Time4 Blog Taming the Devil's Advocate

You'll find a new book on my bedside table these days. Yep - Added another one to the extensive collection of "to-reads" and "in progress." It's a recent fave because it speaks to me on a professional AND personal level. It is Tom Kelley and Jonathan Littman's The Ten Faces of Innovation, a follow up to the Art of Innovation, one I also enjoyed.Here's an excerpt from Tom Kelley's siteWe've all been there. The pivotal meeting where you push forward a new idea or proposal you're passionate about. A fast-paced discussion leads to an upwelling of support that seems about to reach critical mass. And then, in one disastrous moment, your hopes are dashed when someone weighs in with those fateful words: "Let me just play Devil's Advocate for a minute..."Having invoked the awesome protective power of that seemingly innocuous phrase, the speaker now feels entirely free to take pot shots at your idea, and does so with complete impunity. Because they're not really your harshest critic. They are essentially saying, "The Devil made me do it." They're removing themselves from the equation and sidestepping individual responsibility for the verbal attack. But before they're done, they've torched your fledgling concept.The Devil's Advocate gambit is extraordinary, but certainly not uncommon since it strikes so regularly in the project rooms and boardrooms of corporate America. What's truly astonishing is how much punch is packed into that simple nine-word phrase. In fact, the Devil's Advocate may be the biggest innovation killer in America today. What makes this negative persona so dangerous is that it is such a subtle threat. Every day, thousands of great new ideas, concepts and plans are nipped in the bud by Devil's Advocates.See a list of the Ten Faces of Innovation HereRead or write your own story about the Faces of Innovation HereMy top take-aways?Naysayers be warned. Innovation is not for the faint of heart. Get over it.Recognize: "Innovation is now recognized as the single most important ingredient in any modern economy."- The Economist.How to spot a Devil's Advocate?: (or more appropriately entitled - Innovation Killer) Look for talk without action. I know a good number of these folks. All talk.How to avoid being a Devil's Advocate: Provide constructive and proactive solutions. Seek to deliver greatness with passion and don't give up. Ever.