Unintended Consequences

As leaders, we need to lead change.
But we need to make sure that we know what we’re doing.

Consider the change you want to make.

• What do you want to do?

• What is your plan to make it happen?

• What concerns do you have about the chosen course of action?
  Where could things go wrong?

Ask yourself these questions before moving forward. And then ask OTHER people those same questions to “kick the tires” on that plan.

Make sure that your people are going to give you honest, competent assessments—you can get into HUGE trouble if you just have a conference room full of “yes-men” (who would be afraid to tell you about a problem) or a team with high “groupthink” (people who are getting along so well that no one wants to “rock the boat” and express concerns for a plan that everyone else is assumed to approve of).

You should try to have a few “devil’s advocates” in the mix. You WANT to know what could go wrong or what unintended consequences could occur. You want to know in the planning stage, so that you can “analyze the risk out of the risk.” LISTEN to them! It’s making sure you have enough lifeboats before you leave port. It’s making sure that you have a working fire extinguisher before you make “tabletop s’mores.” You still get to go to sea, and you still have a great dessert, but you are prepared if something goes wrong. And if they point out something really bad that you have not thought of, you might decide to follow a different plan and avoid a negative outcome you hadn’t considered.

(image generated using Midjourney)