Did you know that “devil’s advocate” was a role in church proceedings? More on that below.
Schoolofthought.org has some interesting tools that you should take a look at. They have a collection of logical fallacies and cognitive biases that’s fun to review. They also have a deck of cards with brainstorming tools. I have a few words to say about brainstorming, but that will have to wait for another day.
Today I’d like to zero in on two cards from the deck of brainstorming tools. They are “Imagine you’re the devil,” and “No Limits.”
What would someone who had no ethical restraints do in your situation?
The idea is not to do those things, but to learn from the mental exercise of it.
Why? How does that help?
First, you might be unnecessarily limiting yourself. Casting off the burden of being a good guy might open up your mind to new possibilities.
Again, I’m not advocating being evil, but thinking like the devil might spur an idea that’s not actually evil.
For example, let’s say I have a subscription newsletter (which I do) and I wanted to get more subscribers (which I do). An evil person might send the newsletter to non-subscribers along with an invoice. Just say “you’re a subscriber now, whether you like it or not.”
My newsletter is free, by the way, so I can’t do that.
But this “evil idea” sounds suspiciously like a “forced-free trial,” which is not evil, depending on how you do it. There are more or less devious ways to do a forced-free trial. But I can imagine that this idea originally came from somebody who was willing to cast off some restraints.
To build on that same concept, some people confuse “mischief,” or even “disruption” with evil. They mistake breaking a convention with breaking a commandment.
Thinking like the devil might help you break out of some conventions that are holding you back.
Second, your competitors might be perfectly willing to do evil things. They might be thinking like the devil, so thinking about what the devil might do can help you prepare to defend against ruthless competition.
The next card is called “No Limits,” and it’s saying try to think like God.
What if you had no limitations? If you could do anything. You have superpowers, no end of money, unlimited time, and magical technology. What could you do?
The benefit of this technique is that it allows you to imagine a perfect state, a perfect outcome, without being shackled by all the “no can do” realities. Once you imagine this perfect state, you might find creative ways to get closer to it. But at a minimum it gives you something to aim for, and then, when some magical technology comes along that can overcome one of your “no can dos,” you’re mentally prepared. You’re ready to leap ahead.
Now, about “devil’s advocate.” It has its origins in the Catholic Church and the process of canonization, which is the official recognition of a deceased person as a saint. In the Roman Catholic Church, the role of the “devil’s advocate” was to argue against the canonization of a candidate for sainthood.
Back to the topic at hand: if you want to boost creativity in your business, I recommend the creative thinking card deck (link below). They can be fun.
Also, if you need help with the creative process in your business, give me a call. I have a lot of ideas, and I can help.
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