Breaking the Cycle: How to Pivot When Your Work Strategy Isn’t Working
4 min read
Perseverance is valuable, but when it turns into stubbornness, it can keep you stuck in a failing strategy. If your work approach isn’t yielding results, it’s time to reassess. Insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different outcomes – so recognize the warning signs: persistent problems, rising frustration, ignored feedback, and disengagement. Identify the root cause by evaluating whether your methods are outdated, misaligned, or ineffective. Explore alternative strategies by seeking fresh perspectives, adjusting communication, and redefining success. Instead of making drastic changes, experiment with small adjustments and refine based on results. Don’t fall into the sunk cost fallacy – let go of what’s not working and pivot toward what does. Embracing a growth mindset allows you to see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a dead end. Clinging to a broken strategy only leads to burnout – so recognize when it’s time to change and choose progress over stagnation.
There’s a fine line between perseverance and stubbornness. One leads to success; the other, to repeatedly walking into the same glass door and wondering why your nose hurts. If your current work strategy isn’t yielding results, it might be time to stop, reassess, and make some much-needed changes.
The Definition of Insanity (and Why You Might Be Living It)
You’ve likely heard the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." It’s a bit of a cliché, but only because it’s true. Yet, when it comes to work, we often convince ourselves that if we just try harder, push longer, or refine the same approach slightly, something will eventually click. Spoiler alert: It won’t.
If you’re stuck in a cycle where your efforts are met with diminishing returns (or no returns at all), it’s time to stop spinning your wheels and rethink your approach. Here’s how:
1. Acknowledge the Signs of a Failing Strategy (Without Excuse)
Before you can fix a problem, you need to admit there is one. Pride is not a valid reason to keep flogging a dead horse. Face the facts and truly consider if your strategy needs an overhaul.
Some telltale signs include:
Experiencing the same problems on repeat despite your best efforts
Frustration levels are rising while progress remains stagnant.
Ignoring constructive criticism, dismissing clear signals, and digging your heels in.
It feels like hard work but not in a good way.
Others are disengaging – solid strategy engages people; a failing one drives them away.
The results you expected are nowhere in sight but you’re still ‘sticking to the plan’.
You keep hearing the same excuses (from yourself or others).
Your efforts feel more like busywork than meaningful contributions.
If any of these sound familiar, congratulations – you’ve identified a red flag. The next step? Doing something about it.
2. Identify the Root Cause
Are you following outdated advice or methods? Using a one-size-fits-all approach? Ignoring feedback? Is it a flawed execution or a flawed strategy altogether? Are you targeting the wrong audience? Lacking the right resources? Sometimes, it’s not the effort that’s the problem but the direction. Take a step back and analyse where the disconnect is happening.
Look for patterns in what’s failing and ask yourself:
What are the specific goals I’m trying to achieve?
What has (or hasn’t) worked in the past?
Are external factors at play that I’m not accounting for?
Self-awareness is key. If something isn’t working, pinpoint the issue before attempting a course correction.
3. Explore Alternative Approaches
Once you know what’s broken, it’s time to find a fix. This might mean:
Seeking fresh perspectives or external advice.
Brainstorming ideas and researching alternative strategies
Testing new methodologies or technologies.
Adjusting your communication style.
Redefining success and setting more realistic expectations.
Think of it as updating your GPS. If your current route is riddled with traffic jams and roadblocks, there’s no shame in taking a different path.
4. Experiment and Iterate
Instead of going all-in on one new approach, test small changes first. Change doesn’t happen overnight so try small adjustments before committing to a full overhaul. If it works? Scale up. If not? Adjust again. Experiment, track progress, and refine as needed. Rigid strategies fail whereas flexible, adaptive ones thrive. The best strategies evolve over time, not in a single ‘Eureka!’ moment. Success often comes from a series of micro-adjustments rather than a single, dramatic shift.
5. Ditch the "Sunk Cost Fallacy"
Just because you’ve invested time and energy into something doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. If a strategy isn’t working, the smartest move isn’t to double down but to pivot. Let go of what’s not serving you and make room for what will.
6. Embrace a Growth Mindset
Failure is not a dead end; it’s a detour. The best innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers thrive because they see failure as a stepping stone, not a tombstone. Stay flexible, keep learning, and be willing to adapt.
Final Thought: Change Is a Choice
So, if we’re being honest, clinging to a broken strategy out of sheer stubbornness isn’t exactly a Nobel-worthy move. Blindly repeating the same failing approach won’t magically lead to different results. There is no universal, one-size-fits-all strategy that guarantees success but when your strategy is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine, you have two options: keep pushing forward, hoping for a miracle, or recognise that it’s time for a new approach. One leads to burnout, the other to growth. Choose wisely.
