How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life by Caroline Webb

Author:Caroline Webb
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
ISBN: 9780553419634
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2016-02-01T14:00:00+00:00

Devil’s Advocate

It’s not always easy to challenge our own assumptions. We know we have blind spots but, by definition, we don’t know exactly what they are. So when we’re making important decisions, it’s helpful to ask a devil’s advocate to test our reasoning.

Think of someone you respect but who tends to approach things differently than you do, perhaps because of their personality or experience. Maybe you’ve even disagreed with them in the past. (Think of more than one person who fits the bill, if you can.)

Ask your devil’s advocate(s) about the situation:

• What do they see differently than you do? What do they think you’re missing?

• What assumptions would they challenge in your thinking?

• What advice would they give you?

Side note: If you can’t have a live conversation with them, you can still benefit from imagining their answers to those questions; it’s strangely easier to see holes in our arguments when we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Just take five minutes to write what you’d imagine each devil’s advocate would say to you about the issue at hand.

Now suppose there’s a good chance they’re right. What information should you seek out, to make a better decision?

Attendees at the 2013 annual meeting of Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, got to see a live demonstration of this devil’s advocate approach. Buffett is well versed in the behavioral science of cognitive shortcuts, so he’s always looking for ways to seek out what he calls “discordant information” that will challenge his assumptions. On this occasion, he invited Doug Kass—a vocal critic of his firm’s investment approach—to ask him tough questions in front of the whole audience. Kass confronted Buffett about Berkshire Hathaway’s investment strategy, governance, and succession planning, while Buffett parried amiably.

Luckily, you don’t have to do this in public to reap the benefits. Nayan often gets his devil’s advocate perspectives from informal conversations with people around him. “I work in a fast-changing environment, so I often find it helpful to run my thinking past other people to make sure I’ve seen all the angles.” Nayan doesn’t just turn to senior people, either. “I have a young colleague who is always three steps ahead of me on technology issues. I like talking to him about my work even when it’s not directly connected with his field, because I’ve noticed he always challenges and shifts my thinking. He asks good questions.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.