_edited.png)
Better the Devil You Know? Not in Business
Some sayings are passed down to us so strongly that they end up running our businesses without us noticing. One of the most dangerous is: “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
It sounds prudent, almost wise. But in business, it’s often an elegant excuse for something much simpler: the fear of making a decision.
We’ve all been there: the client who pays very late and eats up half the team’s time, but “is one of our biggest accounts.” The machine that breaks down every month, but “we already know how to fix it.” The employee who no longer contributes, or even poisons the team’s morale, but “has been with us for many years.”
Why do we put off these decisions?
The familiar gives us a false sense of control. Change takes effort, brings discomfort, and above all carries the risk of being wrong. On top of that, we confuse loyalty with profitability, and because we’ve already invested so much money, time, or affection, letting go feels like accepting a loss.
The problem is that the devil you know doesn’t stand still. Every month we hold on to it, it drains cash flow, ties up resources that could go to real opportunities, and above all wears down the team members who are doing their jobs well.
It’s like the frog in slowly heating water: companies get used to their losses until one day there’s no room left to react. Many crises that seem sudden are really decisions that were postponed for years.
Here are some recommendations to avoid falling into this trap:
Measure before you form an opinion. A dashboard with clear KPIs turns hunches into data. What isn’t measured gets defended out of habit.
Calculate the cost of not deciding. Ask yourself how much it will cost to keep things as they are for one more year; that number is usually higher than the risk of changing.
Regularly review the “untouchables.” Set up reviews every six months where nothing is exempt from analysis: not your oldest client, not your longtime supplier.
Separate personal feelings from business. You can be grateful to someone and still recognize that their role now calls for someone different. A dignified, well-planned exit is also a form of respect.
Have a plan B before you need it. Exploring alternatives doesn’t force you to change, but it gives you the freedom to do so when the time comes.
Take tough decisions to a governing body. A board or committee brings objectivity and keeps the owner’s or CEO’s personal attachments from blocking what the company needs.
The familiar isn’t always safe; often it’s just the road we already know that leads off a cliff.
“The question isn’t whether you dare to change, but how much more you’re willing to pay for not doing it.”