Opinion: You’re allowed to change the plan

Andrea Battaglia

I love a good plan. The color-coded spreadsheet, the organized calendar, the mapped-out goals. My literal dream come true. Especially if I’ve told people about it or invested a lot of effort to get it just right.

But here’s the truth: Just because it was an excellent plan at one time doesn’t mean it still works. And it definitely doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it. Plans are meant to create direction. Not guilt.

And sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do isn’t sticking it out. It’s stepping back and saying: “This isn’t working anymore. Here’s what needs to change.”

Real life example
A few years ago, I was involved in a program to help newer staff earn a needed credential. It was well-intentioned. The leadership team had refined it multiple times, and staff genuinely wanted to succeed. But the program wasn’t working – not even close.

It felt heavy. It drained our leaders. And it wasn’t helping new staff reach the goal.

When the next round landed on my desk (again), I knew something had to shift. It would’ve been easier, in the moment, just to ask for another round of tweaks. But deep down, I knew we were wasting time and energy.

So I stopped the program. I gave the leadership team a clear, new focus instead. It wasn’t the easiest decision. That credential is important.

But the program wasn’t serving its purpose, and I needed to say, “We need to stop, think, and do better. Stopping the program is the first step. Something new will emerge.”

That day, I was reminded: The right decision might not be easy or popular—but it lifts a weight.

Why it matters
When you’re the one who created the plan, or championed it, it can feel uncomfortable to pull back. But holding on for the sake of consistency isn’t leadership. It’s self-protection.

And the longer you delay a necessary shift, the more frustration builds. People waste time, energy, and trust on things that no longer serve the goal.

The goal is not to be flawless. The goal is to be functional.

And changing the plan—when it’s done with clarity, transparency, and shared learning can actually build trust, not break it.

What to do when it’s time to shift
• Reaffirm the purpose. Say, “This is what we were trying to solve—and that part still matters.”

• Name the learning. Show your team what you’ve learned by testing it out. That modeling matters more than perfection.

• Give people a bridge. Don’t just cancel something. Show what’s replacing it, or what the new priority looks like.

• Explain the tradeoff. “This is where we’re putting our energy now and why it’s worth the shift.”

What I’ve Learned
You don’t earn respect by sticking with a broken system. You earn it by noticing when something no longer works and being willing to say it out loud. 

That’s clarity. And it takes courage.

Plans are valuable. But your job as a leader isn’t to preserve the plan. It’s to serve the purpose.

So yes – you’re allowed to change it. And you might be surprised at how much lighter your team feels when you do.

Andrea Battaglia is the Chief Excellence Officer at Abacus in Springfield. She can be reached at abattaglia@abacuspro.com.