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Plan More Effectively with the "Tenth Man Rule"


When it comes to planning, you want to have every aspect covered as best you can. The "tenth man rule" always has someone play the part of contrarian no matter how solid your plan looks to make it even more effective.

No plan is perfect, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to plug as many holes as you can. The "tenth man rule" works the same way as companies hiring people to find weaknesses in their systems and security. Instead of a company, you're asking someone to deliberately point out what might not work in whatever plans you're putting together. Matthew Sharp at ITS Tactical explains:

...if nine people completely agree that a strategy or plan is correct, then the tenth person should take a contrarian view to avoid the pitfalls of groupthink, where fatal flaws in a strategy are missed in favor of group agreement... If, in life, you're deciding whether to move to a new place, take a new career path, or make some other major decision, come up with a plan based on your observations and intelligence gathering. However, before you act on that information, have an outsider examine your plans.

Using your inner contrarian can be a powerful tool, but sometimes someone on the outside can identify problems a lot easier. You can use the "tenth man rule" in any situation you like when you're planning too; you don't actually need ten people. Planning a road trip with a couple friends? Assign someone the job of "tenth man." Getting ready to make a big life decision? Ask someone you trust to be your personal "tenth man" and poke holes in it. Effective planning comes down to strategy and reiteration. Keep finding and plugging holes until your plan is rock solid.

Red Teaming and the Adversarial Mindset: Have a Plan, Backup Plan, and Escape Plan | ITS Tactical

Photo by Michael Coghlan.