I was assigned as a staff officer to a General at the Army HQ at New Delhi in the Personnel Branch during the eighties . My boss had a very interesting method of giving decisions on files which I used to put up to him . These files were proposals for placing Colonels in Command appointments and needed a lot of analysis and comparisons of merits of the candidates under consideration for the General to make a decision .
The method followed by the General was if he agreed with my recommendation , he will send the file back duly approved . If he did not agree , he will not write ” Not approved ” and instead write on the file ” Please discuss ” . He will call me for a chat over a cup of coffee and ask me first to substantiate my arguments on which I made the recommendation . He will listen carefully and will play the Devil’s Advocate till such time either I agree with his point of view and change my recommendation or He agrees with my recommendations and approve the same .
The general told me he is doing this because either of us would have missed some point in preparing and reviewing the file when it is prepared and sent to him . But , if we discuss cases where there is a disagreement , it clears the issue or enables better understanding of each others ‘ point of view .
This was a great learning experience for me !!.