Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Devil's Advocacy Technique :Decision Making Techniques

The Devil's Advocacy Technique

Purpose: Use this job aid to help you perform the devil's advocacy technique to evaluate a potential business decision.
Tips for devil's advocacy techniques
Devil's Advocacy Technique Tips
List the evidence opposing your business decision. List all evidence (reasons) opposing your potential business decision you know to be true. This is called "first-order evidence."

List all unsubstantiated evidence opposing your decision that, if found to be true, would bode against making that choice. This is called "second-order evidence."
Explain both sides of the argument to a colleague and obtain his or her input. Provide the colleague or friend with evidence that supports the potential business decision.

Provide evidence that argues against the decision.

Do not give your colleague any indication how you feel about the merits of the potential decision. This negates the biasing effects of persuasion.

Note: Once you obtain your colleague's input, re-evaluate the desirability of your potential decision. Take to heart both the colleague's advice as well as the opposing evidence you cited.
Course: Making Decisions Dynamically

No comments:

Post a Comment