Why it’s ok to roll it back (and why that builds trust)

In the People & Culture industry, we’re often encouraged to be brave and drive change, to launch new initiatives, roll out bold ideas, shake things up! That’s great advice. But here’s something equally important that doesn’t get talked about enough:

Knowing when to roll something back.

At MakerX, we’re an R&D studio. Experimentation is in our bones. We test things. We tweak. We learn. That means not every initiative is going to work straight away, and that’s exactly how it should be. Culture, like product, is something we build with people, not to them.

And sometimes, building with people means saying: “This isn’t working. Let’s go again.”

One of the most powerful ways we can build trust is by showing our team that we’re listening. That we’re not just ticking boxes or following trends. That we’re willing to evolve things, or even abandon them if they’re not adding value.

Failure #1

A little while ago, we implemented a personalised check-in system for our team. It was thoughtfully designed, we rolled it out with care... and then crickets. Barely anyone used it, and embarrassingly, neither did I. 

Instead of doubling down or quietly letting it die, we went back to the drawing board. We asked ourselves (and our team) what wasn’t working. Was it timing? Format? Usefulness? Turns out, it needed a few small but important tweaks. Once we adapted the approach, we got some good engagement. It wasn’t perfect from day one, but it got better because we stayed open to change.

Failure #2

We also tried a tool to measure team mood. Again, it flopped. A handful of people used it. It wasn’t sticky. But in this case, trying and “failing” led us somewhere new.

That experiment eventually evolved into what we now call Goodo-as-a-Feedback-Service our own twist on what the industry might call “temp checks.” It’s more aligned with how we work and what our folks need. So even though the first version didn’t land, the idea behind it was still valuable. It just needed to take a different shape.

Failure #3

Another example is our mentoring initiative. We had interest across the team to develop a mentoring initiative. Mentoring seemed like one of those things it made sense to formalise. So we pulled together a working group, explored different models, worked through ideas, and ultimately landed on a structure we thought would work. There were a lot of differing opinions, but just as much enthusiasm, so we went ahead and launched it with comms and support around how to get involved.

And then... almost no one used it.

It’s been picked up once or twice, and even then, the situations it supported could have easily happened through our existing informal relationships. That doesn’t mean it was a waste, it signalled that we value mentoring and want to make space for growth, but it also reminded us that not everything needs to be formalised. Sometimes, the informal structures are already doing the job just fine.

Trust comes from intent and flexibility

People can tell when you’re doing something just because you’ve been told to. It feels transactional. But when you implement a people initiative with the clear intent of adding value to culture, and you show you’re willing to adapt or let it go if it’s not serving its purpose, that’s when real trust starts to build.

It also makes the whole process less stressful. No one wants to feel trapped in a system that doesn’t work for them.

That said, it’s impossible to please everyone. Not every piece of feedback requires a full overhaul. The challenge is knowing the difference between something that needs a light touch-up and something that has no buy-in at all.

Here is to People & Culture folks building cool stuff that helps to make work awesome!

(Image design by canva magic media_)