Devil's Advocate

This tool builds working relationships and makes sure you don't miss anything throughout the process. Having a formal devil's advocate will help ensure that all sides are heard and considered. Looking for objections in this somewhat formalized manner gives you an edge as:

 
• The advocate may discover potential needs or fatal flaws early on so that the team can consider other alternatives to address the need or ways to fix the flaw.
• Documenting the advocate's objections and how they were answered will show that a wide range of views were considered if the process is challenged

Assign the devil's advocate role to one or two team members on a rotating basis. The advocate should demand data and assumptions behind a position and use rational arguments to construct careful rebuttals. The team should listen to the advocate and consider the objections carefully. Take care to ensure the team doesn't ostracize the devil's advocate.