Reverse your decision without seeming wishy-washy
Some managers hesitate to change their plans for fear of losing credibility. However, with skill, a U-turn can be very well received.
Why is it so difficult to reverse a decision? While admitting and correcting mistakes is considered a natural process in Anglo-Saxon countries, it proves more perilous in France.
This reluctance to change course is primarily due to our pride: we tend to persist even when we discover we were wrong. But also to our desire to see things through: we find it hard to be clear-headed when we have committed ourselves wholeheartedly to a direction.
To avoid sticking to (bad) positions, it is therefore necessary to take a step back from your previous decision, which allows you to evaluate it and then abandon it in favor of another option. These steps are necessary to be in agreement with your own reversal and to have your collaborators accept it.
Prepare the ground before announcing the new direction
Are you convinced that the decision you made a few months ago is no longer suited to the current context? Avoid announcing it out of the blue: you would give the impression of acting impulsively or having been influenced by a third party. Initially, simply let the idea that a change of course is on the agenda hang in the air. To prepare minds, you can also express some doubts about the relevance of your previous choice, question each other to gather opinions on the current situation...
Then, announce that new options will be adopted, without specifying which ones. However, the wait should not last too long: a few weeks if the stakes are high (a strategic evolution, a change in the distribution of bonuses, etc.) and a few days if it is minor (a change of software or allocation of parking spaces, for example). Some announcements will leave your collaborators indifferent, others will trigger an outcry. Anticipate reactions, you will thereby assert your determination all the better.
Show that you fully assume the change
The first rule, valid in writing and orally: express yourself in the first person. By saying "I finally decided" or "we have chosen to reverse our decision" rather than "circumstances have forced us to...", you will show that you are not suffering this reversal. Avoid blaming yourself by using expressions like "I was wrong..." or "I made the mistake of...".
Before speaking to your teams, rehearse your speech, especially the beginning, because this is when your nervousness will be most noticeable. Prepare precise answers to the criticisms that will inevitably arise ("abandoning the manufacture of a product will lead to stock", "modifying the bonus system will penalize newcomers").
Do not hesitate to preempt your detractors by raising certain problems yourself: "Changing projects mid-course is often perceived as a waste of time, but in this case, it will allow to gain more time later." Above all, do not try to excuse yourself by blaming a third party or the "poor forecasts" of the marketing department. Opening this kind of umbrella would only discredit you.
Refine your argument to gain support
To prove that the change of course is judicious despite the additional cost, the loss of time or the demotivation of those who will have worked "for nothing", your argument must be undeniable. Explain that the new decision is justified by the evolution of the context: the economic situation is no longer the same, the cost of raw materials has increased, competitors have changed strategies, consumers have not reacted as expected... Also rely on the criticisms made by your collaborators, this will prove to them that they have been heard.
This is what an animal food manufacturer did with its customer database management software: "Many of you complained about it. We are therefore going back to the old version." Choose the right time for the announcement: the beginning of the afternoon (digestion makes the most assertive less vocal), the end of a meeting or the day (people are in a hurry to leave) or the days before a holiday.
Learn from your reversal
Once the new decision has been accepted, take the time to reflect on the causes of the volte-face: perhaps it is the decision-making process that needs to be questioned (not enough prior consultations, poorly verified sources). If necessary, evolve the processes in place, as BNP did for its calls for tenders. In 2009, despite wide consultation of the organizations concerned, a training project chosen by the bank had failed.
Since then, calls for tenders have been limited to three organizations to allow buyers to better study the files. Also identify what you can exploit from the abandoned project: stock to be sold on a parallel market; a communication campaign to adapt rather than redo... Finally, if the ability to change one's mind is proof of intellectual maturity, do not abuse it. Your collaborators might expect a counter-order as soon as you give them an instruction.
Published March 7, 2011
Posted online March 7, 2011
