Calling Time of Death on your Sacred Cow

Every organization has one project that no one can question or criticize – the "Sacred Cow." It's been around longer than any employee can remember, and despite conversations about the necessity of continuing, no one willing to say, "it's time to put it to pasture." The fear of risking your organization's revenue streams by addressing this sacred cow is killing your future.

It's time to take a hard look at where your organization's strategic goals align with your operations.  Customer and member interests have shifted, and your iconic project or program may no longer be the commodity it once was. So asking yourself the tricky question, "do we continue this program or not" will become imperative to building a new foundation of sustainability for your organization.

Here are three common deterrents that keep your organization from pulling the plug:

The Project Cheerleader

Every Sacred Cow has one employee that will stand up and argue why the project is vital to the organization. Perhaps they have a personal investment in this project or are afraid their job may be in jeopardy if it's eliminated. Whatever the reason, they are loud enough and influential enough to drown out the rest of the voices. To move forward, you must address the concerns of the cheerleader and explain why pulling the plug is necessary. Then, you need to give the cheerleader something else to do, something tangible and significant. If it becomes clear that the cheerleader doesn't have another place in the organization, that is a different discussion but equally necessary.

Financial Commitment

In conversations with my clients, the most common deterrent is always money. Financial concerns are inevitably two-fold: sunk costs and perceived revenue.  Before you can address revenue concerns, you will need to deal with the decision trap of sunk costs. This phenomenon is surprisingly difficult to shake, despite how well-known it is. The idea of not wanting to "write off" money already spent isn't hard to understand, but the intense emotion that comes with it can be shocking. Making a significant decision like this will not be without loss. It's easier to decide to stop something when leaders don't punish people for being involved in something that didn't work out. If the culture is "fail and be fired," don't expect people to be eager to call time of death.

On the other hand, organization leaders face a decision-crippling fear when addressing a perceived loss of income. This fear will likely shut down the critical conversation about your sacred cow project.  Addressing these financial fears will be the most challenging part of the decision process.

Hampered by bureaucracy

Let's say you've gotten the project cheerleader on board and appeased those with financial concerns. You're ready to terminate this project and move on—unfortunately, all your hard work stalls due to bureaucracy. When working with one of my clients, several board members had done the work to articulate why their sacred cow project should end and had all the naysayers onboard. They were emotionally ready to hit the kill button, but the policies around eliminating tasks derailed their momentum.  Defeated by the delay in action, the board members gave up and reverted to "business as usual." If the procedures for your organization are impediments to doing the right thing, even when it's difficult, change them. Pack your perseverance, but be sure to push the right decision forward while you remove bureaucratic barriers.

It is scary to take the risk of saying goodbye to your sacred cow. But successful organizations don't stay stagnant just because of fear. Instead, they make difficult decisions to alter course and drive their brand forward in the marketplace.  Change is a necessity of growth, and without it, you risk making your organization irrelevant to the new market.