Everyday Office Jargon · Associate level

"Back to the drawing board"

"Back to the drawing board" means a plan or idea failed and the team needs to start over and develop a new approach.

Say this instead: start over

How "Back to the drawing board" shows up at work

Delivered after a pitch goes badly or a prototype falls apart, usually in a tone that implies this is energizing rather than demoralizing. It is rarely either.

Buzzword

The client rejected the entire concept, so it's back to the drawing board.

Plain English

The client rejected the entire concept, so we need to start over.

Corporate Rank: Associate · Category: Everyday Office Jargon

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