Is that really what you meant to do?

Colleagues,
 
MVP: Change has unanticipated consequences. The smaller and simpler the change, the easier it is to account for the unforeseen.
 
Last week Seth Godin wrote a phenomenal piece about the evolution of metered parking. He described how the system was designed to make shopping easier by discouraging people from parking in one place for a long time, thereby keeping spaces available for shoppers to park conveniently for short periods of time.
 
However, the system of metering parking brought its own challenges including maintenance, collection, and enforcement. 
 
A recent trend involves a particular corporation taking over management of parking system in many municipalities, where the fines are now doubled, to pay the company, and money is siphoned out of the community.
 
Change always brings unintended consequences because change impacts systems and systems are complex.
 
Strategic leaders embrace incremental change and simplistic actions, which usually beget fewer and less intense unintended consequences.
 
Today’s intention: Be aware this week of the systems that define what you do and how you do it.

Cheers!

Frederick