2. 2
Session Contains
Who is Devil’s Advocate(s)?
What Is Devil’s Advocacy?
Has this ever been practiced anywhere?
Benefits In Corporate Strategic Decisions
Types Of Devil’s Advocacy
Using Devil’s Advocacy effectively
3. 3
Who is Devil’s Advocate(s)
A Devil’s Advocate is the person who, when given
an argument / statement / plan, plays a role of a
critic and speaks against the original argument /
statement / plan, either just for the sake of
argument or to find flaws in the argument /
statement / plan.
4. 4
Who is Devil’s Advocate(s)
That maybe, but
you haven’t
considered ROI of
the plan!!!
And plus I can see
a lot of other
discrimination in
your data and
SOP!!!
LOL!!! I’am
lovin it….
Here comes
the devils to
roast our
idea
MY
DAMN
TEA !!
5. 5
What is Devil’s Advocacy?
Well, if you haven’t figured this out already, to put
it in simple language, it’s a technique used by the
individual / group playing a role of devil’s
advocate(s) to put an effective counter argument
on the original argument / statement / plan. In
other words to cook your plan in infernal fire to test
its viability.
Now how should I
cook your
plan……Ahh little
more seasoning
Ayee!!!
6. 6
Has This Ever Been Used: Example 1
Key Figure • John F Kennedy
Problem • Cuban Missile Crises
Advocates
Appointed
• Robert Kennedy and Theodore
Sorenson.
Impact
• An effective response against the
soviet threat and the world saved
from nuclear holocaust.
7. 7
Key Figures • Alan Turing, Joan Clarke, Hugh Alexander, Peter
Hilton
Problem
• How to use the information of
broken Enigma code.
Advocates • Alan Turing, Joan Clarke, Hugh
Outcome
• Strict usage of broken code, saving
the allied efforts and winning the
second world war.
Has This Ever Been Used: Example 2
8. 8
Benefits in Corporate Decisions
Requirement
• Generation of effective strategies, that could match with the
organisation’s identified goal, which in turn, matches the
organisational resources and capacity.
Problem
• The strategy made on assumption of a particular problem, however
necessary to make the strategy manageable, but may get prone to
defects or blind spots which could prove hazardous for the company’s
future.
Devil’s Advocacy
• This technique challenges these assumptions with pure data which in
turn forces the executives to bring more solid data to prove their
assumptions and solidify the argument.
9. Types Of Devil’s Advocacy
Basic Devil’s
Advocacy
• Usually single individual plays Devil's Advocate
to criticize favoured plan.
Multiple
Advocacy
• Several Devil's Advocates representing different
interest groups. Use of Custodian and
Magistrate.
Dialectical
Inquiry
• Explicit attempt to identify assumptions
underlying favoured plan. Development of
counter assumptions as basis for counterplan.
9
10. 10
Using Devil’s Advocacy effectively
In Case there are pre-existing conflicts1
• The devil's advocate should be active throughout the decision-making process. He/she should
attempt to clarify the difference in opinions, even if it means to play the role of custodian.
• In case of too little conflict, then the advocate must initiate assumption critique to bring out
the conflict.
Avoid being a “Carping Critics”2
• The advocate must avoid being strongly negative, coz of demoralizing effect on both the
decision makers and those who proposed the plan.
• Rather he should act like a consultant interested only surfacing assumptions and improving
decision-making
There can’t be only one Devil3
• There should be rotation of the role from the time, so the group could have a clearer picture
of the “Devil’s Advocate’s” process and also prevent the negative consequences.
