuse/attack people but shoot holes in the proffered ideas in a reasonable manner. Towards this end, you can pleasantly preface your opinions with “Let me play devil's advocate here, but I think…” or “Just for the sake of argument, let me say…”
This will portray you as a productive part of the team who is truly committed to the task/project and wants to make it work. After all, that is what really matters!
Payal Chanania
No comments:
Post a Comment