In last month’s column I introduced the concept of the “10th man rule,” which states that if nine people in a group of 10 agree on an issue, the 10th must take the opposite position and argue for that position. The rule can help prevent serious mistakes or disasters that we often plan and execute our way into, typically at the managerial or organizational level, because of the cognitive blind spots humans are inherently plagued with. Those blind spots can be very costly in the short and long term.
But what about at the actual operational level we work at? Is there a way to adapt and incorporate the 10th man principles, in some form, into the decision-making process on board your vessel? The potential exists to do it, but it’s a tall order for most of us.
You would need full buy-in from your crew or team, and sometimes that will prove unachievable. To get that buy-in you would need to have and consistently display an open, collaborative mindset. Transparency in the decision-making process is necessary. You must possess the integrity, self-control, and self-confidence to not just accept but convincingly encourage significant, continuous input and constructive criticism (without penalty) from those you supervise. Not necessarily as professional equals, but as valued team members who may see something that you don’t and won’t see without help. They can be capable of saving a captain from self-destructing, and the motive to do so should be obvious: self-preservation of both the individual, the team, and their shared livelihood.
Real genius is rare. But control-freak captains that make secretive decisions for inscrutable or dubious reasons, or for no particular reason at all, are quite common. These captains are wholly unsuited for this approach.
I like to say that the job itself is way bigger than I am, and that I’m not personally very important at all. None of us are individually. It’s a team sport and always has been, and if you can get over yourself then you have a real shot at doing a lot of things better than you otherwise might.
You can read the original article at www.themindcollection.com/the-tenth-man-rule-devils-advocacy/www.themindcollection.com/the-tenth-man-rule-devils-advocacy/ if you’re curious.
