If you don't think it's working, why not go back with ideas to improve it, rather than doing less work? Doesn't sound like "less work", it sounds like they did

If you don't think it's working, why not go back with ideas to improve it, rather than doing less work? Doesn't sound like "less work", it sounds like they did the amount of work management wanted them to do. Just like working 40 hours a week is "less work" than 60 hours a week, but I'm not going to work 60 hour weeks just because of some sentimentality around the company being successful.