Executives should change their minds

It's ok for executives to change their minds.

In fact it's good.

An executive who changes their mind can be reasoned with. Or at least persuaded. An executive who changes their mind incentivises others to bring new information and invites new arguments to recalibrate direction.

Changing their minds is not enough. Executives should change their minds; but they must articulate why they’re doing so.

A flip-flopping executive is worse than an immovable one. They are hard to predict. They are whimsical. At any given time you cannot know what they will resolve to do.

The decision is important. But so too are the steps leading up to the decision. Executives who change their mind, should show their work.

And while they’re at it, executives should acknowledge what they got wrong and why. It builds credibility in the new decision. And avoids the building of resentment in those who canvassed unconvincingly before the mind was changed.

Executives should change their minds. And explain why.