How to Play the Devils Advocate (Without Being Evil)

How to Play the Devils Advocate (Without Being Evil)How to Play the Devils Advocate (Without Being Evil)So youre brainstorming with some colleagues, and a new idea is put on the table. An idea that, lets just say you arent exactly loving.This is a delicate endeavor. Voice yur opinion too fervently, and you risk offending your colleagues or squashing a good idea that could develop later. But, say nothing, and the idea could easily veer way out into left field- leaving feelings intact, but also leaving you worried about the fate of your team or company.In these types of situations, its no surprise most of us hedge our feedback by blaming our favorite red-tailed villain before voicing our opinion, starting the conversation with, Im just playing devils advocate.And yes, that little devil can be your friend- if you know how to use him. After all, being the dissenting voice your team needs requires a bit mora strategy than a one-liner. So here are a few guidelines for playing devils advoca te- without coming across as an evil mastermind.Know When to Play the PartIf Hollywood has taught us anything, its that you dont mess with the Prince of Darkness unless youre prepared to handle the consequences. Before you can play devils advocate in the office, you first need to seriously consider whether or not itll be worth it. There are some situations where no amount of help- nefarious or otherwise- will do anything but piss off your colleague. Playing the other side with your anfhrer, for example, should be approached with extra care (and I dont recommended it for novice debaters).So before you engage the strategies below, first consider the worst-case scenario. How receptive is this colleague to feedback, based on past experience? Is she likely to go completely off the rails when she realizes youre poking holes in her idea? How might your challenge impact your working relationship with her or with your team? And what will your boss think when he or she hears about it? Try to imagine how the conversation could go wrong, and weigh that against the importance of the topic at hand.If you do decide to play devils advocate, then your next step isnt to say anything- its to to start listening.ListenBefore you can justify disagreeing with someones idea, let her fully lay it out for you first. That means Sit down, pay attention, and make sure the idea-sharer knows youre hearing her. Establishing that connection reinforces respect, and will make your colleagues much more receptive to feedback later on.As youre listening, try to find ways you actually agree, whether its in process or intent. Finding any common ground will help soften any feedback you give later on, and show that youve taken the time to consider the idea from every angle.Just think like your eighth-grade English Lit teacher told you, and tell yourself there are no dumb ideas. At least- not at first.Test in Real Life SituationsEven if youre positive an idea has no legs, the person sharing it obviousl y thought it did, so after youve heard all the nitty-gritty, ask how the plan would play out in real life.For example, if someone has an idea to increase productivity by corralling the team into a communal table in the middle of the office, ask how certain aspects of business would be impacted by the change. What happens if a client calls and the rest of the team is in the midst of a heated debate? What about confidentiality and privacy?By allowing your colleague to walk you through her vision of how various real situations would be handled, you not only confirm that shes considered those potential snags (or not) but you allow her the chance to discuss the challenges without coming right out and telling her you dont agree.Also, dont forget to keep an open mind during this stage. Playing the devils advocate to someone elses ideas also means you need to apply the same standards to your own. Give ideas an honest chance, and test out your own assumptions, too. You just might discover th at the idea has merit, after all.Stay Positive French poet Charles Baudelaire once wrote, The devils finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist. Thats pretty much what you want to accomplish if youre playing the part yourself. That means, even as youre disagreeing with someone, you should keep your tone positive and encouraging, and try to emphasize that your goal is to address the problem as a team- not just to shoot down an idea.Practically speaking Before you give your feedback, try to find something meaningful (but not too benign) about the idea and comment on that. This is where having that common ground comes in handy. For example, if you were trying to persuade the CEO of Yahoo not to force all the staff working remotely to give up their freedom and work at the corporate headquarters (hypothetical, of course), you could point out that you appreciate the sentiment behind having the entire team under one roof to help foster collaboration. Then proceed. Make it clear youve listened to the idea with an open mind, and shell be much more receptive to your point of view.Dont Beat a Dead HorseThat said, once youve made your point, dont dwell. If everyone has come to your way of thinking as a result, fantastic, but nobody appreciates a gloater. If, however, youve failed to sway everyone in the room, the same strategy applies. Give it a rest and let everyone marinate on the topic for a while before bringing it up again. Remember, if you havent convinced them yet, hearing your thoughts seven more times probably isnt going to do the trick. Youll need a much stronger argument- or to simply admit defeat. (Unfortunately, you cant win them all.)Whether you believe in a red-faced villain with horns and a tail or not, when it comes to playing devils advocate, the mayhem that could ensue if you dont play the part with care is as real as your paycheck, and it should be handled with that in mind. But, when done right, playing devils advocate can not only help ad vance your own ideas, it can build trust and strengthen your relationship with colleagues and help you all reach a better solution to the problem at hand- all without actually being evil.Photo of colleagues brainstorming courtesy of Shutterstock.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 welches passed an employer could reject a job applicant because of his or her race, religion, sex or national origin. An employer could turn down an employee for a promotion, decide not to give him or her a particular assignment or in some other way discriminate against that person because he or she was black or white, Jewish, Muslim or Christian, a man or a woman or Italian, German or Swedish. And it would all be legal. What is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 When Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, employment discrimination on the basis of an individuals race, religion, sex, national origin or color became illegal. This law protects employees of a company as well as job applicants. All companies with 15 or more employees are required to adhere to the rules set forth by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law also establishe d the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a bipartisan commission that is made up of five members appointed by the president. It continues to enforce Title VII and other laws that protect us against employment discrimination. How Does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Protect You? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects both employees and job applicants. Here are some ways in which it does that, according to the EEOC An employer cant make hiring decisions based on an applicants color, race, religion, sex or national origin. An employer cant discriminate based on these factors when recruiting job candidates, advertising for a job or testing applicants.An employer cant decide whether or not to promote a worker or fire one, based on the employees color, race, religion, sex or national origin. He or she cant use this information when classifying or assigning workers.An employer cant use an employees race, color, religion, sex or national origin to det ermine his or her pay, fringe benefits, retirement plans or disability leave. An employer cant harass you because of your race, color, religion, sex or national origin. In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1978 and made it illegal to discriminate against pregnant women in matters related to employment. Read about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. What To Do If Your Boss or Prospective Employer Fails to Abide by Title VII Just because a law is in place doesnt mean people will follow it. Almost half a century after Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed, in 2013, the EEOC received93,727 individual complaints. Many claimed multiple types of discrimination. There were 33,068 complaints of race discrimination,27,687 claims of sex discrimination,3,721 reports of discrimination based on religion,3,146 claims of color discrimination and10,642 reports of national origin discrimination (Charge Statistics FY 1997 through FY 2013. Equa l Employment Opportunity Commission). If you experience discrimination at work or in the hiring process go to the EEOC Web Site and read the rules for filing a charge of employment discrimination.

