Devils in the Details: embracing modern Devil's Advocacy to reduce risks and manage uncertainty

If you're ready to break free of groupthink, challenge the majority view and make better decisions, then this book is for you.The popular, majority view often decides what's best in everything from entertainment to business practices. Time and again, however, we've seen how going along with the crowd can lead to dissatisfying or disastrous results. If only we had taken the time to seek a thoughtful dissenting opinion. Devils in the Details calls for the rise of modern Devil's Advocacy to help reduce risk and manage uncertainty. Through discussion and examples, this book challenges decision-makers from the CEO to the newly minted manager to think and act like a modern Devil's Advocate. Inside you'll discover:

The origin of devil's advocacy and why modern Devil's Advocates are needed todayWhy we need to regularly challenge our formal processes, including so-called best practicesDifferent kinds of thinking and common biases and fallacies that can cloud our decision-makingHow to create real arguments with premises that support reasoned conclusionsPractical tools from simple lists to dynamic simulation models, their strengths and weaknessesHow to embrace modern Devil's Advocacy for diverse and useful dissent without impeding progress

Early Reviews ====== "A worthwhile addition to the library of anyone who is responsible for crucial decision-making."

Kristan J. Wheaton, Professor of Strategic Futures and author of The Warning Solution: Intelligent Analysis in the Age of Information "A marvelous piece of work."

Gene Bellinger, organizational theorist, systems thinking and knowledge management About the Author ====== Robert Koshinskie is the principal of Ringbolt Consulting where he assists clients in product and marketing management, new product development and launch, and business analysis and strategy. He is a mentor in the NSF I-Corps Program and the creator and instructor for a decision-making seminar through NC State University Division of Continuing and Professional Education.