“We tried that once and it didn’t work.”

This was the phrase I heard at a recent gathering — in response to someone else’s suggestion about a possible course of action.

On its own, the comment seems ridiculous. Why did we only try it once? Did we try it the right way? Is it worth trying again?

All things to consider … particularly since the underlying problem presumably still exists.

* * *

How often do we try once and give up? How many solo-failures are recorded in the column of solutions that don’t work?

“Try, try again” is not always the wisest course of action. But don’t be too quick to dismiss what’s been tried once and abandoned. Perhaps the error was in the implementation, not in the idea itself.