If you ever find yourself in a tight, unanimous…

If you ever find yourself in a tight, unanimous group, you must speak your mind, even if your team does not like it. Ques non tacit assumptions, even if you risk expulsion from the warm nest. And, if you lead a group, appoint someone as devil's advo-cate. She will not be the most popular member of the team, but she might be the most important.

— from Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict) · Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

In the book

The best teams don't simply brainstorm; they have everyone generate ideas alone first, then pool them, so the quietest voice is heard beside the loudest. And if you ever find yourself in a tight, unanimous group, say your mind anyway — and if you lead one, appoint a devil's advocate, the least popular and most valuable person in the room. Make honest feedback easy to give by asking for it small: tell me one thing to start doing, and one thing to stop. […] Weigh your words before you spend them. Ask what benefit they will bring; speak gently and greet people warmly; mind how you say it, not only what; and beat the curse of knowledge by meeting your listener where they are. Make honesty easy. Build candid, informal dialogue; say the thing plainly rather than assuming you were understood; ask for "one thing to start, one thing to stop"; and speak up even in the unanimous room. In conflict, say less — and look inward first. Open by asking what you contributed; disagree without being disagreeable; and dig for the shared value beneath the fight. — Communication & Conflict (Communication/Conflict)

Speak your mind even if it costs you the warmth of the nest — and if you lead the group, appoint someone as devil's advocate. She won't be the most popular person in the room; she may be the most important. Communicate like it matters, because it does. You cannot have a healthy culture without robust dialogue — communication marked by openness, candor, and informality, because formality quietly suffocates candor. […] Decide, then delegate with intent. Make the call; teach your people how to decide; hand them the intent and get out of the way. Build psychological safety, then demand candor. Make it safe to speak, appoint a devil's advocate, and have the courage to say the hard thing yourself. Create more than you consume. If the business doesn't create real value for everyone it touches, it's already dying. — Leadership & Business (Leadership/Business)

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