“I’m just playing devil’s advocate” is killing your team’s best ideas
When the boss plays devil’s advocate, nobody can tell a real challenge from a polite no. A better question invites people to improve the idea instead of defending it.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Say this instead: “I like where this is going. What would make it stronger?” Devil’s advocate sounds fair, but when the boss does it, nobody can tell a real challenge from a polite no. People defend instead of think, or they quietly stop bringing you ideas. If you do need to push back, say so out loud: “I’m going to push on this, and I’m still on your side.”
GO DEEPER
Why devil’s advocate shuts ideas down
Playing devil’s advocate has a good reputation. It sounds fair-minded: you are stress-testing the idea, not attacking the person. Plenty of managers use it to make sure nothing slips through unchallenged.
The problem is who is saying it. When a peer plays devil’s advocate, it is a useful argument. When the boss does it, your team cannot tell whether it is a real challenge or a polite no. They have to guess how much weight your words carry, and the safest guess is to assume you are against it.
So people start defending the idea instead of thinking about it, or they quietly stop bringing you ideas at all. Either way you lose the thing you were trying to protect: the best thinking in the room.
A better question is “I like where this is going. What would make it stronger?” It invites the person to improve the idea, not protect it. And if you genuinely need to push back, say so out loud: “I’m going to push on this, and I’m still on your side.” That sentence tells them the challenge is about the idea, not about them.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Ask what would make the idea stronger, and when you push back, say out loud that you are still on their side.
TEST YOURSELF
An employee shares a rough idea in a meeting. Which response is most likely to improve it?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
