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Writer's pictureEric Vechan, PhD

A Devil's Advocate Is Good for Us


We shouldn't over think something to the point of indecision and missed deadlines but playing Devil's Advocate with our own thoughts and decisions can help make sure we make the right ones. Our projects are more likely to be profitable when we avoid confirmation bias or slow down to really think about major events that are both good and bad. When something seems good or aligns with our desires and preconceived notions we can jump to conclusions and decisions that aren't actually the best ones even if they feel and seem right. Conversely, if we encounter a bad event, we should really think about the details of what happened? Was it really the new guy on the team that messed up or does a process that we made through significant individual or team effort need some rework? Maybe the reverse is true - the process is fine but the guy we like isn't actually the right one for the job. If we are too vested (in love) with a person or process we might get hung up on what is actually working or not working. Bad people, tools and processes may get to stick around too long while good people, tools and processes might get abandoned at the expense of long term profitability. Playing a little Devil's Advocate on great, mediocre and awful project occurrences can help us find the real reasons for success and failure so that we can build momentum in the right direction to build a better world while building a better bottom line.

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