Steve Martin

the goal should not be to persuade, but to allow ourselves to be persuaded by others if we’re leaning in the wrong direction. But how do we most effectively seek out dissenting opinions? As leaders, can we simply ask a member of our team to play devil’s advocate

Social psychologists have also known for some time that even one lone dissenter in an otherwise unanimous group may be enough to generate more creative and complex thinking within that group. But until recently, very little research had been conducted regarding the nature of the dissenter. Are devil’s advocates—that is, pseudodissenters—better or worse than authentic dissenters at enhancing the problem-solving abilities of a group of otherwise like-minded peopl

in comparison to an authentic dissenter, a person asked to play the role of devil’s advocate will be much less effective at promoting creative problem-solving among group members

Considering the findings of this research, perhaps the best policy for leaders is to create and sustain a work environment in which coworkers and subordinates not only feel welcome

but are also encouraged to openly disagree with the majority viewpoint

disagree with the majority viewpoint. This could well translate into more innovative solutions to complex problems and greater overall employee morale (as long as dissension remains professional and not personal), and could eventually lead to increased profits. In situations in which decisions will have long-lasting and potentially far-reaching implications, consideration should also be given to actually seeking out true dissenters. By encouraging knowledgeable others to passionately persuade us that we may be leaning in the wrong direction, we place ourselves in a position to gain a greater understanding from a genuine argument rather than a simulated one, allowing us to make optimal

decisions and create maximally effective messages

Strength. Courage. Determination. Commitment. Selflessness. Some might say that our firefighters should be role models for how we behave both within and outside our organizations. Even though saving lives and rescuing kittens from trees might not be in your work description, learning how firefighters train for their job might just help you become an everyday hero in yours

Behavioral researcher Wendy Joung and her colleagues were interested in examining whether certain types of training programs would be more effective than others at minimizing errors in judgment on the

job. Specifically, they wanted to know whether focusing