In our efforts to make decisions about what to begin (add) and what to end (subtract), addition is the hands-down winner. It’s not even close. We are terrible at clearly, definitively stopping existing initiatives.
Why? Possibly:
- An existing project is experiencing some (modest) success. Why stop something which is working?
- We fear running out of market runway in our existing core market positions.
- It’s easier to point to something we started than something we ended.
Excuses, excuses! All these miss the real opportunity to realize gains from resources focused on the few best initiatives. Wise subtraction can add to profitability.
“We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities.” Norman Vincent Peale
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