Loud Thinking

Regroup from a Failing Project

People tend to obsess over sunk costs (all that time and money we’ve invested in something and can’t get back). When teams commit more resources to a clearly failing project, it’s even more of a problem. The more cohesive the group, the more likely they are to hang in there when it’s best to walk away. To get back on track, your team needs to look at its investments objectively, deciding what to scale back on and what to cut altogether. Make it easier to measure what does and doesn’t work by establishing clear organizational goals — and avoid sweeping, abstract language. Break each goal down into smaller subgoals, and then identify the actions required to reach each one. This will give your team a better sense of what’s achievable, and what’s a lost cause.

Adapted by HBR from “Get Your Team to Do What It Says It’s Going to Do” by Heidi Grant Halvorson.