PLAYING THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
It was time and they both walked into my office; founder and co-founder, both directors of the company. One the CEO and the other the Director of Technology. Both of them, blood brothers. The board meeting commenced and critical subjects around talent management and some asset acquisitions for the company were on the agenda.
I watched closely and observed how amazing ideas were tossed around by members in the meeting. Where one director presents an excellent case, another director comes up with a perspective on same subject that totally shifts our conviction on the first idea and introduces a totally different perspective. The team now seams divided but in my opinion, for a good course. Everyone is trying to make their point and in the midst of all these back and forth, one thing became clear in the meeting, every one had a broader view on these subjects discussed as a result of diverse views. At the end, we closed in on what we saw as the best decisions and resolve, taking into cognizance key points raised by both directors.
Every team must have a variety of personalities and skills and must avoid being monotonous in nature. These includes boards. The best decisions are reached when contributions are constructively criticized, probed and tested from different angles. It shouldn't be an all yes sir/ma team. Divergent views are healthy and should be welcomed. You might not necessarily have to take or implement it all, but having them put out there, widens your perspective on the subject in question.
Where team members are allowed to air their views or opinions, the following happens;
📌 They get the impression of ownership and involvement in the business. This motivates maximum performance.
📌 You have the opportunity to experience the depth of your team's thought process and innovativeness.
📌 You nurture liberal thinkers and not boxed up, scared or less expressive team members.
I love teams that are divided for a good course (sounds counter intuitive); teams that give room to play the devil's advocate. They eventually come up with the best ideas and decisions.
There is a caveat to this though. This process must be well guided and policed to avoid losing out on the main objective of getting the best results on whatever the subject matter is.
.jfif)