Why Getting to Know Your Colleagues Is Important - The Muse

Why Getting to Know Your Colleagues Is Important - The MuseWhy Getting to Know Your Colleagues Is Important I nailed every word of the presentation. I articulated my points, my visual aids were clear, and my data outlined every reason my peers should get on board with my new big project launching a peer-coaching program. This initiative was sure to make me shine in my role as a leadership coach.But as I looked up from my slides, I could see that the audience was unmoved. Several said they simply didnt have time for it. Others sat silently, but the look on their faces told me all I needed to know They werent into it and wouldnt hilfestellung it- or me. I walked out of the room defeated. Without the critical backing of this group, my project was doomed to fail.Afterward, I sought out my boss for feedback, but her candid response left me even mora stunned. You should take the time to get to know each of your co-workers personally they all have really interesting stories to tell. Huh? Wh at did getting to know my colleagues have anything to do with working together professionally? How is knowing what position Gregs kid plays in little league going to help me to get my work done? Or where Jane is getting married?I considered myself a caring person. I used to be a social worker But, as I thought more about my boss advice, it dawned on me that perhaps there was a disconnect between how my new co-workers expected me to act and how I was behaving. Id completely failed to recognize the culture of my new workplace- not to mention the fact that building relationships with co-workers beyond spreadsheet data had been increasing in importance for a while.When team members came into my office and wanted to chat about their weekends, I half-listened before hastily wrapping up the conversation with a glad to hear, gotta go back to work. When people asked me to lunch, I told them I had a big deadline (which most of the time I did), and replied, maybe next time. But there never was a next time.Heeding my managers advice (I had nothing to lose, after all), I began investing time, energy, and effort into getting to know my colleagues- and not because I was pushing an agenda. I asked my teammate Rebecca how she was spending the holiday weekend. I stopped by Dans cubicle and invited him to join me for a coffee break. I stopped walking past Marys desk in a big hurry in the morning and instead paused to say hello and ask who was pictured in the frame next to her computer. And I listened with my full attention.It took some time for them trust that I was being sincere. In fact, some of them even directly asked me what I needed or wanted, referencing my by now, long-forgotten project. Opting to be candid, I explained that Id made a mistake when I first came on board Id not taken the time to get to know the most important part of my new company, the people. It took time to build relationships and form friendships. But, you know what happened? Being genuinely interested in others and building relationships eased the stress of deadlines and the strain of long projects. Being a true people-person felt good I quickly learned that work relationships are instrumental in helping you succeed. People respond well to those they know and those who treat them right. Once I realized this, three notable things happenedI got picked for better projectsMy ideas were heard (and very often approved)I received additional support When you have strong relationships with your colleagues, youre far more likely to be respected. And when youre respected, you can speak and expect people to listen to what youre saying. Even if your co-workers dont 100% agree with your ideas, theyre likely to take a chance and offer approval if they value you as a person and professional. Having colleagues on your side means that if you make the infrequent last-minute request, ask for a favor, or even miss a deadline, youre not going to be punished for it. Youll be forgiven quickly and every one will move on. Ive come a long way from that crash and burn, and now my days are spent guiding others to career success and fulfillment. The guiding principle on which my practice rests is that the more effort and genuine care you put into building strong work relationships, the more successful youll be.