If we take two steps forward and one step back, it's not without merit to think about the step taken backwards and see if that loss was necessary or incidental

If we take two steps forward and one step back, it's not without merit to think about the step taken backwards and see if that loss was necessary or incidental to the steps forward. If it incidental, to see if it could/should be recovered. And that's even if you can get everyone to agree that weighing the different aspects of a change says it's an overall benefit.