The Devil’s Advocate: The value of an external partner

Sympathy for the Devil’s Advocate:

Sometimes you need to bring in an outsider to stay true to your mission

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In the 16th century, the Catholic church introduced the concept of the Devil’s Advocate - someone responsible for making the strongest possible counter-arguments to otherwise popular proposals.

They realized that emotional and blinkered reasoning was working against their interests - in this case, identifying the best candidate for sainthood. They needed a critical, neutral perspective to counteract the biases and blindspots all people have when it comes to their most cherished ideas. So the Devil’s Advocate’s job was to challenge, test, poke, prod, criticize and find fault - allowing the Church to make the best, fully-informed decision.

Your organization may have slightly more mundane concerns, but the principle holds: Faced with a tough decision, it’s imperative to examine the issue critically and without bias. And modern organizations are just as prone to emotional reasoning, group-think, and tunnel-vision as the medieval Catholic church. The result? Projects get bogged down in office politics and red-tape, and finding the best solution becomes near-impossible.

That’s where an outside agency, like EX Squared, can help.

We aren’t beholden to any of the internal forces that pressure inside decision-makers. And our outsider perspective lets us avoid the traps of tunnel-vision and group-think. Instead, EX Squared is dedicated solely to the success of the project: we cut through the politics and stay focused on solutions.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to bring on your own Devil’s Advocate. EX Squared will get your project moving and ensure your most successful digital outcome.