"How to change your mind without losing the room"

So you’ve made a decision.
You were clear. You involved the right people. You communicated it well.

And then... something shifts.
A new risk. A new piece of data. A consequence no one anticipated.

Now you’re stuck.
If you stick to the decision, you feel reckless.
If you change course, you worry you’ll look weak, or worse, inconsistent.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

In complex work, changing your mind isn’t the problem.
Pretending you didn’t is.

People don’t lose trust because you adapt.
They lose trust when you hide it, spin it, or pretend you were always heading this way.

The fix isn’t to double down on a bad decision.
And it’s not to backpedal quietly either.

It’s to own it.

To say something like:

“We made this call based on what we knew. Since then, something important has changed. Here’s what we’re seeing now, and why we’re shifting direction.”

That’s not weakness.
That’s leadership.

It shows you’re committed to the outcome, not your own ego.
And it reminds your team that decisions are made in good faith, and revisited with integrity.

Where might you need to show that kind of courage right now?

Until next time,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle

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