If you think people are resistant to change, trying pitching an idea that’s already been tried before and failed.
The immediate reaction is usually dismissive – “that won’t work” or “don’t even try it.” Sometimes the pain still lingers from the last failed attempt. Other times, the old saying “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” is invoked.
What we fail to consider is there’s more than one way to implement change. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t me you shouldn’t try. Perhaps you have a different perspective. Maybe the timing wasn’t right before. Or, perhaps new technology makes it easier.
The iPod was not the first MP3 player but perhaps the most successful.
The household product WD-40 was actually named after the 40th attempt at a successful formula.
Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before perfecting the first electrical light bulb.
New approaches are not limited to products. Failed attempts to improve internal processes, timelines, or other ideas can all be successful with a different point of view.
The list goes on.
The 2 key questions to ask: Why did it fail before? and What can we do differently this time?
There’s no guarantee it will work the next time. But it’s important to not write it off completely just because it was tried once before.