President's Column - April 2026
Hello Members and Industry Friends,
In a previous column, I discussed the challenge to budget and set objectives for a recently launched product that is not meeting expectations. Due diligence, testing, forecasts, training and marketing are all critical pieces of the launch strategy. But knowing how to plan for uncertainty is very different from living through it.
Managing a product that is failing, or at least not succeeding as hoped, is never enjoyable. It creates pressure throughout the organization. Difficult questions are asked. Assumptions are challenged. Confidence is tested.
Yet it is precisely these moments where leadership matters most.
The reality is that the questions we ask, and the answers we are willing to hear, determine whether the ship can be turned around.
If questions are asked merely to assign blame, very little will change. If the goal is to identify who was wrong, who approved what, or who “missed it,” the outcome is predictable. People become defensive. Information is filtered.
Risk-taking disappears. And the underlying issues remain unresolved.
But if the questions are asked with a genuine desire to understand why we are where we are, then we have a chance to change the course.
The more honestly we reflect on what did not go as planned, the greater our opportunity to reverse it. Did we misunderstand the market? Did we overestimate demand? Did we underestimate the competition? Did we test thoroughly enough or did we ignore test results that did not align with what we hoped to see?
Sometimes the hard truth is that the warning signs were there. Perhaps early feedback was mixed, but we rationalized it. Maybe internal voices raised concerns, but momentum carried the project forward. Optimism is an important trait in business, but unchecked optimism can cloud judgment.
The list of questions continues. Is the price aligned with perceived value? Is the marketing message clear and compelling? Did we invest enough in internal training so our teams can confidently communicate the product’s benefits? Is the sales model too complicated? Are we asking customers to change behavior in ways we underestimated?
When a product struggles, there is rarely a single cause. More often, it is a combination of small miscalculations that compound over time.
What makes the situation worse is when reality is softened. If everyone involved sugarcoats the data, progress stalls. If meetings are filled with “it’s not that bad” or “hopefully next quarter will fix it,” expect more of the same. Likewise, if the room contains people waiting to say, “I told you so,” little will be accomplished. Blame and ego are equally unproductive.
What is needed to change things is honesty, humility and a genuine interest in fixing the problem.
That requires leaving egos at the door. It means being willing to say, “We got it wrong.” It means accepting that experts are not correct 10/10 times. Strong leaders create environments where admitting a mistake is not career-ending but necessary for problem-solving.
Once the facts are on the table, options become more clear.
In the best-case scenario, a deep dive identifies specific, correctable issues. Pricing can be adjusted. Messaging can be sharpened. Training can be strengthened. Distribution can be refined. With meaningful changes in place, a thoughtful “relaunch” becomes possible. A product that stumbled out of the gate can find new life if the adjustments are substantive rather than cosmetic.
However, not every product can, or should, be saved.
Business is full of familiar sayings for a reason: “Fail fast” or “Don’t throw good money after bad money.” I once had a manager tell me, “No business is better than bad business.” The message is clear: resources and funds tied up in an under performing product are resources not invested elsewhere. Knowing when to “cut bait” is critical.
So how do we make that call?
Can we realistically fix the product, or are we simply hoping that more time and money will change an outcome rooted in flawed assumptions? Is the market opportunity still there? Has competition permanently shifted the landscape? Are customers fundamentally uninterested, or have we simply failed to communicate value effectively?
The only way to answer these questions is with an honest look at how we got here. Data must replace wishful thinking. Objective analysis must outweigh attachment. And leadership must be willing to act decisively, either to recommit with a clear plan or to cut the losses and redeploy resources where they can generate stronger returns.
Neither decision is easy. Turning a product around requires renewed energy, focus and investment. Discontinuing a product requires acknowledging sunk costs and letting go of hard work and high hopes. Both paths demand courage.
Ultimately, managing a struggling product is less about the product itself and more about organizational culture. Do we foster environments where truth is valued over comfort? Where results are prioritized over blame? Where decisions are made based on disciplined evaluation rather than pride?
In our industry, innovation is essential. Not every initiative will succeed. But every initiative should teach us something. If we commit to asking better questions and listening carefully to the answers, we give ourselves the best possible chance to either correct the course or move forward wiser and stronger.
That is how ships are turned.
Thank you and all the best,
Rob has 27 years of experience at Bobst, one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries. He currently serves as Tooling Director.
Rob is based in Switzerland, with his wife Monica and their children, Leo and Manuela. His older son, Khai is engaged and remains living in New Jersey. Rob enjoys camping and cooking as well as being a full time chauffer to hockey and swimming practices.
He is proof that being one of those “take it apart and see how it works” kind of guys can lead you to a wonderful career, meeting new people and experiencing the world.
The President's Column appears in The Cutting Edge, the IADD's monthly magazine.
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