Yeah, forget appointing a devil’s advocate – a Promotor Fidei – when you can get one to volunteer.
I mean, take for example that stupid project at work that won’t die for some unknown and awful reason.
If you are looking for possible objections, don’t go get the guy who has his name and pride on it.
Get the project manager that hates it to begin with.
Give her room to speak freely, and she will likely fill your ear.
Understand: Large groups of intelligent people can be incredibly stupid.
While it can be appealing to assign a devil’s advocate, it’s much more powerful to unearth one. When people are designated to dissent, they’re just playing a role. This causes two problems: They don’t argue forcefully or consistently enough for the minority viewpoint, and group members are less likely to take them seriously.
-Adam Grant, Originals