Volume 5 Number 4
April 2009
Intended and Unintended Consequences
by Bobbi Kahler
Years ago, I took a class in anthropology. One thing that really stood out for me was that for every action taken in a society, there is an effect that shows up in that society. Sometimes the effect is not immediate, but it will show up. The story I remember was about a long-ago society in the Caribbean (I believe it was the Cayman Islands, but I'm not sure). They existed by catching turtles. Their means were primitive, but sustainable. Well-intended missionaries came to the island and taught the natives better fishing techniques, which yielded much larger results. Initially, this seemed good. The problem is that with the new technique it didn't take long to completely wipe out the turtle population leaving the natives with nothing to fish and no other skills. It was devastating to their culture and society.
I keep this story in mind (although I wish I could remember more of the specifics!) as I read about business. This week I read a story in Fortune about the new CFO at Google who is making some dramatic changes in terms of cost cutting. For example, he has eliminated their company ski trip, their legendary gourmet café at headquarters and some of their business units and projects. The article heralded these changes as, of course, this improves the bottom-line for investors – at least, in the short term.
I remember a similar article a few years ago about Robert Nardelli when he first took over at Home Depot. The article praised his militaristic leadership style and his aggressive cost-cutting approach. We know how that story ended and what Nardelli's leadership did to the culture at Home Depot.
I don't know what the final result will be at Google. I have, however, started a file entitled, "Developing Stories." Only time will tell. Separate from the individual stories is the larger theme that I learned in anthropology so many years ago: every change in a culture has both intended and unintended consequences. It seems naive to think that a massive change to a culture will not have an affect on performance. It will be interesting to watch the story unfold over the coming years.
What changes have you been through in your organization? What were the intended and unintended consequences? If there were any negative consequences, how could those have been better managed?
About the Author
Bobbi Kahler is a management development specialist. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree at Case Western Reserve University. Her focus is studying the science of high performance as it relates to individual and team development. She is also the author of the upcoming book, Seeds of Leadership: Practical Wisdom for Developing Your Personal Power. She can be reached at bobbi@bobbikahler.com or through her website www.bobbikahler.com.
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